Landers take nailbiter
Super Rugby is back with a fairytale. Bryn Gatland, son of Chiefs coach Warren, landed a stunning drop goal with minutes left on the clock to give the Highlanders a famous 28-27 win that looked beyond them in a nailbiting final quarter.
Gatland, a late replacement on the bench for the injured Josh Ioane, was the coolest man in Dunedin as he nailed the threepointer that will break his father’s heart, but also make him quietly proud.
In a game that threatened to be spoilt by the whistle of referee Paul Williams, and the players’ inability to adapt to stricter new breakdown and offside interpretations, the Highlanders dug deep to eke out the win against the odds.
The Highlanders had Vilimoni Koroi and Jona Nareki to the sin bin, but it was the latter’s offence on the hour mark that was particularly costly.
Nareki needlessly took out Damian McKenzie in the air while chasing a midfield bomb and deservedly saw yellow with the Highlanders leading 25-19 at the time.
And, with time running down before Nareki returned, the Chiefs took advantage by creating space for Anton Lienert-Brown to dot down in the corner.
McKenzie couldn’t convert from a tough angle but he stepped up minutes later with a cool drop goal to put the Chiefs ahead 27-25 with two minutes to go.
That looked like it would be enough, until Gatland’s big play.
The first half had everything, with the Highlanders scoring three tries to one in a pulsating first 40 minutes that was far from error-free but plenty of momentum shifts.
Highlanders debutant Koroi was show a yellow card for a tip tackle inside the final 10 minutes of the half but remarkably it was the home side who managed that period with more composure.
Just before the break, the outstanding Marino Mikaele-Tu’u barged over from a nice blindside move by Mitch Hunt, who also nailed the extras from a tough angle.
That sent the Highlanders into the break with a 22-16 lead, with both sides also guilty of failing to adapt to the stricter interpretations at the breakdown.
The game was only a minute
old when Williams blew for the first offside of the game, and Hunt landed the penalty to become the first points scorer in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
The Chiefs responded quickly with a penalty of their own through McKenzie and the visitors then pushed ahead with a second McKenzie penalty after a flurry of early indiscretions at the breakdown.
However, the Highlanders then grabbed the first try of the night to Ash Dixon after an impressive drive following a knock-on by Lienert-Brown.
The Highlanders then extended their advantage after some superb interplay from midfielders Rob Thompson and Sio Tomkinson allowed the latter to crash over.
Sean Wainui hit back just minutes after a sweeping move with McKenzie prominent, and as the Chiefs started punch some holes through the middle Koroi was yellow-carded for his tip tackle on young lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi, who was excellent after replacing Mitch Brown.
Yet just as they looked to be vulnerable, the Highlanders dug deep and got their noses in front to set up the tense second half.