Highlanders win frantic opener
The Highlanders have inflicted further misery on the Blues and lengthened their drought against fellow Kiwi teams.
Their 41-34 win in Dunedin last night not only ensured the Blues still haven’t beaten a New Zealand team since they beat the Highlanders in the opening round of 2016, it locked up the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy.
New coach Aaron Mauger also tasted a win in his first match in charge of the franchise, not that he would have been able to relax until the Highlanders rebuffed a desperate final raid by the Blues after the hooter.
In a frantic match where the lead changed hands multiple times, the Highlanders outscored the Blues five tries to four, and hit the lead for good
when second-five Tei Walden completed his brace in the 61st minute.
It came just minutes after his first try, which knotted the game up at 31-31, as the Highlanders made the 14-man Blues pay while Antonio Kirikiri was in the bin for 10 minutes after a high shot on Lima Sopoaga.
Anyone concerned about the Highlanders’ midfield post-Malakai Fekitoa, will no doubt be breathing easier after Walden and centre Rob Thompson each scored twice. The pair also did a decent job defending opposites Sonny Bill Williams and George Moala who, along with the rest of their team, will have to wait at least another week to end their 12-match winless streak against Kiwi teams.
It’s been 728 days and counting since the Blues won a derby. They more than played their part in a thrilling encounter, and had flying wing Rieko Ioane got a kind bounce in the final five minutes it could have been a different story.
The yellow card to Kirikiri, which Nutbrown flashed after Nutbrown asked the TMO to have a second look, stung the Blues shortly after No 8 Akira Ioane scored to give the Blues a 31-24 lead.
Blues coach Tana Umaga will no doubt find plenty to like about Bryn Gatland’s performance at first fiveeighth.
Gatland, starting in place of the injured Stephen Perofet, scored 19 points and scored the opening try after he stepped inside Walden to temporarily hush the crowd and give the visitors a 7-3 lead after a quarter of an hour.
However, the lead was short-lived as centre Thompson crashed on to a short Sopoaga ball and touched down.
It was the first of two tries by Thompson, who has played the majority of his professional career at second-five eighth.
His second, a long-range try after collecting a sweet inside ball by lock Tom Franklin, was even better, and gave the home side a 17-14 lead.
But an Akira Ioane try, from a run off the back of the scrum which gave Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith no chance, and a Gatland penalty on the stroke of halftime ensured the Blues went into halftime with a 24-17 lead.