It is the hookers who score all the tries these days.
But Connor Garden-Bachop and Jermaine Ainsley are not too bothered by the mixed reviews for the Highlanders’ opening win of the season.
They beat Moana Pasifika 37-17 in Dunedin on Friday night.
Five of the six tries could be traced back to a rolling maul.
The sight of a hooker burying himself in the boot and flopping over the line for a try leaves some fans cold.
Andrew Makalio bagged a try that way, and replacement rake Rhys Marshall nabbed two.
But does Steve Smith worry if the runs he scores for Australia are too ugly to count? No (although he probably should).
Garden-Bachop joked he would like to see a bit more of the ball out wide, but described the win as a spark rather than a dampener.
"That little extra bit of energy is definitely really noticeable this week. The boys have got their tails up," he said.
"But we need to not get too far ahead of ourselves — keep building on the performances that we’ve been having.
"We got the result but our performance was probably still a little bit off. We know deep down that we can still play a lot better."
They will need to. They have got the Hurricanes in Dunedin this weekend.
The Hurricanes edged the Highlanders 21-14 in week three.
Hard to imagine the Highlanders’ rolling maul will be as successful against the Wellington-based team as it was against Moana Pasifika.
But kicking to touch and setting up a lineout drive from 5m or 10m out is a very threatening tactic.
It is hard to stop a team that close to the line, but Ainsley said it came down to technique and execution like everything else.
"Everyone’s got their area in the maul to stop, so if everyone does their job you can definitely stop a maul, for sure," the prop said.
The Highlanders had shaped their game plan around lineout drives for the game against Moana Pasifika.
"We executed that well and it is good to know that it is in the back pocket. There are lot of good teams, like the Brumbies and that, that we are going to play coming up that are mauling teams.
"It’s going to have to be better and better every week."
Speaking of improving each week, Ainsley has been in that bracket.
The scrum has been solid when he has been in the front row, and his mobility and speed has attracted some positive comment.
His father, Joe McDonnell, played eight tests for the All Blacks, and Ainsley has already had a taste of international rugby.
He has made three appearances for Australia and has "left the door open" to returning.
The 26-year-old was born in Cromwell and was schooled at Otago Boys’.
He moved to Australia for playing opportunities and spent a year with the Force and three seasons with the Rebels before moving back to New Zealand to join the Highlanders last season.
He wanted to try "something new and experience New Zealand footy".
"I hadn’t played [here] since I was at school, so it was about taking a new opportunity, really."
He had had a lot of injuries and playing international rugby was not at the forefront of his mind when he returned to New Zealand.
But international rugby remains "the end goal".
Ainsley, who is not contracted to Otago for the NPC this season yet, said he was not sure if he was in the frame for Wallabies selection and was just focusing on playing as well as he could each week.
The Highlanders confirmed yesterday they will be without All Black loosie Shannon Frizell and lock Manaaki Selby-Rickit for eight weeks.
The pair picked up knee injuries during the match against Moana Pasifika.
A Highlanders spokesman said they would not be bringing in any extra players at this stage.
Max Hicks performed well in Selby-Rickit’s absence, and Otago’s Christian Lio-Willie would provide loose forward cover.
