Oh boy. The Highlanders’ dressing room would not have been a happy place tonight.
They got thumped 52-15 by the Crusaders in Melbourne.
That followed the 60-20 shellacking by the Blues in their opening round of Super Rugby Pacific.
The train tracks and the Highlanders appear to be heading in very different directions so early in the campaign.
They have now lost their last 12 games against New Zealand teams.
The Crusaders were humbled 31-10 by the Chiefs in the opening round and that is who the Highlanders play next.
Tough start. Very tough start.
Who knows what coach Clarke Dermody had to say in the dressing room afterwards. Perhaps it was something like, ‘pull up a pew and pull up your socks’.
If there was a highlight for the Highlanders, it was the sight of Thomas Umaga-Jensen dominating in the midfield. He made some robust carries.
The Highlanders were without All Black trio Aaron Smith, Ethan de Groot and Shannon Frizell, though, and lacked oomph.
The Crusaders conceded an early penalty but were quickly into their stride.
Winger Sevu Reece got on the shoulder of Scott Barrett and barged his way to the line from close range.
The Highlanders dodged trouble when No 8 Nikora Broughton’s finger tip grounding of the ball denied the Crusaders a second midway though the half.
But Richie Mo’unga scooped up a fumble on his 22 and scampered 60m before passing in field. The ball went through a few more hands before fullback Fergus Burke finished off a sensational try.
Mo’unga put in a huge step in the move - enough to make the viewer dizzy.
And just before the break Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor got in the boot of a lineout drive and scored.
That might have been among the most boring of tries, the next was not.
The Highlanders turned the ball over early in the second half and the Crusaders battered away before David Havili put in a centring kick and Mo’unga ran on to it and touched down.
Anther error by the Highlanders ended with Havili under the posts.
The game was over 30 minutes before the fulltime whistle.
The next 1800 seconds ticked by very slowly.
No-one wants to watch a Ferrari lap a Voltswagon.
Highlanders lock Pari Pari Parkinson received a yellow card for a dangerous clear out. In some rare good news for the Highlanders, it was not upgraded to a red card under the new laws.
Power winger Leicester Fainga’anuku brought up the half century with more than 600 seconds remaining.
Josh Timu scored two late consolation tries for the Highlanders. Umaga-Jensen set it up both - the first with a couple of powerful hand-offs and the second with a nice grubber.
Scores
Crusaders: 52 ( Codie Taylor 2, Sevu Reece, Fergus Burke, Richie Mo’unga, David Havili, Leicester Fainga’anuku tries; Mo’unga 7 con, pen)
Highlanders: 15 (Josh Timu 2 tries; Sam Gilbert pen, Freddie Burns con)
Halftime: 24-3.
