ODT Online rugby writer Jeff Cheshire looks at five key points from the Highlanders v Hurricanes match in Dunedin on Friday night.
Were the Highlanders really robbed?
Much has been made of Ben O'Keefe's refereeing performance. Certainly there were some harsh calls. You could perhaps go as far as saying the penalties against Waisake Naholo and Nasi Manu were ridiculous. They were tough breaks at crucial times, but that is nothing new in rugby and the Highlanders got away with their share of offsides on defence.
As for the final pass, in the opinion of this writer - who was directly in line with it - it was forward, quite obviously in fact. Regardless, most of the Hurricanes defence stopped once the whistle had blown, meaning the break that ensued most likely would not have happened had the forward pass not been given.
Last week against the Waratahs, the Highlanders certainly got the better of the calls. This week perhaps they were hard done by at times, but that is rugby.
Scrappy, even game
The game itself was fairly messy, far from the open contest it had potential to be. It remained tight for long periods and when the ball was spread wide, quite often there was a mistake. That was not from a lack of trying and it was a reflection of how good the defences were that only three tries were scored. The Hurricanes defence has been the key to their five game unbeaten run thus far and it was evident as they held the Highlanders out until the dying stages.
It was a game both looseforward trios thrived in and for the Highlanders it was the men who filled those positions who were as good as any. They showed great desperation, scrapping on defence, making a ton of tackles and then go-forward with ball in hand.
Low-quality start
It was not the best first ten minutes. There were a multitude of dropped balls, poor passes and Aaron Smith uncharacteristically kicked three clearances out on the full in the first three minutes. As the contest progressed it slowly improved. The start set the tone for the rest of the game though and as far as a spectacle goes, it was hardly a memorable one.
Scrums were good
The scrums were set without too many hitches which was a huge positive. That this is even a thing probably shows how much of a problem they have become - why should it be notable when the scrums run without too many resets? Unfortunately it is a sign of the times. The most obvious reason for why they ran so smoothly is that neither team was really looking to dominate their opponent. To both the Highlanders and Hurricanes, the scrum is more a way to restart the game rather than an attacking weapon. Consequently we had clean scrums as everyone was intent on making sure they stayed up, rather than trying to get one over the opposition.
How important will the bonus point be?
When it comes to the end of the season every point is crucial. So often it is a bonus point here or there that decides who makes the playoffs. That the Highlanders did not give up was a great sign, as that is what you really want from your team. It was in stark contrast to this time a year ago, when they walked to a lineout in the dying stages while trailing against the Force. They showed urgency, got a bonus point and nearly snatched a draw. That is an improvement and that they are thinking of individual points in that way shows their awareness of how close the competition can be, even at this early stage.
