Outstanding second-half performance from Highlanders ends Hurricanes' winning streak
The Highlanders celebrated their co-captains’ milestones with a 38-21 victory over the Hurricanes to bring the premature curtain down on Super Rugby Aotearoa in bizarre circumstances.
Aaron Smith’s 150th match for the Highlanders, and Ash Dixon’s 100th Super Rugby game, deserved to be recognised by a full house in Dunedin.
While the latest Covid-19 outbreak ruined that prospect, the Highlanders turned on a second-half clinic by scoring 24 unanswered points to finish their spirited season on a memorable note.
The Crusaders claiming the title last weekend, coupled with cancelling the scheduled finale at Eden Park on Sunday, effectively made this an exhibition game.
With fans, other than family members of the Highlanders, locked out due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the reality is this match was largely staged to retain broadcast revenue. It certainly made for an eerie feel for the players involved.
Both teams approached it in that exhibition style to turn on another breathless, and somewhat scrappy, spectacle.
As you would expect from a Barbarians-type fixture, scripts largely went out the window in favour of embracing the rare freedom that comes with such a match.
Offloads, turnovers, line breaks were frequent and the pace of the game regularly left tight forwards gasping for air.
Clinical finishing was absent as the Hurricanes had three tries ruled out. Vince Aso stepped out; Scott Scrafton’s inside pass to Reed Prinsep was ruled forward and Chase Tiatia scored after obstruction.
The Hurricanes had the better of the first half, claiming two tries through rapid halfback Jamie Booth and Aso but after being denied two tries the visitors should’ve enjoyed a comfortable halftime buffer rather than being locked up 14-14.
The Highlanders initially kept in touch through tries to Dixon and replacement Ngatungane Punivai but they were at their best when playmakers Josh Ioane and Mitchell Hunt held the ball in two hands and challenged the line or Jona Nareki came off his wing to expose tiring defenders.
The locals took control by scoring three second-half tries – the result effectively sealed when referee Ben O’Keeffe awarded a penalty try and yellow carded Ardie Savea for collapsing a Highlanders lineout maul destined to hand Dixon his double.
Given the landscape which forced the Hurricanes to fly in and out on the same day it’s difficult to read too much into the result but after notching a five-match winning streak, a run which included defeating the Crusaders in Christchurch, they will be disappointed to end their season in this fashion.
Solid showings from the Highlanders all-round – especially after they sprung to life in the third quarter of the match. #SuperRugbyAotearoa #HIGvHURhttps://t.co/9cgBtldteY
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 15, 2020
In many ways, however, this final match sums up the intensely competitive derby league in which any side can knock the other over on their day.
Last week the Highlanders pushed the Crusaders through to the final quarter and finishing their season with a third victory from eight games will offer confidence that changes they made during lockdown have them on the right path for next year.
A bonus-point victory is not enough to lift the Highlanders above the third-placed Hurricanes which leaves the Blues to finish second, six points behind the Crusaders after their final match was declared a draw.
Highlanders 38 (Ngatungane Punivai, Ash Dixon, Michael Collins, penalty try, Mitchell Hunt tries; Josh Ioane 4 cons, pen)
Hurricanes 21 (Vince Aso, Jamie Booth, Peter Umaga-Jensen tries; Jordie Barrett 3 cons)
HT: 14-14
Comments on RugbyPass
It was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
5 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
29 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to comments