The Highlanders looked good as a team in their first game of the season - but this is what I think of their individual performances:
1. Jamie Mackintosh: Awesome with no mistakes
2. Andrew Hore: Great start to the Highlanders, good pick and going and awesome lineout throwing.
3. Chris King: Good charging down and a good number of tackles
4. Josh Bekhuis: Great line out taking
5. Nick Crosswell: Sharp on defence and good lineout taking. Good penalty to end the game
6. Adam Thomson: Brilliant with ball in hand,sharp on defence and set up big holes in the Chiefs defence.
7. John Hardie: Great, strong blowing out
8. Nasi Manu: Great strong pick and going and awesome on defence.
9. Jimmy Cowan: Needs to pass off the deck so the defence doesn't come up so fast but good running with the ball.
10. Chris Noakes: Awesome goal kicking and awesome setting up holes.
11. Hosea Gear: Good running with the ball but needs to go looking for it.
12. Phil Burleigh: Awesome on defence and great attacking with the ball.
13. Tamati Ellison: Great debut, sharp on defence and great attacking.
14. Buxton Popoali'i: Awesome tackle on Masanga and great running with the ball.
15. Ben Smith: great taking the high kicks and good running with the ball.
16. Jason Rutledge: Awesome try he set up, some huge hits and he's my forward of the match.
17. Bronson Murray: Good strong defence.
20. Aaron Smith: awesome try he scored, he passed off the deck and he's my back of the match.
21. Lima Sopoaga: good kicking the ball and nice running.
After being behind for most of the game the Highlanders fought back really well in the last 30 minutes and showed that they can give 100% for the entire game.
They can be pleased with their first outing and I can't wait to see their game against the Crusaders next week. We needed to win this game to start the season well - good work Highlanders - the fans are happy!
- Sam Senior: I am nine and I just love Rugby! I play for Athletic Marist (Athies) in Oamaru. My positions are first five and half back. I started playing club rugby when I was just three so I think I've played about 80 games of club rugby. I will probably play my 100th next year when I am 10. My favourite team is the All Blacks but the Highlanders are a close second. My favourite player is Richie McCaw and Jamie McIntosh is my favourite Highlander. I had my photo taken with him and some other Highlanders last year.
I really love writing about rugby. My teachers tell me that I write too many rugby stories. Last year I started my own blog. I wrote about the Rugby World Cup and I made my own Sports News on it too. You can see my blog at http://samsenior.edublogs.org . Lots of people visited my blog and left comments.