Super Rugby: Highlanders battle past Chiefs
Last Updated: 16/07/16 1:47pm
The Highlanders edged a thrilling New Zealand derby against the Chiefs to run out 25-15 winners in Dunedin.
The Chiefs held a slender 7-5 lead at the break but the Highlanders came out firing in the second half, with Dan Pryor and Lima Sopoaga crossing for tries to hand the defending champions victory in a heated game at the Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The win for the Highlanders but failure to pick up a bonus point means the Hurricanes finish the regular season as the New Zealand conference winners after they thrashed the Crusaders earlier in the day.
Should the Lions fail to pick up any points in their game against the Jaguares then the Wellington-based side will finish the Super Rugby campaign in first place overall.
Toni Pulu opened the scoring for the Chiefs in the seventh minute when he dived over from close range for a 7-0 lead following the conversion from Damian McKenzie.
The try sparked the Highlanders into life, the home side spending lengthy periods camped on the opposition line but they were unable to unlock the Chiefs defence for the first half hour.
Eventually, the ball was sent to Waisake Naholo on the right touchline, and the All Blacks winger did brilliantly to stretch for a try despite attention from McKenzie and Aaron Cruden.
Sopoaga was unable to land the conversion, leaving the Chiefs two points ahead at half-time.
McKenzie slotted a penalty in the third minute after the restart but it was cancelled out by Sopoaga in the 46th minute.
When Tom Sanders lifted Ben Smith over the horizontal at a ruck he was shown a yellow card, and in that time the Highlanders added ten points, with Sopoaga landing a penalty before converting Pryor's try at the end of the third quarter to put his side 18-11 ahead.
The Chiefs were next on the board, with Lachlan Boshier crossing with 13 minutes remaining to set up a tense finish, but McKenzie was unable to convert which left the visitors three points adrift.
The tempo of the game did not wane from either side, but it was Sopoaga who had the final say of the match, spinning out of a tackle to dot down in the corner before landing an impressive conversion as the Highlanders saw the game out.