The Otago Highlanders hit the Wellington Hurricanes with an early bluster to score two tries within 15 minutes and then hung on for a 26-16 win, which improves their chances of making the Super 12 play-offs.
The Hurricanes, 14-6 down at half-time, got within reach before a late drop goal by Nick Evans put the result beyond doubt.
Highlanders captain Anton Oliver stole the ball from a Hurricanes’ line-out on his own line and play swept to the other end of the field, where Evans dropped his goal to end the Hurricanes’ fight-back.
The Highlanders move to second in the series, while the Hurricanes slip to fourth.
”When you look at our performance, what did we actually do, and I don’t think we did a hell of a lot. Again, we showed commitment, and a collective will to a cause, and our forwards just took over the game with the backs just putting it in front of us,” said Oliver.
The Highlanders front row of Oliver, Carl Hoeft and Carl Hayman secured a forward platform, while flanker Josh Blackie made life a misery for the Hurricanes’ backs.
However, the Hurricanes did produce the try of the match when Ma’a Nonu, feeding off a pass from Tana Umaga, brushed through three tacklers in a 45m run to the line.
The match was three minutes old when a turnover to the Highlanders after Umaga took the ball into a maul led to a try by right wing Glen Horton, converted by Ben Blair.
Blackie scored the second try when he brushed aside his opposite Ben Herring on a 22m run to the line.
Blair’s conversion and two penalties for the Hurricanes by Jimmy Gopperth saw the Highlanders up 14-6 at half-time.
Gopperth and Evans exchanged penalties early in the second half to make the score 17-9 before Nonu’s spectacular try with Gopperth’s conversion took the Hurricanes within one point of the Highlanders.
But it was short-lived, as the Highlanders responded with two more penalties, the second from a careless late charge by Nonu.
Down by seven points, the Hurricanes had a chance to draw level when, from a penalty with five minutes remaining, they opted for a line-out close to the Highlanders line.
But Oliver stole the ball and set up a counter, which ended with Evans’s drop goal. — Sapa-AFP