The Hurricanes have brought the Highlanders back to earth with a humbling 29-14 win in Dunedin this evening, thanks largely to a dominant second half.
The Highlanders entered the match on a three-game win streak, albeit those victories coming against non-Kiwi franchises, and the Hurricanes showed the southerners still have some ways to go before they can snag a win off a New Zealand side.
At least they did in the second half.
A tight first half saw the sides only separated by one point thanks to a late penalty from Jordie Barrett but before then both sides struggled to find holes in the defence despite both sides working with long spells of possession.
However the hosts let their visitors off the hook on multiple occasions with poor discipline and lapses in defence.
That led to the opening try of the match in the 14th minute with Salesi Rayasi finishing a patient attack from the Hurricanes, reaching out to score in between would-be defenders.
The Highlanders kept things simple in response, working a try off a strong scrum platform that saw Hugh Renton dart in from the back of the pack to give his side a 7-5 lead.
Fans often roll their eyes at scrums being set but tonight they were in for a treat with All Blacks Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax - both recently re-signing with NZR until 2026 - battling to get the upper edge in the front rows.
But it was Lomax who would have the grin at the break as Barrett banged over a late penalty to give his side a 8-7 lead; a scoreline the Highlanders would particularly unhappy with given their attacking chances that they simply couldn't capitalise on when it mattered.
It didn't get much better after the break - in fact, it got worse. A lot worse.
An early try to James Blackwell saw the Hurricanes get some breathing room on the scoreboard off a superb Cam Roigard ball and the Hurricanes halfback was in barely four minutes later with his own try, sniping an intercept from the attacking Highlanders to runaway 70 metres and score.
A second Rayasi try in the 65th minute essentially put the game out of reach but the Highlanders muscled over for a late consolation try from Billy Harmon to give loyal fans something to celebrate.
The result leaves the Highlanders with three wins and four losses on the season with all four defeats coming at the hands of the other New Zealand Super Rugby franchises.
The Hurricanes on the other hand move to 6-1 on the season; their only loss coming against the Blues in the capital while Ardie Savea served a suspension for a throat-slitting gesture the week prior.
However the Wellington outfit faces a tough two weeks ahead of them with the undefeated Chiefs next up next Saturday before the Brumbies come to town after a bye at the end of the month.
Highlanders 14 [Hugh Renton, Billy Harmon tries; Sam Gilbert 2 con]
Hurricanes 29 [Salesi Rayasi 2, James Blackwell, Cameron Roigard tries; Jordie Barrett 3 con, 1 pen]
HT: 7-8
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