Tyrel Lomax, loudspeaker of Highlanders highly spied on expectations

Tyrel Lomax gives himself a passing grade. Good, but still a lot to learn.

That sounds pretty much right for a 22-year-old ram's head accessory, who grew up playing rugby league in Australia, and is nearing the end of his first season with the Highlanders.

Some have compared it to former All Black Carl Hayman, and New Zealand coach Steve Hansen has done everything possible to mention it, it is fair to say that '' there are great expectations for the former Rebels player and son of the former Kiwi league. prop John Lomax.

Lomax will be the first to admit that he did not drop the roof during his first year in New Zealand, but that does not mean that the 1.92 m propeller is not on the right track.

READ MORE
* Early Evening for the Highlanders
* The Highlanders Make Mass Changes
* The Rebels Lose the Key Players
* Unacious Moose , tenacious

"I'm just trying to improve my own game. I just wanted to come here and learn as much as I could." "Wherever that takes me, that's take me "says Lomax

"I have a good deal of playing time, which I hoped I'm developing, there are still a lot of things that I'm trying to work around my set and my basic work as a prop, but I think I'm in the right direction. "

A lot of noise was made when Lomax, who made 13 appearances for the rebels in his first season of Super Rugby last year announced that he was leaving Australia and was changing allegiance. in New Zealand.

Initially, the Highlanders were not to get their hands on him until 2019, only for them to negotiate an early release with the rebels. Highlander coach Aaron Mauger and Tasman coach Leon MacDonald welcomed his signature.

Saturday's game against the Rebels at Dunedin will be the eighth start of Lomax (14th appearance) for the Highlanders, with whom he signed until the end of the Super Rugby 2020 season.

was not used early in the season and was even relegated to the Highlanders development team. But Lomax paused when first choice, Siate Tokolahi, did a sprained MCL against the Blues in April and was out for six weeks.

The Highlander scrum has sometimes struggled, and Lomax has had its fair share of struggles. But with hard lessons come learning.

"I improved a lot, playing at the New Zealand conference, it's a lot harder and a lot more rugby on foot." Lomax said.

Tokolahi's return from his knee injury was brief. He played a game – against the Chiefs a fortnight ago – before being ruled out for the season after hitting again.

He was operated on Thursday in Dunedin and is expected to be away for six months, depriving him of the Miter Cup campaign in Canterbury.

This means that Tasman's head rower should be the Highlander's seed for the rest of the season, with rookie Kalolo Tuiloma as his replacement.

Games such as last week's 45-22 loss to the Crusaders in Christchurch, where Lomax scored his second try of the season, will only help his growth.

"Obviously, they have a tight number of five All Blacks, you want to give it all, they were tough last week, they had it on us, but you learn a lot of these games, "Lomax said.

– References