Highlanders overcome Stormers

A win’s a win, but don’t expect the Highlanders to blow smoke up themselves after their 33-15 win against the Stormers on Friday night.

The scoreline might look decent enough, but you don’t need to dig deep to realise there’s a ton of work to do before their next three games, against the Crusaders, Hurricanes and Chiefs.

At times it was so ugly you wanted to cover your eyes, particularly as both teams made the first half look like it was being played on a sopping wet Carisbrook.

Of course, the Highlanders should be cut some slack considering they were coming off an untimely bye week and couldn’t carry any momentum into the match from their season-opening win against the Blues.

They outscored the tourists five tries to two, ran up 602 metres on attack and were easily the more dangerous outfit under the roof.

Co-captain and fullback Ben Smith appears to have got rid of all the rust from his sabbatical and showed why he’s still the best fullback in the world.

He was his usual elusive self with ball in hand, but it was perhaps his outstanding try-saving tackle on Stormers wing Raymond Rhule which earned him the biggest applause from the loving Dunedin crowd.

Rhule appeared destined to run in under the sticks and give his side a 19-12 lead midway through the second half, only for Smith to hunt him down like a famished wolf. The Highlanders promptly earned a penalty and cleared.

But it wasn’t all smiles for Smith, who, like the rest of his side, went into the halftime sheds shaking their heads after referee Glen Jackson disallowed a try. Smith, who was tackled short of the line, before continuing to crawl for the line and reach out, felt he wasn’t held, and replays showed he had a strong case.

But Jackson, who also blew back an apparent Naholo try in the 62nd minute due to an Aaron Smith forward pass, wasn’t having a bar of it.

It was frustrating stuff for the home side, who enjoyed a ton of possession and territory, but found chance after chance going begging in the second spell.

Wing Waisake Naholo coughed up a try – it wasn’t his only drop – after butchering a lovely cut-out ball by replacement midfielder Matt Faddes, while lock Jackson Hemopo steamed over the line early in the second half, only to cough it up when Damian de Allende tackled him.

There was also too many missed tackles (23) from Aaron Mauger’s mob.