Rugby: Highlanders relieved to get points in lacklustre match

Ross Geldenhuys of the Highlanders on the charge. Photo / Getty Images

Having lost to the Crusaders and with a trip to the Chiefs looming, the Highlanders needed this one.

In the grand scheme of the Super Rugby season, it will hardly matter in which fashion the victory at Forsyth Barr Stadium over the Reds last night was attained, just as long as four points were added to the scoreboard.

Which is a good thing because it wasn't pretty. The Highlanders were far from alone in taking the blame - but early-season rust was certainly still inflicting the southern men.

Slow starters in their season-opening defeat against the Crusaders, the Highlanders failed to show an increase in quality that last week marked many sides' performances during their second matches.

They battled to consistently keep ball in hand and were seriously lacking a clinical edge, giving up too many penalties. But the Reds showed at times just why the Brumbies put 47 points on them in week one.

Referee Glen 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 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 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.

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 displayed the step, the speed and the 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

Match moments

Sopoaga sits out

Lima Sopoaga left the squad to spend time with his sick father in Wellington, allowing Tasman first five Marty Banks to make his Highlanders debut.

Thomson returns
Adam Thomson played 68 games in seven seasons for the Highlanders but last night, following a stint in Japan, returned to Dunedin in enemy colours.