The Highlanders were more composed and looked better for it
It was good to see the helter-skelter rugby that dogged their play last week has been scrapped. This week saw a composed Highlanders team, looking to play a more conservative, patient game.
Inside their own half they opted to kick clear, relieving much of the unnecessary pressure they put themselves under against the Cheetahs. On attack they were patient, going through multiple phases and waiting to give the ball to the backs. This was in direct contrast to last week, where the plan seemed to be to throw the ball around from anywhere in the hope something would happen.
By doing this they had themselves under less pressure and created more chances. All that remains now is to become more clinical so those chances get turned into points.
The set-piece still needs work
The lineout has definitely improved, particularly the short lineout which operated well for the first 50 minutes. But as the game wore on inaccuracies crept in and the team failed to execute at crucial times. These mistakes were costly and need to be cut out of the game.
The scrum was more assured too, but again at crucial times it faltered, most notably late in the second half when a strong shove from the Hurricanes forced a mistake in prime attacking position.
Set-piece is fundamental to the game and needs to be more consistent to make sure the Highlanders get full value out of their dangerous backline.
The forwards were more physical
Not only were the forwards more physical at the breakdown, they were actually getting to the breakdown and in numbers too, something they didn't manage last week. It was closer to what was seen from the Highlanders last year, and they looked far better for it, turning ball over and ensuring they retained much more of their own possession. This enabled them to play a more controlled game and unleash the likes of Hosea Gear at the right times, rather than feeling rushed in getting it to him.
This was apparent in the loose too, with the ball runners all looking to get good go-forward when hitting it up and the defence putting in some good hits.
There has been criticism that this physical style of play has led to injuries and seen the team fall off later in the season. But the Highlanders have strayed away from this in the first two games and still ended up with a handful of injuries. They clearly look better when they adopt a physical approach.
The little things matter
We saw this in the first game of the season and saw it again last night. The difference between the good teams and the bad teams in this competition can often be one or two mistakes in an otherwise good performance.
It was not as if any one player had a bad game, or there were too many obvious areas of concern. It was just simply a case of needing to stamp out mistakes.
The Highlanders tackled well for the most part, but a couple of defensive lapses gave the Hurricanes chances, which they capitalised on as a good team will do. They looked dangerous with ball in hand, creating their own chances, but they could not turn them into points. Even luck can have a hand in it, as was seen with the Hurricanes' second try which came from a deflection that could have gone anywhere.
These are small things in the context of evaluating the performance of the team, but they are massive in the determining the final outcome. As a coach once told me, the difference between a win and a loss is usually just that extra five per cent. And that is what needs to be found by the
Highlanders if they are to start turning a generally good performance into a win.
Hosea Gear and Julian Savea will be a dangerous combination
It might not be on too many minds at the moments, but in three months' time, Cory Jane's replacement on the right wing for the All Blacks will be of utmost importance.
After seeing how lethal Hosea Gear and Julian Savea have been this year, it seems likely that this will be the combination used, a combination that will have opposition defences in fits. Both are big, strong, fast ball runners, who are capable of breaking tackles and will come in and look for work.
Not only this, but both have improved markedly under the high ball meaning the option of kicking to them will indeed prove to be a risky one. Savea showed just how far he has come in this area last night, taking everything that came his way and showing a safe pair of hands that have been missing from his game up until this year.
Both men are developing kicking games too, which would make them the near complete player.
Exciting stuff to say the least.
