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At Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin. Highlanders 35 (Jona Nareki try 16min, Hugh Renton try 25min, Saula Ma’u try 59min, Connor Garden-Bachop try 68min, Folau Fakatava try 79min; Sam Gilbert 4 con, Freddie Burns con) Reds 30 (Liam Wright try 7min, Jake Upfield 11min, Suliasi Vunivalu try 39min; Tom Lynagh 3 con, 3 pen) HT: 14-21.
Perhaps fairytales do come true after all.
The Highlanders are still alive in Super Rugby – just – after a last-second try to Folau Fakatava saw Aaron Smith get a much-deserved win in his final home game at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
A Tom Lynagh penalty with six minutes to play looked to have spoiled the party, but a brilliant Fakatava run to the corner brought the Zoo – and Smith – to his feet.
Smith received a standing ovation when he was replaced after 66 minutes, but for most of game the Highlanders couldn’t find the performance they were looking for.
The Reds enjoyed a blistering start with two tries in the first 11 minutes, the second a superb 80-metre team score sparked by a breakout by No 8 Harry Wilson.
The home crowd was adamant that Reds No 12 James O’Connor was in touch during the buildup, but the replays indicated he got his offload away before his hand touched the grass, and the try stood.
The Highlanders – who were wearing black armbands after the death on Thursday of lock Jock Dickson’s younger brother Sam due to cancer – fought their way back into the game through their scrum.
Joe Allison/Getty Images
Jona Nareki of the Highlanders celebrates after scoring a try against the Reds.
Cheered on by a vibrant crowd, Jona Nareki also pulled off two thumping tackles in succession to prevent a Reds try with 10 minutes to in the first half, in a sign of the Highlanders’ desperation.
However, they could not shake the litany of mistakes that has dogged their season, and were again guilty of a frustrating inability to clear their lines.
Despite losing both co-captains – Liam Wright and Tate McDermott – to injury, the Reds led 21-14 at halftime, reflecting how they dominated territory and possession.
The Highlanders didn’t look like overturning that lead in the third quarter as the Reds continued to monopolise the ball, win the kicking game and offer more on attack with a sharper offloading game.
However, the game turned on its head when Clarke Dermody emptied his bench and the replacements added some real urgency.
Giant prop Saula Ma’u powered over from close range and Connor Garden-Bachop put the Highlanders into a one-point lead with about 10 minutes to play after replacing the out-of-sorts Jonah Lowe.
That set up Fakatava’s dramatic finish, as the baton passes from Smith to his replacement. The Highlanders live to fight for at least one more week.
The big moment
Fakatava came off the bench to beat the Reds in Brisbane last year and he repeated the dose in Dunedin with his late heroics.
MVP
Billy Harmon was the standout again for the Highlanders with his high work rate and outstanding presence at the breakdown. Nareki had some good moments, but blotted his copybook with some kick errors. It would be churlish not mention Reds No 8 Harry Wilson, but Harmon just kept going.
Match rating
8/10. It lacked in quality for periods, but it did not want for drama as the Highlanders fought to keep their season alive in the final stages.
The big picture
The Highlanders head to Eden Park to face the Blues next week and they might need a win to make the playoffs. They started the year with 60-20 loss to the Aucklanders and they will need to dig deep to get the win, but Friday night belonged to Smith.
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