Score flattered Highlanders
A 48-18 scoreline might look like a convincing win, but it very much flattered the Highlanders. There was always the sense that the Highlanders would break away late in the game, although with the score at 20-18 inside the last 15 minutes, an upset was still a possibility. It can often be the way. The Kings tackled their hearts out, but had to absorb plenty of pressure. There was clearly nothing left in the tank for the final 12 minutes. Good teams wear you down and while on the whole it was an average performance, the Highlanders showed they were the superior team in the end. They ran in four tries in that time, ensuring they emerged with the expected bonus point win.
Ball security
It was not that the Highlanders did not have their chances early in the game. They had enough ball and field position. But regularly when they looked on the brink of creating something they would drop the ball or throw a bad pass. All up they turned the ball over 24 times. Against a better team they would not have gotten away with that. The Kings were coming up fast in the inside channels, allowing them to apply pressure to the ball runners, but being able to execute under that pressure is important. Both in contact and receiving passes they made too many mistakes. Had they been more accurate in those areas the score could have been a lot more one-sided a lot earlier. You can probably put some of it down to rust, but it is something they will want to improve for next week.
Short kicking game
One of the Highlanders' responses to the Kings' rushed defence was to use a short kicking game, putting the ball into the space behind the defensive line. It wasn't a bad option either and several times they were able to threaten off it. Even if you are not threatening off it, the tactic is one which can force the opposition to hold back, allowing them to turn easier to cover the kick. That in turn creates more time and space for the backline when they have ball in hand. The Kings kept coming though and did well to cover the kick. Indeed only when Patrick Osborne crossed late in the game did they actually give up anything from a short kick.
Kings' kicking tactic
The Kings used the boot regularly, particularly in the first half. It is generally a risky tactic to use against the Highlanders, who possess arguably the most dangerous back three in the competition. With that back three missing perhaps the Kings decided they would test out Ryan Tongia, Matt Faddes and Jack Wilson. They proved safe enough, although were hardly stellar on the counter. What it did do though, was prevent the Highlanders from building pressure from sustained field position. The Kings chase wasn't amazing, but for 65 minutes their defence held strong and did enough to force the Highlanders into making a raft of mistakes as they worked their way back up the field.
Wide, open game
The Highlanders looked to use the width of the field and keep the ball alive. While that had a bearing on the error rate, the up-tempo game took its toll on the Kings in the end. It was not just the backs either, with the Highlanders' forwards showing their ability to run and pass in the open, providing extra threats in space. The Kings showed what they could do in space too, especially in scoring their second try. At times a more direct approach may have been better, although with the Kings' rushed defence in the narrow channels, the space was out wider.
