KEY POINTS:
Western Force 7 Highlanders 8
It is just as well bonus points aren't awarded in the Super 14 for style because this was a dour affair characterised by countless mistakes, a legion of re-starts and some stout Highlanders' defending.
In all honesty, however, the Highlanders will be
well pleased to have stuffed the four competition points into their carry-on baggage as they head to South Africa for their next two games.
They got their campaign off to a winning start and will fancy their chances against wooden spoon contenders the Lions next weekend before rounding off their trip against the Sharks.
It must be said the Highlanders are one of the least exciting teams to watch at present and it is now 21 games since they chalked up four tries in a match.
But their defence was first-rate. That, and the fact the Force were downright ordinary, was the difference on Friday night.
Admittedly the game was played in stifling 30degC heat at Perth's Subiaco Oval (drinks breaks were called 20 minutes into each half), but few of the competition's heavyweights will dread taking on either side after what they witnessed.
"It was a night when attack was pretty ugly for both sides, and a lot of it was our own doing," Force coach John Mitchell surmised.
Much had been made of the Force's expensive off-season purchases of Matt Giteau (reported to be on A$4.5 million over three years), Drew Mitchell and rugby league convert Ryan Cross, but they were unable to swing the match the home side's way.
Giteau showed touches of class, especially when he moved inside one to first five-eighths after an injury to James Hilgendorf, but Mitchell had a nightmare debut at the back for the Force.
"If I am going to make an excuse, the backs are young in terms of relationship and they will need time together," John Mitchell said. "We will be patient with them and continue to work on the combinations."
In one of the competition's lowest-scoring matches on record, the scoreboard attendant could have packed up his numbers 10 minutes before halftime.
After an early Highlanders penalty, Hilgendorf sliced through some scrambling defence to dot down under the posts for a converted try.
The harsh sinbinning of Highlanders prop Clarke Dermody for a slap on Matt Henjak seemed to spark the visitors into action and they were rewarded through a try to skipper Josh Blackie after the backs found space down the right wing.
And that was that.
The Highlanders spent most of the time repelling some fairly clueless Force attacks, which largely consisted of hitups and inside-ball passes, one or two off the ruck, but they did have chances themselves.
Callum Bruce missed a couple of shots at goal and they were also denied by the video referee late in the game after he ruled that Craig Newby was off his feet when he picked up the ball and rolled over the tryline.
Aside from the stout defending, the Highlanders scrum coped well without the combined prime beef of Carl Hayman and Anton Oliver but they will surely be tested by better sides in the competition.
And, although Bruce was steady, coach Greg Cooper will hope first five-eighths Nick Evans can recover quickly from his knee injury.
Evans provides a star quality the Highlanders desperately need, not to mention his handy goalkicking, and the Highlanders' fortunes dipped considerably last season when he was sidelined with a serious shoulder injury.
If Evans is slow to return, it could be a long, hard season for the southern men.
Western Force 7 (J. Hilgendorf try, C. Shepherd con) Highlanders 8 (J. Blackie try, C. Bruce pen). HT: 7-8.
