Relieved Highlanders avoid mauling by Cats
By Brent Edwards

Phew, the relief. That was the predominant emotion of the Carisbrook fans after the Otago Highlanders overcome a committed challenge to beat the Cats 33-31 in the Super 12 match last night. It might have contained more than its share of mistakes, but it was an engrossing battle before the Highlanders held out the Cats' final surge to claim victory.

The Cats had not won in 17 previous games in Australia and New Zealand but, when fullback Thinus Delport wove his way 40m to a try under the posts 15 minutes from the end, it seemed they were about to break their duck. They were ahead 24-21 and, with the Highlanders down to a makeshift loose trio - captain Taine Randell and Josh Kronfeld were both off the field injured - the outlook was grim. Tony Brown, who had also been off the field to stem a bleeding nose, returned to the fray just in time, as it turned out, to convert a decisive try by Jeff Wilson which regained the lead. The Highlanders snaffled a line-out throw and surged to attack, and two rucks gave Wilson space down the right wing. Four minutes from the end Pita Alatini scored down the short side after replacement No. 8 Samiu Vahafolau and Kees Meeuws had smashed towards the line. It needed the confirmation of the television official to award the try which gave the Highlanders a bonus point and a tally of 19 from their first four home matches. And the video referee was in action again two minutes from the end when left wing Chester Williams scored in the corner after a Cats' break-out. The Cats hammered away in one last-gasp attack which was foiled by a smothering tackle by Brown from which the ball spilled loose. But, if nothing else, this match demonstrated former All Black coach Laurie Mains has brought cohesion and organisation to a Cats side which has so long under-achieved.

Two sniping tries by halfback Byron Kelleher gave the Highlanders a useful 15-3 half-time after they made a clinical start. The first try, after two minutes, followed eight phases and, when Wilson was enveloped in a strong tackle by Williams, Kelleher was in support to scored. The Cats came back strongly in the second quarter and Kelleher's try two minutes before the break was decisive in the final analysis. He poached the ball out of the back of the Cats' ruck, pinned his ears back and outpaced the cover on a 40m sprint to the posts. The Cats played with increasing assurance in the second spell and, when outstanding flanker Andre Venter crashed over after taking an in-pass from Johan Ackermann, the deficit had been reduced to four points. The Highlanders' defence was opened up several times with an ease which would have concerned Peter Sloane and the backs tended to be too ambitious with a ball made slippery by a heavy dew.

The Cats played simple, basic rugby and it was almost enough to give them a victory which would have been greeted ecstatically and with some incredulity in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Kimberley. If the Highlanders' play sometimes lacked structure, it lacked nothing in character when the heat went on in the middle and late stages of the second half. The All Black front row of Meeuws, Anton Oliver and Carl Hoeft had an edge at scrum-time. Brendon Timmins was a yeoman all-round contributor, while others like Kelvin Middleton and Vahafolau stepped up when it was most needed. Indeed, Vahafolau would have had his first Super 12 try had a pass from Wilson not been ruled forward after he sprinted down the terrace touch. Kelleher tested the defence with his muscular running and made some good clearances, left wing Dan Parkinson - called in to make his debut as a replacement for the injured Romi Ropati - showed his genuine pace and Marc Ellis accomplished some good work from fullback. But there were plenty of warts in this display and the Highlanders have much to work on when they play the Crusaders, after their bye weekend, in Christchurch on April 1.

The big Cats' loose trio of captain Andre Vos, Venter and Rassie Erasmus became increasingly effective, Werner Swanepoel was a combative halfback and centre Grant Esterhuizen and Delport found big gaps in the Highlanders' defence. "We were unlucky," Vos said. "We did all the hard work but, unfortunately, we let in two soft tries. It gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of our games." One thing is for certain. You will not hear the Highlanders making jokes about the Cats lacking claws.

Scores were: Otago Highlanders 33 (Byron Kelleher, 2, Jeff Wilson, Pita Alatini tries, Tony Brown 2 conversions, 3 penalty goals); Cats 31 (Andre Venter, Thinus Delport, Chester Williams, Louis Koen 2 conversions, 4 penalty goals). Match statistics: Line-outs, Highlanders, 14-12; penalties, Cats, 12-8; territory, Highlanders, 56%; territory, Highlanders, 52% Kicking: Brown, 5-9; Koen, 6-10. Half-time, Highlanders, 15-3. Crowd: 15,000. Referee: Scott Young (Australia).