The Highlanders’ bid for a second successive Super Rugby title continued with a 15-9 quarter-final win over the Brumbies.
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Brumbies co-captain Stephen Moore admits his team need to play more intelligently in both attack and defence than they did when beaten 23-10 win by the Highlanders in round 10 in Invercargill.
The Highlanders went for the kill straight from kick-off, going within inches of scoring twice in the first three minutes and then peppering the Brumbies’ line.
The Highlanders scored the only two tries of the game and the Brumbies had to settle for three Christian Lealiifano penalties in a brutal contest that never really opened up. Sopoaga made no mistake as referee Angus Gardner took a mental note of how keen the Brumbies were to slow down the ball. Even with the Brumbies scrum getting on top, their lineout was becoming a problem with a number of throws being picked off by the Highlanders in key positions.
Stephen Larkham’s men were kept tryless by the Highlanders, who – despite being restricted by the wet and windy conditions – scored a try in each half via winger Waisake Naholo and No.8 Liam Squire.
A sleek build-up afforded Waisake Naholo the chance to touch down and Sopoaga added the extras to put the Highlanders ahead at the break. However he hit the upright from a kick you would have expected him to make and it remained 10-9.
As the Brumbies, trailing by a point at 10-9, went through a set move from an attacking line-out, the two-cap All Black stole in to snatch the ball before releasing Matt Faddes for a run to the line.
Tries to Waisake Naholo and Liam Squire gave the Highlanders a 15-9 lead late in the second half.
The Brumbies couldn’t complain they didn’t have opportunities to respond though and with an attacking line-out just five metres from the line coming soon after, the Highlanders pounced in the air to stop the unsafe driving maul from forming.
The experience of the Highlanders started to come to the fore getting them out of trouble and grinding the Brumbies down and making them play in their own half of the field.
Still in control of the pill, the Brumbies battered at the Highlanders line for well over five minutes but could find no way through.
Highlanders fullback Ben Smith in action in the quarterfinal Super Rugby game against the Brumbies in Canberra. Let them down badly in crucial periods of the game including a loss only five metres out from the Highlanders line and missed the injured Rory Arnold tonight. Lima Sopoaga, 11. Patrick Osborne, 12.
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The Brumbies, Australia’s only team in the finals, have been bolstered by the return of superstar flanker David Pocock from an eye socket injury and welcome back Robbie Coleman on the wing.
