Defenders of the faith hold off Cats

Highlanders 16 Cats 14

Losing at home to one South African franchise could be considered unfortunate. Aware that losing to two really would be downright careless, the Highlanders knuckled down at Rugby Park last night to get the job done.

Their efforts were more functional than inspirational but that won't bother the people of the South, whose communities were founded on the pragmatism of the Presbyterian Church.

The important thing was to put competition points in the bag and keep sight of a leading pack moving close to the brow of the hill.

With the Brumbies, Waratahs and Hurricanes still to come for the Highlanders, they need to ignore all that tosh about their being no easy games in this competition and target teams like the Cats.

They also have the Reds and Western Force to come. If they can pick up 10 points against the two Australian teams and then see what they can muster against the rest, you never know, they might still be in the mix in the final weeks.

But to challenge the likes of the Hurricanes and Waratahs they will need to find more width and fluency.

There is no question they have the defensive prowess to win games. At times last night the Highlanders defence was heroic. For most of the second half the Cats laid siege on their hosts' line. Gaps would open only for blue jerseys to throw themselves miraculously in the line of fire.

Neil Brew probably pulled off the most outstanding tackle of the night when he somehow managed to wrap up the escaping Grant Esterhuizen only inches from the line. Having exerted so much pressure, it was inevitable that a white jersey would eventually cross over. The crucial fact for the Highlanders was that it really was eventually, with both Gerhard Vosloo and Earl Rose going over in the last three minutes.

Ideally the Highlanders would have wanted more possession but for all the Cats' limitations, they at least know how to get their giant mitts on the pill and trudge around until their Afrikaan hearts are content.

It made for stodgy football - the first 10 minutes of the second half were especially turgid - where the Cats just bashed and bashed and when they couldn't think of anything else to do, tried to bash again.

It was hard for the Highlanders to build momentum or get their phases going. Their own inaccuracies didn't help much either.

Too much ball was spilled in contact, while Jimmy Cowan and Callum Bruce were guilty of poor kicking.

Not that it would be fair to give Bruce a hard time. The youngster was playing only his second Super 14 game and, while a few kicks went splat and the odd pass went thud, the first-five showed nice touches.

There is every reason to believe that in time he could become a serious threat at this level. But the problem for the Highlanders is that they need someone to be a threat in the No 10 jersey now.

If the Highlanders weren't immediately sure how big a blow it was losing Nick Evans to a broken collarbone in South Africa, they have a better idea after last night.

They also have a better idea of how gifted Jason Kawau is. The 25-year-old enjoyed a decent Super 14 debut at second five-eighths, making some nice half breaks and tackling stoutly.

He even laid on the scoring pass for Roy Kinikinikau's try 15 minutes into the first half.

Although that might be stretching it. What he really did was pop the ball up to Kinikinilau who then took it upon himself to dance past four defenders with that curious lumbering gait of his.

The big crowd would have loved to have seen more of the jumbo winger who has at last found the form so many suspected he was capable of.

Highlanders 16 (R. Kinikinilau try; B. Blair 3 pens, con).
Cats 14 (G. Vosloo, E. Rose tries; E. Rose 2 cons).

-HERALD ON SUNDAY