Things do not get much better than a marvellous semifinal victory over the Waratahs in Sydney by the Highlanders.
Ahead 15-14 at the break, the side pulled away in the second half to end up convincing 35-17 victors and ousting the defending champions from the competition.
It was a richly deserved victory for the Highlanders who were clinical in everything they did.
When the opportunities came along, they swallowed them up, and any Waratahs mistake was seized upon.
The Waratahs started by throwing a wild pass behind all their players in the first minute and it never improved after that.
The Highlanders were sharper, more urgent and just looked better throughout the whole 80 minutes.
The visiting side's lineout made five very important grabs from Waratahs throws and, in the second half, the home side got no territory or possession.
In the end, the Highlanders ran away with the game.
Their pack was too strong, despite being heavily outweighed, and it had no problem recycling the ball.
Behind them, Aaron Smith and Lima Sopoaga pulled the strings while further out wingers Patrick Osborne and Waisake Naholo were their usual industrious selves.
The Waratahs actually scored the first try of the match _ winger Rob Horne getting on the end of a Bernard Foley cross kick to score in the left hand corner after 10 minutes.
But the lead lasted just over five minutes, with Aaron Smith intercepting a poor pass from Waratahs No8 Wycliff Palu to canter over.
The Highlanders had plenty of time in the Waratahs' half and were rewarded just after the half hour mark when second five eighth Richard Buckman went up the middle, wriggled through tackles and, not held, just got up and sprinted 30m to the line.
Into the second half, and Naholo showed his skills by kicking ahead and just touching the ball down before it hit the dead ball line.
Then, just before the hour mark, Osborne surged to the line and was just held up with a swinging arm from Waratahs loose forward Jacques Potgieter prominent.
You could argue the merits of the resulting penalty try and yellow card for Potgieter until the cows came home but the Highlanders went 10 points ahead.
Sopoaga kicked a drop goal, his fourth of the season, to extend the lead and Osborne scored the final try thanks to a pinpoint cross kick from Sopoaga.
It would be hard to single out any Highlander in a fantastic team performance but the tight five stood tall against much bigger opponents while the inside backs made all the right calls.
TRIPLE TREAT
Three key moments from the Highlanders' victory on Saturday night.
SWINGING SOUTH AFRICAN
He always looks a bit rugged does Jacques Potgieter. The sort of man you would want in the trenches but not the company portfolio.
When he came and swung his arm in the direction of a surging Patrick Osborne it was ugly and, by the letter of the law, illegal. It is simple, really.
Part of the game is to hold your discipline. Potgieter did not and his actions stopped a try. If he did not swing the arm, Osborne was likely to score. That is good enough for a penalty try.
The try gave the Highlanders a 10 point lead which was enough on the night.
SNIPING SMITH
The Highlanders had enjoyed plenty of territory in the first quarter of an hour but had just three points to show for it.
Then the Waratahs scrum screwed, No8 Wycliff Palu threw a shocking pass and Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith gobbled it up and the Highlanders, after 18 minutes, were ahead.
SLOPPY STUFF
There could be arguments over a few calls but if a side fails to win nearly half its lineout ball then chances are it will finish second.
With about a quarter to go in the game, the Waratahs had a throw in 35m out from the Highlanders tryline.
Highlanders replacement loose forward Gareth Evans soared high and grabbed the ball at the front of the line. The lips on the Waratahs forwards dropped that little bit further.
Super rugby semifinal
The scores
Highlanders 35
Aaron Smith, Richard Buckman, Waisake Naholo, Patrick Osborne tries; penalty try; Lima Sopoaga 2 con, pen, dg
Waratahs 17
Rob Horne try; Bernard Foley 4 pen
Halftime: 15-14
Crowd: 32,632
