The Highlanders slumped to their seventh straight loss to start the season after them team went down 30-19 to the Brumbies in Dunedin tonight.
The side failed to fire a shot and it is hard to see where a win is going to come from for the southern franchise.
Both sides played a rather defensive match, trying to keep the ball away from their own tryline.
Best for the Highlanders was flanker John Hardie, prop Ma'afu Fia while new boys Hayden Parker and Fumiaki Tanaka should be pleased with their efforts.
The match was a kicking duel in the opening half with neither team willing to chance their arm.
The Highlanders had little ball in the attacking area and could not crack a solid Brumbies defence.
The home team had made a poor start, being 10 points down afetr five minutes.
Winger Henry Speight crossed after two minutes for the Brumbies shedding past a couple of average tacklers and Christian Lealiifano added the extras.
Lealiifano then added a penalty from 40m out to heap more misery on the Highlanders.
But they slowly got themselves back into the game and three Hayden Parker penalties had the side handily placed after half an hour.
But the Brumbies then pulled away again when veteran flanker George Smith went over after 31 minutes, finding a hole at the end of a lineout..
Lealiifane added the extras to give the visitors a good lead.
The Highlanders though came back and winger Hosea Gear barged over to score what looked like a try but after an eternity, third match official Keith Brown ruled he had lost the ball forward.
That was a tough one to take for the Highlanders and with less then five minutes to go in the first half it was a big decision.
The Highlanders though grabbed a consolation with Parker adding his fourth penalty after the halftime whistle to give a 17-12 lead to the visitors.
Brumbies 30 (George Smith, Joe Tomane, Henry Speight tries, Christian Lealiifano 3 con, 2 pen, Nic White pen) Highlanders 19 (Aaron Smith try, Hayden Parker 4 pen, con) Halftime; 17-12 Brumbies.
