March 3 (Reuters) – The Otago Highlanders celebrated the
first Super Rugby match at their new Dunedin stadium with an
impressive 27-24 victory over the Canterbury Crusaders on
Saturday.
Tries from hooker Andrew Hore, centre Phil Burleigh and
winger Hosea Gear, as well as 12 points from the boot of flyhalf
Lima Sopoaga, held off a Crusaders comeback in front of a
passionate crowd under the roof at the Otago Regional Stadium.
A malfunctioning stadium clock added extra drama at the
death with the Highlanders twice booting the ball into touch
believing the 80 minutes were up, only for the referee to
continue play. The relief when the end finally came was
palpable.
There has not been much to cheer about in Otago rugby
recently with the financial crisis enveloping the provincial
rugby union but the Highlanders did their bit to raise morale
with an opening week upset of the Auckland Blues.
The seven-times champion Crusaders are an altogether
different proposition and tries from wing Israel Dagg and Andy
Ellis along with flyhalf Tyler Bleyendaal’s 14 point tally meant
the Highlanders had to fight every inch of the way for the
victory.
They grabbed the momentum at the end of the first half when
10 minutes of pressure climaxed with Burleigh squeezing through
half a gap and bulldozing his way across the line to send the
home side in 20-10 up.
The Crusaders came out firing in the second half and had
overhauled the Highlanders within four minutes of the restart
after rampaging lock George Whitelock set up Ellis for his try
and Bleyendaal made up for missing the conversion by slotting
two penalties.
The Highlanders were in no mood to have their party
gatecrashed, however, and 12 minutes from time quick hands in
the backline got the ball out to All Black Gear and he made no
mistake with a classic winger’s finish in the corner.
Sopoaga calmly added the extra points from out wide to give
the Highlanders a lead they would never relinquish and bragging
rights in the South Island of New Zealand.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Peter
Rutherford)
(For the
sports blog Left Field go to: blogs.reuters.com/sport))
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