A funeral at Tony Brown’s place for

Twenty five years after the Crusaders beat the Highlanders in the Super 12 final at Carisbrook – the famous Party at Tony Brown’s Place – the teams brought back memories of that afternoon with their 1990s-inspired heritage jerseys in Dunedin last night.

This time, the Highlanders had no regrets.

Inspired by 21-year-old No 10 Cameron Millar, who amassed 27 points in a superb performance, the Highlanders finally ended a three-year drought against New Zealand teams and put the Crusaders on the brink of a stunning Super Rugby exit.

The Crusaders, who lost Scott Barrett before kickoff, remain a shadow of the side who won seven titles in a row, and they simply committed too many errors against the Highlanders, who have now won three games in a row after a midseason slump.

Millar stepped up when it mattered, nailing two late penalties in a flawless kicking performance to signal he is very much a player on the rise.

Sean Withy was also tireless in the contact zone in the absence of captain Billy Harmon.

In front of 18,537 fans at Forsyth Barr Stadium, the Highlanders’ biggest crowd of the season, the two southern rivals served up a game that belied their lowly positions on the ladder.

It was physical and tense, with standout performances by Crusaders Chay Fikahi and Noah Hotham, while rampaging Highlanders loosehead Ethan de Groot appeared to be fully refreshed after his duck shooting trip last weekend.

The Crusaders, in particular, were keen to shift the ball wide from the outset as they tried to get the in-form Sevu Reece involved as much as possible.

However, they were let down by their