Super Rugby
Dreadlocked Dan Pryor a model of persistence
Sam Bruce
June 19, 2015
Super Rugby Preview: Qualifying Finals

This time last year Highlanders back-rower Dan Pryor was preparing for another ITM Cup campaign with Northland; fast forward 12 months and the dread-locked Taniwha warrior is set to battle form Chiefs flanker Sam Cane in a Super Rugby qualifying final.

It's a lesson in persistence: the late bloomer who kept working away despite a lack of interest from New Zealand's franchises. That was until the Highlanders came calling late last year and the then 26-year-old was given a second crack at Super Rugby level.

"It was pretty tough for me, especially after that first year with the Blues," Pryor told ESPN of the solitary cap he earned with the Auckland franchise in 2012. "I wasn't getting any contracts after that; but it would be tough for any player. But I was just enjoying where I was; really enjoying my footy. So I just kept playing for Northland and kept trying to play well until the Landers called, which was good."

A couple of seasons in the Super Rugby wilderness would see some players head overseas or shift their career focus away from rugby. But that wasn't the case for Pryor who went back to the ITM Cup and made a point of just "enjoying footy" again. A far more confident Pryor soon became a standout at Northland as his true ability shone through; it also happened to catch the eye of Jamie Joseph's coaching team.

Dan Pryor has proved his worth at the Highlanders this season © Getty Images
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"As cliché as it sounds, I sort of just took it game by game because it wasn't until late in the season that the Highlanders gave me the buzz," Pryor said of his ITM Cup experiences. "And the year before that I was pretty happy with my season and no-one came calling. So like I said, I was just happy playing for Northland; but I'm just real thankful that the Highlanders gave me a buzz at the end.

"I think it (ITM Cup) just gave me confidence. When I first came into the ITM (Cup) I wasn't too confident and I didn't really want to make a mistake either. And then after a few years with the same team, you get more of a leadership role and more of a say on stuff, and that let my abilities come out a bit more. But yeah, I just got more confident with what I was doing on the field, really."

Originally a No.7 by trade, Pryor has found himself as somewhat of a stop-gap solution at the Highlanders this season as the Southerners, much like their opponents this weekend, battled injuries in the pack. Often viewed as a curse at the professional level, Pryor's utility value has been invaluable to the Dunedin franchise this season, not that he sees a huge difference in the various back-row roles.

"I played No.7 when I came into the ITM early on; I was always more of a roaming No.7," he said. "But I just really like the role of No.8 as you get your hands on the ball a bit more, and No.8 is sort of close to a No.6 role as well. I think in the early ITM I was just injury cover really, but I always knew that I could cover all three roles which was good. And I was just really developing the little things within the roles, and Jamie was confident of putting me there which was good."

Aside from the challenge that Chiefs flanker Cane will present on Saturday, Pryor's dreadlocks would appear to be another difficult on-field challenge to overcome. Not so.

Sam Cane will be a huge breakdown threat for the Chiefs this weekend © Getty Images
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"I've been growing for about six years; it wasn't always dreads but it was long hair. I made the decision to grow dreads and I knew I had to grow it pretty long. I think when it was straighter it gave me way more grief but now that it's dreaded up, it's no worries, mate. It's Graceland."

A win this week will take the Highlanders one step closer to their "Graceland" - a maiden Super Rugby title from 20 years of trying. Two-time champions the Chiefs certainly have the edge when it comes to finals footy; but having tasted the play-offs last season, the men from Otago are now better equipped to tackle the playoffs. Pryor wasn't on the scene for last year's qualifying final loss to the Sharks in Durban but has an idea of what to expect following Northland's run in the ITM Cup's Championship division.

"I've had a bit of (finals) experience, obviously not at Super level, but last year with Northland we were in the finals," he said. "And just growing up; I think that experience of losing teams in finals, you can't change what you're doing. Some teams panic when they get to finals footy; they think they need to change this, need to change that. But here at the Highlanders we know that our type of footy got us there and we just need to keep backing our abilities and just capitalise on all the possession and opportunities we get really."

Pryor was forced to wait for an opportunity but just like a crusty bunch of dreadlocks, a good rugby career takes years of cultivation.

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