The Highlanders' Japanese connection has come up trumps with one test All Black Mike Delany starring against the Blues on his return from a two-year stint in Japan.
He joins the rejuvenated Tamati Ellison and Englishman James Haskell who have also spent time in the Japanese club scene.
Leading into the game against the Blues I had two standpoints to view it from; History tells me that the Highlanders haven't held the Gordon Hunter Memorial since 2006, (gulps...), yet form tells me that the Highlanders went into last week's much needed bye winning 5 from 7, the Blues are struggling to find any sort of form at all this season, winning only 1 from 7 before Friday's encounter.
The Forsyth faithful were set for a thrilling encounter; it certainly didn't take long for this to happen.
A desperate Blues side pounced on an early Highlanders mistake, setting up fullback Hadleigh Parkes in the corner, 5-0 to the boys from the north.
Not the start we were looking for, but certainly not the beginning of the end, the 10-minute mark saw a fantastic no look pass from Mike Delany put Hosea Gear in space (about time!) and ended with Shaun Treeby finishing off one of the most fantastic Highlanders tries I have seen in years.
With our new playmaker calmly slotting the conversion to make it 7-5 to the southerners, Welcome home Mike, welcome home.
Both teams traded penalties either side of halftime, mainly due to lack of discipline on defence. Stunning on attack in their respective halves, but panicked when it came to the crunch. This is until the Blues pounced, Piri putting Rene Ranger over for a try to make it 27-22 to the Blues with 30 minutes left in play.
It took 20 minutes, but after Delany slotted a penalty and Kurt Baker punished the Blues mistake on their own goal line, the Highlanders took the lead; 30-27 with 10 minutes to play.
This season I have seen the Highlanders take a tiny lead and hold onto it on more than one occasion, it's been their strength and is a large part of their success this year, the undying will to win. This being said, I seen too many games against Auckland sides slip through our fingers, even if the fat lady is on the podium, it still isn't over. It went right down to the wire, but form proved to be the winner on the day, "History never repeats, I tell myself before I go to sleep".
Let's look at the bad with the good -
Bad points - Discipline, we need to watch ourselves at the breakdown if we are to have any luck on our tour of the Republic. The harsh Blues critics may get even worse.
Good points - Mike Delany shows true form on his first game back in NZ, Hosea Gear shows some of the true talent we've all been dying to see, Tamati Ellison showing the AB's coaches what a real utility back looks like, The Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy is now back where it rightfully belongs and last but certainly not least; Jimmy Cowan, now that's how to get amped up after a big win!
- Paul McDonald