Dan Carter’s French club Racing 92 side have beaten the defending Super Rugby champions the Highlanders 45-38 in a frenetic match in Hong Kong.
The scores were tied 38-all with 10 minutes to go before Racing 92 broke the deadlock when the Highlanders couldn’t stop a rolling maul crossing the line for a try to another former All Black Chris Masoe.
Racing scored seven tries to the Highlanders’ six.
Carter, who retired from international rugby after last year’s World Cup, started second five-eighth for his new Paris-based club.
He kicked a conversion before half-time but then didn’t return for the second half.
The match was billed as a clash of styles between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Racing are in the middle of their season while the match was a warm-up for the Highlanders as they prepare to defend their 2015 Super Rugby title.
The club said it was valuable hit-out to shake off the cobwebs with the majority of the squad getting a run.
Advertisement
The side moves from the bright lights of Hong Kong to a paddock at Waimumu, near Gore, on Thursday for another pre-season match, this time against the Crusaders.