Source: Radio New Zealand
Highlanders host NSW Waratahs at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium. RNZ/Photosport
The Highlanders can take a deep breath after keeping their Super Rugby Pacific season with alive with victory over the NSW Waratahs in Dunedin.
With their season on the line, the southerners dug deep to win 31-26.
But it was a nerve-racking thing – despite appearing comfortably ahead at 28-7 at halftime – as they struggled with only 14 men for most of the final quarter.
They still have a mountain to climb, but they have lifted from ninth on the table to seventh. They have 24 points, one point behind sixth placed Brumbies.
The Highlanders now likely have to win their remaining regular season games, against the Crusaders and Hurricanes to make the playoffs – a huge task but they have given themselves a slim chance.
On the other side of the coin, the Waratahs, who squandered two tries to sloppy handling in the last 20 minutes, have little chance of being in the finals, as they drop to ninth place.
Playing with intent and verve, the Highlanders ran in four tries in the first half, with wingers Caleb Tangitau and Jonah Lowe both dotting down as the side attacked repeatedly.
The Waratahs scored their only try of the half, just seconds after Highlanders lynchpin Timoci Tavatavanawai got a yellow card for a cynical cleanout.
But while the Waratahs upped their game in the second half, the Highlanders dropped off their intensity and made too many mistakes.
The game featured plenty of fiery moments.
Of concern to the Highlanders coaching team will be their discipline, with two yellow cards issued against them and one of them against Jona Nareki upgraded to a 20-minute red.
Tavatavanawai was the hero at the end after the Waratahs had narrowed the lead to just two points.
He pulled out a turnover, and Cam Miller slotted the goal for his side’s only points of the half.
See how the match unfolded below.
Highlanders: 1. Ethan de Groot (co-c), 2. Jack Taylor, 3. Angus Ta’avao, 4. Tomas Lavanini, 5. Mitch Dunshea, 6. Te Kamaka Howden, 7. Lucas Casey, 8. Nikora Broughton, 9. Adam Lennox, 10. Cameron Millar, 11. Jonah Lowe, 12. Timoci Tavatavanawai (co-c), 13. Jona Nareki, 14. Caleb Tangitau, 15. Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens.
Bench: Soane Vikena, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Saula Ma’u, Oliver Haig, Sean Withy, Folau Fakatava, Taine Robinson, Xavier Tito-Harris.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand