It wasn’t a classic this evening but it was dramatic and keenly fought between these two great rivals, the Highlanders coming away with a four-point win over the Blues.
The match was permeated with errors, neither side covering themselves in glory, the handling particularly poor, the Blues suffering the most as the Highlanders continued to pepper the back three and they continued to oblige by dropping the pill.
Along with a misfiring Blues lineout, the Highlanders were able to dominate territory for long periods, scoring the matches only try in the first half, playing with greater control and urgency.
The Blues never gave up, but their lack of organisation at times was telling, reflecting in their poor ball control and with the Highlanders happy to kick the ball out.
It didn’t get any easier, the major factor for the Blues coming back into the encounter was the horrible amount of injuries the Highlanders suffered in tonight’s match, in particular Lima Sopoaga leaving the field will have the fans concerned.
They lost a bit of their shape after that, but their desperation in defence held out a fast-finishing Blues side, a knock on five out from the line summing up their effort nicely this evening.
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