The hallowed turf of Eden Park has always been a nightmare for visiting teams, just ask the Wallabies.
The word ‘hoodoo' has been thrown around on multiple occasions and regardless of your stance on superstition, the history speaks for itself. If the team is dressed in black or blue and white, the odds are usually in their favour.
Teams hailing from Dunedin have been victims of this hoodoo for years, sometimes even decades at a time. They broke the drought in 2002, becoming the first Highlanders team to win on Eden Park, but sadly, this long awaited victory was only a one time occurrence. A decade had passed before they finally clinched victory once again.
2012 has been a shocker of the year for the Blues, I feel like a broken record saying that but it's true.
Jamie Joseph's men travelled to Auckland as clear favourites, but if there is one lesson in life I have learnt it's to never write off an Auckland-based team at home, I've had my heart broken too many times to fall into that trap. It was set to be an encounter of epic proportions.
The first twenty minutes of the match wasn't exactly the spectacle everyone was hoping for, with only a penalty apiece coming from the first quarter. Despite having a majority of possession and territory early in the game, handling errors and poor discipline at the breakdown proved to be the Highlanders' downfall as opportunities went to waste.
To keep the playoff hopes alive for another week, the Highlanders needed tries to secure a much-needed bonus point.
Then the Highlanders opened up, with two magnificent tries coming for Tamati Ellison and Hosea Gear as the boys in green entered the changing sheds with some momentum, leading the home side by 15-6.
The momentum created was so immense it was as if they never left the field, responding almost immediately after halftime as they returned a Blues kick with another try to Hosea Gear, bringing up his 100th try in first class rugby and becoming his ticket into the All Blacks training camp.
A try to Adam Thomson coming off the back of a lineout sealed the bonus point for the southerners; however, even with a 27-6 lead with 20 minutes left to play, the game was still far from over.
With Phil Burleigh being sent to the sin-bin for ten minutes, the Blues took advantage of the one man overlap as they responded with two tries of their own coming from props Tevita Mailau and Tony Woodcock.
It was an important night for the Blues, Ali Williams bringing up his 100 th Super Rugby appearance, players vying to prove their selection was valid to the All Black selectors.
These facts accompanied with pride being on the line, the Eden Park hoodoo became a very real and daunting prospect. Thankfully it was not to be for the Blues, the Highlanders holding on to their lead to close out the game and take the victory by 27-20, securing the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy, five valuable competition points and a much awaited win in Auckland, a well-fought and gutsy victory for the Highlanders.
Hoodoo? What hoodoo?