FORCE 36
HIGHLANDERS 28
KEY POINTS:
This time there was not even a bonus point to lighten the gloom as the Highlanders slumped to their fifth consecutive loss to the fast-finishing Western Force at the Queenstown Events Centre yesterday.
When the Highlanders scored two stunning tries to lead 25-17 after 10 minutes of the second spell, it seemed that, amid the majestic scenery of the Remarkables, this could finally be their day.
There was a nip in the air, it was cloudy and the ground soft from overnight rain but there was a sense the crowd of about 7000 was about to watch something special, the Highlanders' first victory of the season.
And even with 16 minutes remaining and the Highlanders ahead 28-20, the game was there to be won.
But in the space of those last last 16 minutes, in which the Force scored 16 points, the hopes were shattered and it will be an even more desperate Highlanders side who seek their first win against the Chiefs in Hamilton next Saturday.
The Highlanders substituted experienced forwards Craig Newby, Hoani MacDonald and Jason Macdonald in the last quarter and it is debatable the effect it had on the outcome.
What is not debatable is that is when the Perth-based side made their winning surge.
It started when Ryan Cross, the penetrative Force centre, intercepted a pass by replacement hooker David Hall and sprinted 30m to the posts. That was the defining moment of the game, equally uplifting for the Force and deflating for the Highlanders.
Then there was the goal-kicking. Daniel Bowden kicked five from seven for the Highlanders yesterday, good by their standards of this season. But Matt Giteau (six from six) and Cameron Shepherd (two out of two) nailed all eight for the Force.
They kicked three penalties in the last 12 minutes, Shepherd two from long-distance, as the Highlanders made mistakes under pressure and lost their composure.
The Highlanders have just four bonus points from five games, while the Force have won four of their five games on the road, two in South Africa and two in New Zealand.
The Highlanders played some good rugby yesterday. Second five-eighth Aaron Bancroft, in his first match of the season, scored a magnificent individual try when he dummied, beat Giteau and James Stannard and raced 40m to the line.
Left wing Fetuu Vainikolo scored an even better one, beating the heavy traffic among the forwards and inside backs and the despairing dive of Cross as he sprinted 60m to underline his match-winning qualities.
And there was an excellent team try finished off by right wing Paul Williams - and initiated by halfback Jimmy Cowan, who was dropped from the All Blacks because of his lack of a running game - for southern fans to cheer.
But it was not enough and, when the Highlanders concentration lapsed, the Force were quick to pounce.
"It's gutting, really," Highlanders coach Glenn Moore said. "We just had to be a bit more composed. We threw a couple of loose passes and paid the price."
Moore lamented Cross' intercept try and admitted his feelings were unprintable. "We were building a bit of momentum and then there was that loose pass."
But Moore refused to concede the heads of the Highlanders would be bowed by another frustrating loss.
"We've still got plenty to play for. There's plenty of pride there and I guarantee they'll be up for next week."
Force coach John Mitchell was pleased with the outcome but not the performance.
"We were pretty lucky," he said. "I thought we looked like a side that was carrying our suitcases. It's a winning changing room but you wouldn't think so because of the standards the players have set. You've got to win the close ones. It breeds self-belief among the group."
Just the kind of self-belief the Highlanders lack.
