Otago Daily Times Online rugby writer Jeff Cheshire looks at some key points from the Highlanders 42-30 loss in their semifinal against the Lions at Ellis Park this weekend.
A bridge too far?
While you don't want to take anything away from the Lions, you have to think all the travel finally took its toll on the Highlanders. They have been around the world one and a half times over the past five weeks, never in the same place two weeks in a row. On top of that they were coming off tough games against the Brumbies and Chiefs. It was always a question of "when", rather than "if", they would hit the wall and the answer ended up being in this game. Everything was slightly off and against a quality opposition, you can't afford to be off like that.
• Lions roar past Highlanders (+video)
Defensive problems
After being outstanding all year it was in the Highlanders' defence that let them down. Perhaps it was the fatigue showing through. Being accurate against the Lions is important, as they are hard to recover against after an initial break. Gaps that hadn't been there all year were apparent, tackles were uncharacteristically missed and the linespeed was not where has been. That allowed the Lions to play their fast-paced open game, making use of space in the midfield and forcing the Highlanders to scramble. The Highlanders usually scramble well, but the Lions did not make it easy. They kept the ball alive and recycled it quickly to prevent the Highlanders reorganising. That left the Highlanders very much on the backfoot and against a good team, tries were inevitable. It was very much in contrast to when these teams met in Dunedin earlier this year. On that night the Highlanders swarmed all over the Lions, ensuring they went nowhere and rarely threatened.
Lack of protection at breakdown
The Lions targetted the defensive breakdown, committing numbers and pushing the Highlanders' off the ball too many times. They did it well and picked their moments. When the Highlanders went wide, they often only committed one or two players to the ruck, often backs. That is fine if you are getting quick ball, or the opposition is fanning out. However the ball wasn't being cleared quickly and the Lions were not afraid to counterruck. While on defence you can fan out and not commit to the ruck, on attack getting players over the ball is not optional. How many players that is depends on how aggressively the opposition is attacking the breakdown. When a team is counterrucking the way the Lions were, you have got to have more than one player there.
Scrum under pressure
For the second week in a row the Highlanders' scrum was put under pressure. This week however, that pressure was coming from a team that had more than just a good scrum. Several scrums either went to ground, or the Highlanders found themselves back-pedalling. Both tended to result in penalties against the visitors. That allowed the Lions to establish field position, take shots at goal and otherwise dictate play.
Lions outstanding
While the New Zealand teams have been dominant all year, the Lions have been the one bright spot for the other conferences. Their positive mindset makes them an exciting team to watch and when they get going they are tough to stop. The Highlanders certainly found that out, as the Lions looked to speed the game up, playing expansive rugby and making use of the space given to them to score five brilliant tries. Equally good was their exit from their own half, which saw them efficiently clear the ball and carve off plenty of ground. Their defence got up quickly and their platform up front was strong. To win the whole thing they will have to show they can do it in New Zealand, but if they can deliver a similar performance, the Hurricanes will have to be on their game to beat them.
