They battled to keep ball in hand for consistent stretches, they were seriously lacking a clinical edge and they gave up too many penalties. But, again, they were not alone, and the Reds showed at times just why the Brumbies put 47 points on them in week one.
With deficiencies more obvious than abilities, the last thing the game needed was a troublesome scrum. But it was a complete shambles, from both sides, and even referee Glen Jackson was describing the set piece in those unflattering terms by the end of the match.
Jackson was probably pleased to blow the fulltime whistle and the Highlanders were absolutely pleased to walk away with their first win over the Reds since 2009.
There were positives for the Highlanders, particularly in the way they survived early periods of pressure from the Reds and learnt to neutralise the opposition's strengths. They were initially spending too much time at the wrong end of the field but made the requisite in-game adjustments to earn something resembling supremacy as the game wore on.
Scoreboard pressure helped - with Marty Banks making the most of his first start to nail three first-half penalties of varying degrees of difficulty - as did the reduction of some of their more natural attacking tendencies.
Having struggled to make any in-roads into the Reds' defence, the Highlanders chose instead to keep things close around the fringes, find better field position and limit the Reds' opportunities to attack. It rendered much of the match a messy affair, with the Highlanders missing a spark and the Reds lacking possession, but the home side would have been thrilled to keep the opposition to a solitary try.
Especially after the way the Reds began the game, with James O'Connor quickly taking command on debut to help his side enjoy success hitting at pace, let down only by a combination of handling errors and timely turnovers from the Highlanders.
The Reds weren't to be denied for long, though, and Jake Schatz took advantage of another ugly scrum to cross early in the second spell. It was the try the game needed but it did little to alter the complexion, with the Highlanders going back in front through another Banks penalty. Neither side was able to maintain possession and build pressure, leaving the game seemingly set to be decided by the boot.
But the injection of a new Highlanders halves combination added immediate impact and Waisake Naholo soon displayed the step, speed and strength needed to breach the Reds' line and decide the match.
Highlanders 20 (Naholo try; Banks 4 pens, Parker pen)
Reds 13 (Schatz try; O'Connor 2 pens, con)
HT: 9-3
