'Worst 40 minutes in Highlanders' history'

Apparently, it was a commercial success but memo to the Highlanders — it is about the scoreboard, not the balance sheet. Too many more like this and they will have a very red balance sheet.

The Highlanders put on probably the worst 40 minutes of their history to be roundly thumped 45-22 by the Chiefs in Suva on Saturday night.

The southern franchise could have not have played worse if it  had gone out there with a plan to play particularly badly in the opening 40 minutes. Perhaps it did, because it was a truly woeful performance which resulted in the side conceding six converted tries to be 42-0 down at halftime.

What could go wrong did go wrong for the Highlanders in that first half into a strong wind. Tackles were missed, handling was awful, there was no composure, no accuracy and everything was rushed. Luke Whitelock was yellow-carded for a dumb deliberate knock-on and Lima Sopoaga once kicked the ball out on the full from the kick-off.

Yes, it was that sort of night. The side came back in the second half and scored four tries to make the scoreboard a tad more respectable but the race had been run and the Highlanders were still a distant second at the finish line.

It was a complete fish-out-of-water performance from the Highlanders in the first half. Perhaps the side had spent too much time drinking kava and handing out flags and forgot it is actually about the game.

Highlanders coach Aaron Mauger did not mince words when describing the first-half performance.

"We were poor in that first half and the Chiefs played really well. Credit to them; they executed their game plan very well and put a lot of pressure on around the physical part of the game," he said.

"We just could not match them in the intensity and could not get any momentum into our game.

"They dominated at the breakdown and made metres with the ball. We had a couple of chances in that first half that we needed to nail but we made a couple of errors and that cost us. He said the Chiefs won all the battles in the first half.

"I was happy with the preparation we had during the week. We worked hard at home and got over here and made sure we did not go too overboard with the welcomes and the festivities.

"The boys are really disappointed, really down about it. They’re proud men, proud of the jersey and the region. I don’t doubt the passion of the men who wear the jersey."

He was proud the side came back well in the second half and showed spirit. The Chiefs scored a try in the first two minutes and did not let up. The Highlanders were way too passive in defence and their work at the breakdown was laboured and inaccurate.

Referee Paul Williams got into them and the Highlanders were just in the reverse gear the whole time.

Admittedly, the side was playing into a strong head wind but no wind is worth 42 points.

It would be hard to find a decent performance but centre Rob Thompson ran well and Elliot Dixon was busy.

Waisake Naholo went off for the Highlanders with cramp, in an unhappy homecoming for him, while prop Siate Tokolahi damaged the back of his knee but it is not thought to be serious.

Naholo was one of many of the key men who did not fire for the Highlanders and the side was simply well off the standards it had set in the opening 13 games of the competition.

One can understand the commercial realities of taking the game to Suva but one doubts whether the Chiefs would have been so good if that blustery wind was coming off Foveaux Strait.

Liam Messam wound back the years for the Chiefs with a vintage performance from No8 while Charlie Ngatai stamped his class on the game.

 

Super Rugby
The scores

Chiefs    45

Toni Pulu 2, Sean Wainui, Solomon Alaimalo, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Luke Jacobson tries; Damian McKenzie 6 con, pen

Highlanders    22

Tei Walden 2, Aki Seiuli, Shannon Frizell tries, Lima Sopoaga conHalftime: 42-0