Victories over the Waratahs have been fairly rare for the Highlanders - and it took until 2004 for them to finally bag a win across the Ditch. Steve Hepburn looks at three of the Highlanders' best wins over the Waratahs.
39-20
2001,Dunedin
The Highlanders were not having a great year under Peter Sloane.
But they fired against the Waratahs and it led to a historic first loss by a New South Wales team in Dunedin.
The home team started well and had plenty of fire in its forward pack.
It turned 17-13 ahead at halftime and then ran away with the game in the second half, with halfback Byron Kelleher a key to the win.
Some lesser-remembered Highlanders - Romi Ropati, Finau Maka and Samiu Vahafolau - all crossed for tries as they pulled away from the Waratahs.
Brendan Laney worked hard at fullback and the Highlanders front row did a good job in the second half to get on top of the visiting pack.
The Highlanders kept up their topsy-turvy form the rest of the season and ended up finishing fifth on the ladder, just missing out on the playoffs.
29-28
2004,Sydney
This was a game won when defeat looked a mere formality.
The Highlanders were down 28-7 early in the second half and lock Filipo Levi was sent from the field for a scrap with his niggly opposite Justin Harrison.
The Highlanders did not put up the white flag and threw everything into it.
Matt Saunders got two tries, and with five minutes to go, hooker Anton Oliver got on the end of a lineout rumble and scored a try.
Tony Brown, now the assistant coach, converted from the sideline and the Highlanders had staged a great comeback.
But it was not all over.
The Waratahs steamed back on to attack and got a penalty right in front, 30m out.
It looked a gift for Matt Burke, but somehow the Wallabies great managed to slice it and it hit the post and bounced away.
The Highlanders had their victory, the first win for an Otago-based side in Sydney.
26-10
2010,Invercargill
It was a chilly old night down south.
Waratahs winger Drew Mitchell came up the tunnel for the warm-up, saw the horizontal rain and promptly turned around and went back into the changing room.
The Highlanders were having a disappointing season, but they stood up on this night.
No 8 Steve Setephano scored a try off the back of the scrum and then Adam Thomson managed to wrestle himself across the line.
Turning 12-10 ahead, the Highlanders just ground out a win as the Waratahs got colder in temperatures more suited to a penguin colony than a rugby match.
Thomson scored his second try and with Matt Berquist knocking over the penalties, the visitors were well beaten.
