Highlanders travel to Sydney without Dixon

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: The Highlanders will travel with a squad of 28 to play the Waratahs in Sydney on Friday, in the first of two pre-season games for the Dunedin side.

The squad features 15 forwards and 13 backs and will be captained by James Lentjes and all players are expected to get some game time.

Canterbury hooker, Sabastion Siataga, has been called in as a late replacement for Ash Dixon who could not travel due to injury. The squad does not include any All Blacks as they are not scheduled to return to play until Round One of the competition.

The Highlanders second, and final, preseason game is the annual Farmlands Cup fixture against the Crusaders, and it is being held in Wanaka for the first time on Friday, January 24 at the Wanaka Showgrounds.

Highlanders squad:

Forwards: Ayden Johnstone, Nathan Vella, Josh Iosefa-Scott, Jesse Parete, Pari Pari Parkinson, Sione Misiloi, James Lentjes (captain), Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Sabastion Siataga, Isaac Salmon, Josh Dickson, Zane Kapeli, Dillon Hunt, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u.

Backs: Kayne Hammington, Mitch Hunt, Scott Gregory, Josh Ioane, Sio Tomkinson, Tima Fainga’anuku, Josh McKay, Folau Fakatava, Bryn Gatland, Jona Nareki, Aleki Morris, Chris Kuridrani, Michael Collins.

Date: Friday, January 17

Venue: Leichhardt Oval, Sydney

Kick-off: 18.45 (07.45 GMT; 20.45 NZ time)

Referees: Graham Cooper (Australia)

Assistant referees: Amy Perrett (Australia), James Quinn (Australia)

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