A late penalty goal from Hayden Parker has helped the Highlanders to a tense 17-16 win over the Hurricanes at Forsyth Barr Stadium tonight.
With five minutes left on the clock the Highlanders trailed 16-14, as Parker lined up a shot from 22m out and 15m in from touch, to attempt to give the Highlanders the lead.
Not for the first time on this stadium, he proved to have ice in his veins, slotting the kick to give the Highlanders a lead which would see them go on to win.
It was a fast-paced game, played in hot, humid conditions, with the teams doing well to keep up the speed as the game wore on.
The Highlanders were forced to make nearly twice as many tackles as their opponents, but were outstanding in keeping the Hurricanes to one try.
Several times the Hurricanes threatened inside the Highlanders 22 in the first half, but the defence always scrambled well and then reset to fill the gaps.
They did not commit players to the ruck, waiting for the opportunity to contest the ball, then went in and won penalties to stop the attack.
Malakai Fekitoa was a handful carrying the ball, making several breaks, scoring a try and nearly scoring another.
With the score at 3-3, he broke the line and forced the Hurricanes defence to scramble back to reel him in. The Highlanders remained patient and built their phases, before going to Sopoaga down the blindside, who committed the defence and created half a gap for Fekitoa.
Fekitoa was not going to be stopped in that form and crashed over for the first try.
His non-try in the second half, with the Highlanders behind 16-14, will be a controversial point. He appeared to get the ball down against the base of the post, after initially being too high. The TMO ruled no clear grounding could be confirmed and the Hurricanes escaped the situation.
At that point the Highlanders were rallying well, having given up the lead with 20 minutes to play. They went into the break ahead by 11-6, before Sopoaga kicked a goal early in the second half to take the score to 14-6.
The Hurricanes hit back though, creating a good build up themselves. They remained patient, using the pick and go effectively, before TJ Perenara sniped right to score from close range.
Beauden Barrett converted from wide out and a penalty five minutes later saw the Hurricanes take the lead. The penalty came after another piece of brilliance from Fekitoa, who with help from Sopoaga, Ben Smith and Matt Faddes, held up Julian Savea over the line after the Hurricanes' winger leapt high to take a cross-kick.
But the Highlanders were not to be outdone. They had the better running of the final quarter of the game and after Fekitoa's near-miss, Parker got the team back in front, before they closed out the game.
The win is the Highlanders' first of the season, while the Hurricanes remain winless after two games.
