Highlanders must be sharper when chances come
LIKE camels in a pool?
It ain’t that simple.
The Highlanders were not caught out in the wet after playing their first three games under the roof.
They just need to be sharper when key opportunities come along.
And they need to get more ball and hold on to it.
The southern franchise chalked up its first loss of the season, losing 2912 to the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday night, which now leaves the Super Rugby competition with no unbeaten sides.
The Chiefs, fresh off a big 6110 win over the Sunwolves, are next for the Highlanders, who take on the Colin Coopercoached outfit in Hamilton on Friday.
The Highlanders will strike a combative Chiefs team and the men from the South need to create and take chances. They did not value the ball enough on Saturday night and, in the end, did not have enough possession to mount a challenge.
Highlanders coach Aaron Mauger said the side lost the territory battle on a slippery, but far from treacherous, Westpac Stadium.
‘‘I think we had about 32% [territory] by the end of the game and it is always hard to score tries from deep against a good defensive unit like them,’’ Mauger said.
‘‘‘When we created opportunities, especially in the second half, we did not quite nail a set piece and a breakdown. Little moments, nothing to panic about.
‘‘At halftime we were pretty confident, we were creating opportunities and thought they would come but we just didn’t take them.’’
Mauger said conceding three penalties in the first seven minutes of the second half was costly.
‘In a couple of areas they were just a bit better than us and they got three tries which were well taken tries in the corner. That was the difference at the end of the day.’’
Mauger said the side had trained the best of the season leading up to this game and had trained in the rain in Dunedin last week.‘‘We prepared well all week . . . we trained outside in the rain on Wednesday. We trained with a wet ball yesterday [Friday] before we came up as we knew the forecast was for wet.’’
The Chiefs were a good side and were building in the competition.
‘‘We just need to be a bit better in controlling our territory and controlling the ball once we have got it. Especially when those opportunities come in the right parts of the field, we need to be more clinical.
‘‘ It hasn’t been an issue up until tonight.
‘‘We need to make sure when we are in those moments next week, be a bit more accurate and a bit more smarter.’’
Mauger said the short week with the game on Friday was probably a blessing as it meant the side did not have to chew on the loss for too long.
The team picked up no injuries from the game.
In other results, the Rebels beat the Sharks and the Chiefs thrashed the Sunwolves 6110.
The Stormers edged the Reds 2519, while the Jaguares made use of their home advantage to beat the Lions 4935.