Close but no cigar.
The Highlanders went within a whisker of snatching a draw last night against the Hurricanes but came up short, going down 20-13 to the Hurricanes at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The home side looked down and out with five minutes to go and 14 points down, but it grabbed the ball, swung down on to attack and managed to get something going.
First five-eighth Lima Sopoaga spied a gap in the Hurricanes defence and sped through to score.
He quickly slotted the conversion.
Then 30 seconds later, centre Malakai Fekitoa was sprinting downfield.
He was caught, the ball was swung right and when Gareth Evans broke through to feed the insides, it appeared as the Highlanders might have snatched a draw.
But it was not to be.
Referee Ben O'Keeffe, who was roundly booed after the game by a disappointed crowd, ruled a forward pass.
But the Highlanders at least came away with a bonus point from a match which never rose to any heights.
It was the classic case of leading a horse to water but it refusing to drink.
You can put some of the most exciting rugby players on the planet out on the pitch with massive match-ups galore and it can still be ugly.
The likes of Savea, Jane, the Smiths, Fekitoa, Osborne and Naholo, were all playing last night but it was all a bit messy.
Even the goalkicking was average.
The visitors came out on top through sheer weight of possession and hanging on to the ball at key times.
The home team looked dangerous when it had the ball but that was about as often as a snowflake in Alexandra in January.
The Hurricanes had all the ball, especially in the middle third of the game, and made the most of it, scoring the try that put them ahead and then adding a penalty, which frankly was a poor call from the official.
The Highlanders tried to come back but it lacked some polish on attack and the Hurricanes, through any means possible stood tall on defence.
Best for the home side were prop Josh Hohneck, lock Tom Franklin and loose forwards Dan Pryor and Nasi Manu.
The first half was like the Northland by-election - plenty of huffing and puffing and promise, but nothing really delivered.
The Hurricanes had the majority of the ball in the opening half but did little with it.
They coughed it up or threw a poor pass and the Highlanders soaked up the pressure.
As has been the story in most of their games, the Highlanders did not have a lot of ball to play with in the opening stages.
The home side put the first points on the board after seven minutes, through a Sopoaga penalty.
The Hurricanes laid siege to the Highlanders' line right on the 20-minute mark but the home side stood tall.
The Highlanders were then over the line just before the half-hour mark but the try was not awarded.
Referee O'Keeffe, who received plenty of advice from all quarters throughout the game, was advised Ben Smith had interfered with a Hurricanes defender when Malaki Fekitoa went over. It looked a tough but correct call.
The Highlanders did not get despondent and kept looking for points.
Beauden Barrett, though, tied the game up with five minutes left in the first half with a handy penalty.
Super rugby
The scores
Hurricanes 20
Reggie Goodes, TJ Perenara tries; Beauden Barrett 2 pen, 2 con
Highlanders 13
Lima Sopoaga try, 2 pen, con
Halftime: 3-3
Crowd: 13,100
