adminThe Highlanders had to stave off a spirited comeback after racking up a massive first half lead to beat the Waratahs 30-26 in their Vodacom Super Rugby game in Sydney Friday.
The Highlanders went 30-0 up but then conceded 26 unanswered points in the second half to scramble to the victory against a rejuvenated home side who surged back at them with the help of some poor refereeing decisions.
At least two of the Waratahs’ four tries were questionable, but it mattered not as the Highlanders managed to keep their composure to seal a victory after shutting up shop just after halftime.
If there ever was a game of two halves this would definitely qualify, as the Highlanders were sublime in their tactical execution, using the boot for good value in the first half to make the Waratahs look hapless and out of sorts.
Apart from some poor tackling, the home side were unable to put anything of consequence together as the defending champions kept on building the score while the Tahs struggled to get just about anything right.
It took the Highlanders just 10 minutes to get onto the board as Rob Thompson sidestepped a poor tackle to break the line, heading towards the tryline before offloading to Ryan Tongia to score.
Lima Sopoaga added a penalty to extend the lead and on the half hour the Highlanders exploited a Waratahs handling error to its fullest as Liam Squire picked up the ball and ran through three half-hearted tackles to score an individual try.
Squire was again in focus as he made a beautiful offload for Elliot Dixon to score the third try of the evening and the flanker was again in the action as he rocked the Waratahs defence by winning a contest in their air, plucking the ball from nowhere to score and put his team 27-0 up.
Sopoaga added a drop goal to rub salt in the wounds and it seemed as if it was going to be a very one-sided night for the home team.
But they kept on trying and found some space on the outside, and eventually found some momentum as well. It wasn’t long before substitute Jed Holloway broke through to score the simplest of tries and 10 minutes later he followed it up with a second, similar effort to put his side into double figures.
But when things got a bit awkward was when the Highlanders were trying to get out of their red zone and Tom Robinson popped up in an off-side position to pick the ball up on the wrong side of the ruck, burst through and scored, and the try was allowed to stay.
It gave the Waratahs more self-belief as the visitors shook their heads. Replays showed that a ruck had clearly formed and Robinson was clearly in an off-side position.
Still it was followed up by another dubious decision – a lineout drive that went over the line and the ball seemed planted on the tryline under the plethora of bodies in the maul. Despite unclear television evidence that it was put down by a Waratahs player and with pictures of Highlanders’ players’ arms around the ball, it was given, even though it was never a clear try.
This meant the Waratahs were within striking distance and the Highlanders’ previously insurmountable lead was cut to just four, making them scramble in the last minutes to try and stave off a comeback defeat.
This they did by the skin of their teeth, although if the Waratahs had won it, it would have been a travesty given how contestable two of their tries were.
The Highlanders have now won three of their opening four games in defence of their Super Rugby title.
Scorers
Waratahs – tries: Jed Holloway (3), Tom Robinson. Conversions: Kurtley Beale (3)
Highlanders – tries: Elliot Dixon, Liam Squire, Ryan Tongia. Conversions: Lima Sopoaga (2). Drop goal: Sopoaga (1). Penalty: Sopoaga (1)
Online Reporter