Rugby: Manu surges to triumph

Sitiveni Sivivatu attempts to bring down the Highlanders' Jarrad Hoeata at Carisbrook last night. Photo / Getty Images

Highlanders 23 Chiefs 13

Built on the back of a mountain of turnovers, the Highlanders went to sleep last night having scratched and clawed their way to the top of the New Zealand conference.

For the first half at least the equation seemed pretty simple: if the Chiefs forwards could get their backs enough quality ball, they would run away with the match.

Apart from an error-strewn first 10 minutes, the talents of Mike Delany, Mils Muliaina, Sitiveni Sivivatu and, particularly, halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow were shredding apart the home side's defence at will.

It was only scrambling defence, a high penalty count and, like last week, some ill-timed passing and handling errors that were preventing the Chiefs adding more substance to Delany's darting try.

The Highlanders looked comfortable only in the bump and grind stuff. Every time the ball left Jimmy Cowan's hands it was a lottery as to what would happen outside him.

The numbers rarely fell the Highlanders' way. So a comfortable walkaway win by the Chiefs in the second half was on the cards.

They hadn't lost to the Highlanders since 2003 and looked primed to reassert that authority.

Someone forgot to tell the Highlanders. Buoyed by the belief that they gained in an ugly, upset victory over the Hurricanes in round one, they grabbed the initiative early in the second half.

Robbie Robinson, on for the patchy Lima Sopoaga, gave the side direction and a more accurate kicking game, while Nasi Manu and Adam Thompson were controlling the loose.

When Manu crashed over from a close-range short-arm free-kick, suddenly it was the Chiefs clinging on for dear life.

Kerr-Barlow, who had found his time and space cut down considerably, gave away three points in the process of getting sinbinned as everything started to fall in the Highlanders' favour.

Although far more fluent than in the first 120 minutes of their season, it would be a stretch to call the southerners stylists.

With 15 minutes to go, they went into Southland mode - possession was king, the game would be won centimetre by centimetre.

Every time the Chiefs got a sniff of possession the Highlanders would commit one or two more to the breakdown to ensure they recycled the ball; space appeared, the ball bounced fortuitously into Ben Smith's arms and Kade Poki had an unhindered trot to the line.

The Chiefs had a chance to steal a bonus point, but replacement first five-eighths Stephen Donald skewed his kick wide.

The Chiefs pointless, the Highlanders, momentarily at least, top of the table. Who would have thought?

* Ma'a Nonu will not appeal the judicial ruling from Nigel Hampton, QC, which extends the period of his suspension until after the match against the Chiefs on March 12.

The Hurricanes' second five-eighth's original ban for a dangerous charge on Jimmy Cowan was for one week, including February 28.

The supplementary ruling was made after the Crusaders withdrew from their match in Wellington.

Hurricanes chairman Paul Collins said that despite the legal concerns surrounding the decision, in the end Nonu felt that it was not the right time to contest the issues.

* Former England international Danny Cipriani's 37m penalty with 10 seconds left gave newcomers the Melbourne Rebels a 24-23 win over the ACT Brumbies in Melbourne last night.