Australia is apparently a more welcoming place for Kiwis following a rejig of citizenship laws but the lucky country did the Highlanders no favours on Saturday night.
They became just the second New Zealand team to lose to the Western Force in 29 games when they slipped to a 30-17 loss in Perth.
This was no classic. It was, in fact, a very messy clash between two average teams highlighted (well, lowlighted) by some zealous officiating and the dishing out of five yellow cards.
The Highlanders plunged into a 24-3 hole at halftime, and while they were better in the second spell, they were never quite good enough to get in front.
Still, there will be some frustration at how this one played out.
The first half was effectively a disaster zone for the Highlanders, who were in a 10-0 hole after 13 minutes.
They struggled to get clean ball from their set piece and they found themselves either annoying or struggling to interpret Australian referee Nic Berry and giving up a bunch of costly penalties.
No fewer than three Highlanders were dispatched to the sin bin in the first half. Tight forwards Pari Pari Parkinson and Ethan de Groot saw yellow within 60 seconds of each other, so the visitors had a spell playing with just 13 men.
The Force butchered two excellent opportunities to capitalise on the two-man advantage, but eventually the pressure told, and big winger Manasa Mataele scored a try to make it 17-3.
Then, when Marino Mikaele-Tu’u became the third Highlander sent to the naughty chair, Berry handed the Force a penalty try.
They reduced the margin to 14 points when Connor Garden-Bachop crossed in acres of space just four minutes into the second half, but wasted a couple of opportunities to slash the deficit further when Shannon Frizell had the ball knocked from his grasp in the in-goal area and Mikaele-Tu’u was held up over the line.
By now, the Force was a man down — Berry does love a good yellow card — and Andrew Makalio scored a classic hooker’s try from a powerful lineout drive.
A long, rather chaotic passage of play followed that featured a try-saving tackle from Freddie Burns on Mataele.
A trip to Sydney now awaits the Highlanders, who will seek to beat the Waratahs on Friday night.
Super Rugby
The scores
Force 30
Bryce Hegarty, Manasa Mataele tries, penalty try; Hegarty 2 con, 3 pen
Highlanders 17
Connor Garden-Bachop, Andrew Makalio tries; Sam Gilbert 2 con, pen
Halftime: Force 24-3.
