There were 17 scrums in the clash, won 26-20 by the Crusaders. Taking into consideration the time taken to set the scrums plus any resets, a total of 21 minutes and 42 seconds - more than a quarter of the game - was devoted to the set phase.
The scrums were a mess throughout the match as referee Ben O'Keefe struggled to get the two front rows together.
In many of the scrums, the halfback laboured to get the ball into the channel and, at times, the ball just sat in the middle of the two front rows, with neither side able to hook the ball.
It is the early part of the season and there is bound to be a settling-down period but Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph commented on the speed of the scrums after the game on Saturday night.
He felt the scrum was an eyesore at times and did not help a game which failed to get going for long periods.
''It was a really slow contest and it seemed to take up 10 to 15 minutes of the game. It was really frustrating to watch as a coach so I don't know what the fans thought. That is an area of the game which needs to be sped up a little bit,'' Joseph said.
Sanzar game manager Lyndon Bray talked at the start of the season about making the scrum cleaner and more of a contest but hopes do not always materialise into reality.
Of the 17 scrums set in the match, fewer than a quarter were completed correctly and without a reset.
There were 12 scrums reset and just four clean scrums.
Most of the time, the resets were for the front rows collapsing or for the scrums being wheeled and turned past the 90deg angle.
The gaps between the two front rows had been made closer this season with front rows coming together without a major hit.
This started with the ITM Cup last year.
Referees have been told not to let the halfback put the ball in until the scrums are set and that is leading to scrums being put under more pressure by the opposing team.
In the 17 scrums set, just one penalty was given, while four of the 12 reset scrums led to free kicks.
The four scrums that worked took from 33 seconds to 55 seconds from when the infringement occurred to the scrum finishing.
It was O'Keefe's first game at this level after he stepped in when experienced first-class referee Chris Pollock pulled out because of a slight ankle injury.
