Hurricanes win thanks to wealth of possession
THIS was a mountain which was always going to be very steep to conquer.
Coming off three games played under the roof, wet Wellington duly delivered its best credentials.
The Hurricanes had come off the bye so were well rested and eager to get on with it.
Throw in the fact it was halfback TJ Perenara’s 100th game for the franchise and an offside line more flexible than the Russian gymnastic team, the Highlanders were always going to struggle to finish in front of the home team in Wellington on Saturday night.
In the end, the visiting side did not get near the top of the mountain.
It did not even make base camp.
The Hurricanes won 2912 after leading 125 at the break.
The home team won thanks to a wealth of possession which in the end led to a comfortable victory.
It had all the ball and the Highlanders were forced to live off scraps.
The Highlanders tied it up 1212 just after the break but never fired a shot after that. Highlanders first fiveeighth Lima Sopoaga said it was a game in which some things just did not go their way.
‘‘It was not from a lack of trying. There was just one or two key moments when the ball swung the other way. Maybe if it has gone our way it might have been different,’’ he said.
‘‘But you can’t fault the effort of the lads. It is not fatal. It is round four. We are still three from four.
‘‘We were just unable to play in the right parts of the field . . . the momentum was with the Hurricanes. And a night like tonight with TJ’s 100th game they were always going to go to hell or high waters.
‘‘To be a part of TJ’s 100th was a real privlege. We grew up together and have been playing together since we were 12 years old.’’
Sopoaga had a bit of groin niggle going into the game and Fletcher Smith flew to Wellington on Saturday as cover but the All Black got through the game.
The Highlanders scored a try early in the second half which was a false dawn.
Ben Smith made a lively break, the ball was then kicked through and Waisake Naholo showed some nice football skills to score.
But that was the last time the side got near the Hurricanes line as it lost key battles and just could not hold on to the ball.
Sopoaga said playing outside was obviously different than playing under the roof and the atmosphere was completely different in Wellington.
It was a game which drifted along for long periods and there was a few too many handling mistakes for a game at this level.
The Highlanders faded the longer the game went on and, when replacement winger Vince Aso went over to stretch the lead to 10 points 15 minutes from time, it was game over for the visiting team.
Ben Lam scored his second try in the dying minutes to blow the margin out.
Jackson Hemopo gave it everything in the Highlanders pack and hooker Ash Dixon was busy when he came on in the second half.
But it was a game in which the Highlanders rarely had the ball so there were few who stood out.