Toothless Highlanders plunge to fourth straight loss

Four straight losses have left the Highlanders floundering in the lower reaches of the Super Rugby Pacific table.

They followed the recent pattern of their season as they fell to a 29-20 loss to the Force in Perth tonight.

The Highlanders played like gods for about 10 minutes in the first half before being completely dominated the rest of the way.

They failed to score a point after the 26th minute, and that is no recipe for success.

While their scrum was better, and they created some nice opportunities, they were again made to pay for lapses in concentration and poor discipline.

Thomas Umaga-Jensen of the Highlanders runs the ball during the round eight Super Rugby Pacific match against the Western Force. Photo: Getty Images

Livewire flanker Veveni Lasaqa and bullocking centre Thomas Umaga-Jensen were two of the Highlanders’ best in Perth.

But yet another defeat to an Australian team - remember when they were considered the weak link of Super Rugby? - has led to the Highlanders plummeting to eighth, five points outside the playoff spots.

The game had an utterly chaotic start as both sides seemed a little sun-struck in the Perth afternoon.

Possession was being flung all over the place and every second player seemed determined to try fancy chip-and-chase moves.

Sam Gilbert opened the scoring with a rather boring penalty – then things really went crazy in a six-minute spell.

The Force scored the opening try from a lineout move, and to nobody’s surprise it went to freakish flanker Carlo Tizzano, his 11th try at the halfway point of the season.

But all that did was inspire the Highlanders to deliver a wonderful little period of rugby.

They ignited a cracking counter-attack in the 17th minute, poured down waves of attack, and cheered as in-form winger Jona Nareki bustled through a couple of tackles and over the line.

Just a couple of minutes later, and there was a second Highlanders try, and a darn good one.

There were some quick hands inside their own half followed by a nice Umaga-Jensen break, a pass to Nareki and a pop to Gilbert for the score.

When Gilbert kicked a second penalty, it was 20-7 to the Highlanders, and the sense they were in control of the game only increased when they found themselves on the right side – yes, the right side – of a couple of scrum penalties.

Did not last long, though.

The Force needed a pick-me-up before halftime and they got it from a lineout drive and a try to hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa.

They were threatening to sweep down and immediately get another, too, before turnover genius Timoci Tavatavanawai shut them down.

If the Highlanders had gone to the sheds with a 20-14 lead, they would have been feeling happy enough.

A shame, then, the Force had the final say of the first half when fullback Mac Grealy scored a full two minutes after the hooter, and while Ben Donaldson missed the extras, the Highlanders had seen their 13-point lead evaporate to one.

Then it was time for the lead to disappear when the Force opened the second half with quick ball to the left flank, where Donaldson raced away before popping inside to winger Harry Potter for a try.

That moment might have been magic for the Force but it turned extra sour for the Highlanders when Sean Withy was dished a yellow card for sliding into the try-scorer with his knees.

It was hang-on time for the Highlanders, and more bad news quickly came when Withy’s card was upgraded to red.

The Force scored their fifth try, extending their lead to nine points after scoring 22 unanswered, but centre Sio Tomkinson – the former Highlander – foolishly got himself binned when he cleaned out Gilbert with a suplex-style wrestling move.

The Highlanders found themselves under immense pressure in the final quarter, conceding a bunch of penalties and struggling to get out of their own half.

Just when the 20-minute red card was set to expire, they had another man binned, Jona Nareki paying the price for the team’s constant infringement.

It felt like the Force should be out of sight by now, but the Highlanders were fighting like blazes to stay alive.

Fight is good. Showing some guts is good. But this is a team that needs to find a bit more than that if it is to have any positive impact in the second half of the season.

The Highlanders return home to play the Fijian Drua on Saturday night.