From my lofty CakeTin vantage point, there was an array of gaps for the favoured Hurricanes to use but they did not see them, refused to change strategy or were hassled out of any variations.
This final was played at a huge tempo so there was even less time for adjustment and with TJ Perenara a shade slow with his clearances and Beauden Barrett not looking fully mobile, the marauding Highlanders' defence swamped the hosts.
It was like sheepdog trialing on fast-forward as the men from the south startled their fancied opponents. They never relented and were still harrying, chasing and denying the Canes any space until Aaron Smith slammed the ball into the stands to start the victory jigs.
When the Highlanders got the ball they had more invention and thrust with gems to Elliot Dixon as he bashed through six tacklers and Waisake Naholo, the five point pips to garnish Lima Sopoaga's goalkicking.
Victory was a gong for the players' attitude and attention from their coaching staff, a double-edged thrust which helped the Highlanders triumph against most odds as they sawed off the Chiefs, Waratahs and Hurricanes in the finals series.
What a trail of high-profile victims on the way to an historic title. It was gold, pure blue and gold.
There was an unrelenting fury of purpose about the Highlanders, no moments when they switched off.
Sopoaga kicked two penalties, Barrett missed his first three shots and in finals, pressure comes with points.
The crucial moment came before the interval as the Hurricanes coaches paused just metres away to watch their side concede a try to Dixon, confirmed by Ben Skeen's TMO verdict, which pushed the visitors out to a 13-5 lead.
After the break, Naholo scored with an acrobatic twist in a double tackle and Julian Savea shelled a pass for a certain touchdown. They were huge moments as both sides looked for the storybook finish to this season.
After a week of in your face propaganda in the capital the Hurricanes are left with that deflated, empty feeling knowing they did not produce on the night while the Highlanders may be in all sorts of social disarray in Dunedin.
"The Canes could be playing for another week and they still won't be ahead," a comrade suggested as the last minutes played out. The Cake Tin had turned into the Graveyard.
Watching the Highlanders live was even more impressive than seeing their work through television pictures. I doubted they had enough talent to go all the way and expected the Canes to shut them out but results like Saturday night are what make top sport so compelling.
