KEY POINTS:
Twenty minutes of passion was simply not enough for the Highlanders to overcome the Bulls at Carisbrook today as they went down 13-22 in a Super 14 rugby match in Dunedin.
The victory was the Bulls' first in six visits to the "House of Pain" and brought their record against the Highlanders to two wins and a draw in their last 10 meetings.
It also gave them three wins from four matches in their swing through Australia and New Zealand, the only blot on their record a 10-32 loss Crusaders last weekend.
Despite the early kickoff and warm conditions, the Highlanders, who were coming off a bye last weekend, froze -- unable to put any meaningful raids together after their hands let them down time after time.
Highlanders skipper Josh Blackie conceded too many errors were made and playing as they knew they could for 15-20 minutes was not enough to beat the Bulls.
"It was too little too late," he said.
First five-eighth Nick Evans got the Highlanders off to a good start with a third minute penalty.
But the Bulls, who had earlier spurned two kickable penalties equalised through Derick Hougaard.
A string of handling errors and poor option taking meant the Highlanders struggled to find a rhythm to launch any meaningful attacks into the Bulls half.
However, in a sally sparked by a fine line break by fullback Glen Horton, the Highlanders were back in front again, Evans popping over his second penalty from in front of the posts in the 23rd minute after the Bulls were pulled up for offside play.
Thereafter, it was the Bulls all the way as Hougaard, after missing a relatively easy kick in the 14th minute converted three more penalties to give his side a 12-6 lead at halftime. His final one of the half in the 43rd minute came after, in a clear sign of frustration over the Bulls dominance in the setpieces, No 8 Ezra Taylor was whistled up for a swinging arm at the head of lock Bakkies Botha.
The Bulls piled on the points in the second half with another Hougaard penalty, and a converted try to fullback Jaco van der Westhuizen to lead 22-6 by the 60th minute.
The Highlanders revival was sparked by a deserved try to halfback Jimmy Cowan who gave a man of the match display in defence and attack.
The Highlanders' misery was capped off in the last minute after Evans was unable to guide the ball between the posts from a kickable distance in the final minute and give them a bonus point for finishing within seven points.
Bulls 22 (Jaco van der Westhuyzen try; Derick Hougaard 5 pen, con) Highlanders 13 (Jimmy Cowan try; Nick Evans 2 pen, con). Halftime: 12-6.
- NZPA
