The Highlanders have brought in the return of live sport with a thrilling 28-27 win over the Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium tonight.
Highlanders replacement Bryn Gatland slotted a dropped goal with a minute remaining to edge the them ahead of the visiting team, coached by his father Warren.
It answered a dropped goal from Chiefs fullback Damien McKenzie just minutes earlier, who had given the Chiefs a two-point lead late in the game.
A slick lineout proved key for the Highlanders.
The ball it won was clean and its three tries all stemmed from the ensuing drives.
Ash Dixon, Sio Tomkinson and Marino Mikaele-Tu'u all crashed over before halftime to give the Highlanders a 22-16 platform at the break.
While the second half became messier, their defence held for the most part and they emerged victors by the narrowest of margins.
Earlier the teams traded penalties, before McKenzie gave the Chiefs a 6-3 lead.
It was the Highlanders that crossed the line first though, Ash Dixon crashing over from the back of a lineout drive.
That became 15-6 not long after, following another lineout drive.
The Highlanders broke off this time, but a superb line from Rob Thompson created half a break.
He offloaded to Sio Tomkinson, who crashed over next to the posts.
The Chiefs hit back through winger Sean Wainui, having broken up the right to create an overlap up the left flank which they exploited.
McKenzie added three more through a penalty to give the Chiefs a 16-15 lead as Vilimoni Koroi was yellow carded for a tip tackle.
But the Highlanders scored once more to lead at halftime.
Again it was a lineout drive that provided the base.
This time they broke off blind and Mitch Hunt offloaded to a rampaging Marino Mikaele Tu'u, who crashed over.
Mitch Hunt converted from the sideline to put the Highlanders ahead 22-16 at halftime.
The teams traded penalties again to start the second half, before an Anton Lienert-Brown try with seven minutes remaining brought the Chiefs within one.
McKenzie's conversion missed though and while his drop goal gave the Chiefs the lead, Gatland calmly responded with a minute left.