Rugby: Mistakes cost Highlanders

Doppies La Grange carries the ball for the Lions last night. Photo / Getty Images

There's a fair bit of consternation in Highlanders territory about a new, green jersey replacing the traditional blue, gold and maroon.

It seems a crazy decision and a slap in the face of tradition - the franchise believe they need a new start after last year splitting from the Otago and Southland unions - but fans might have turned a similar shade last night as they watched their side stumble horribly.

Jamie Joseph's side were supposed to claim a bonus point win against the Lions as their surge for the playoffs continued. They secured a bonus point but it was for finishing within seven points of the victors.

They had their chances to win, leading 22-19 with only seconds on the clock, but missed touch from a penalty in their own half. It allowed the Lions, who battled manfully all night, a chance to win and they didn't let it slip.

Lions lock Wikus van Heerden powered over close to the line with only 55 seconds remaining to break Highlander hearts. They might have lost their chance of finishing in the top six.

They still host the Force next weekend but finish their campaign with trips to Sydney and Auckland. It's not a heartening prospect. But few gave them any chance this season and they proved people wrong then.

The Highlanders only had themselves to blame last night. Teams often struggle coming off the bye, and they will cite that as a reason for their performance, but they made the sort of errors rarely seen this season. Passes went astray, balls were turned over and tackles missed but the rust remained throughout.

The Lions deserve plenty of the credit for that. They might have struggled at or near the bottom of the table but John Mitchell's team have showed encouraging signs in recent weeks and they were up for the scrap last night - literally.

JC Janse van Rensburg sparked an all-in brawl on the hour with his dangerous, despicable headlock-throw on Highlanders winger Siale Piutau that will prompt the attention of the citing commissioner.

Referee Jonathon White deserves some of the blame for that, as he refused time and again to send anyone to the sinbin. There were 11 breakdown infringements by halftime and both sides continued to transgress in the second spell as the players became increasingly frustrated.

It meant the game struggled to achieve fluency. The Lions tried by running the ball from everywhere but it also got them in trouble.

A Highlanders outfit from earlier in the campaign might have capitalised but instead they were under pressure throughout.

They looked like they might have been shaking off the ring-rust towards the end of the first half as they established a 16-9 lead at the break. Second five-eighths Shaun Treeby scored the only try of the half when he bustled over the line from a simple cutback from a Lima Sopoaga offload. Treeby is a surprisingly effective player. He's not a big man but he's rarely pushed backwards and his return after a five-week layoff was a timely one. It also allowed Ben Smith to return to his favoured fullback position and the All Black candidate lit up the game with one stunning burst from the back. There was an expectation the Highlanders would improve as the game wore on but they regressed in the second half.

They allowed Josh Strauss to score from a quick tap close to the line and also allowed their frustrations to get the better of them. When Elton Jantjies landed a 55th-minute penalty to take the lead (19-16) for the first time, thoughts of a bonus-point win that had seemed a formality on the eve of the match were replaced with ones about just getting the win.

Sopoaga landed another couple of penalties to reclaim the lead as the game entered the final stretch. They might have won it when they were awarded a penalty in their own half with only three minutes left on the clock but Sopoaga went for too much distance and invited trouble.

The visitors, who have never won on Carisbrook as either the Lions or Cats, gratefully accepted.

FULL TIME

Highlanders 22 (S. Treeby try; L. Sopoaga 5 pens, con)

Lions 26 (J. Strauss, Wikus van Heerden tries; E. Jantjies 4 pens, 2 cons).

HALF TIME

16-9.