Match Details
| Highlanders (NZ) |
VS |
Blues (NZ) |
|
15 |
Kick off times:
7:35pm
(Local) Sat 10 May
5:35pm
(AEST) Sat 10 May
|
40 |
|
A four-try bonus-point victory has kept the Blues' slim semi-final hopes alive, slaying the Highlanders 40-15 at Carisbrook on Saturday night.
On his return to his old stomping ground, Blues first five-eighth Nick Evans brushed off the boos he received to score 21 first-half points and put his side well on the way to victory despite a spirited rally from the Highlanders in the final 40 minutes.
Three Evans penalties were all the Blues had to show for a domination of territory in the first quarter, which balanced against a three-pointer to Highlanders first five-eighth Mike Delany.
Evans then scored the first five-pointer in the 25th minute with a smart solo effort, although the inadequacies of the covering defence were mostly to blame.
Putting a seemingly innocuous kick through on the 22m line, Evans blitzed past fullback Paul Williams to dot down in the left-hand corner.
Seven minutes later, he was over in exactly the same spot. Following a huge burst from Tony Woodcock, fellow prop John Afoa hit the defensive line just metres out and offloaded to give Evans a simple stroll for his second.
More Highlanders bumbling in their own 22 proved costly again as a knock-on gave the Blues a scrum on the 10m line, which saw Nick Williams flick under his legs to halfback Taniela Moa and the No.9 found wing Rudi Wulf on an angled run to the profitable left-hand corner.
With the score at 26-3 at halftime, the Blues had all the momentum but the chance to regroup allowed the Highlanders to find second gear on their return.
The first ten minutes produced little substance until outstanding Highlanders midfield combination Johnny Leota and Aaron Bancroft brought their side back into the match.
Leota's sleight of foot breezed him past Woodcock and Afoa on halfway before he popped to Bancroft for a sprint to the right corner to narrow the score to 26-10.
The same duo were again involved in the home side's second as the Carisbrook crowd came back into the equation in full voice. With the midfielders carving down the left, halfback Jimmy Cowan then put in a pinpoint crosskick for flanker Adam Thomson to score out to the right.
Unfortunately it proved a false dawn for the Highlanders as centre Anthony Tuitavake capped another strong performance with a typically jinking run for the Blues' bonus-point fourth try.
The home side's defensive wall was again busted as Tuitavake again proved he would do the All Blacks No.13 jersey no disservice, stepping in and out and bemusing all in front of him to dot down to the right of the posts.
Highlanders reserve prop Chris King returned to the sideline promptly in the 73d minute as he was yellow-carded when he killed possession on his own line.
The Blues took toll of the extra man in the final act of the match as wing David Smith took off from a seemingly offside position at a ruck in his own 22, palmed off two feeble tackles and sprinted the length of the field.
With another five points under their belts, the Blues not only kept the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy in their cabinet, but also fulfilled their side of the bargain in the playoff race and will need to overcome the in-form Hurricanes at Eden Park next week then hope the rugby gods slant other results their way in the final round.
Blues 40
Tries: Evans (2), Wulf, Tuitavake, Smith
Con: Evans (3)
Pens: Evans (3)
Highlanders 15
Tries: Bancroft, Thomson
Con: Delany
Pen: Delany
HT: 26-3.
