The Highlanders have an exciting new halfback option and the best loosehead prop in Super Rugby.
But they do not have the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy.
The Highlanders had some stunning moments and came thundering home before they slipped to a 47-40 loss to the Blues at Eden Park tonight.
Nippy halfback Adam Lennox announced his genuine arrival on the Super Rugby stage with two dazzling tries, and star prop Ethan de Groot continued his magnificent season with a performance of utter destruction at scrum time.
Some of the individual efforts were highly meritorious but the reality is this was a game that mostly highlighted the gap between a very good team and one that still has to be considered a work in progress.
While the Highlanders were as gutsy as ever and produced some exciting moments, the Blues bullied their way to seven tries and never really looked like losing control of the game.
In saying that, the final 10 minutes belonged entirely to the Highlanders, and they scored two late tries and had a late chance to grab another and send the game to golden point.
Lennox, in just his second start, gave the Highlanders an absolutely spectacular start in the third minute.
They had - broken record alert - made rather a hash of a lineout 10m inside the Blues’ half when Lennox picked up the scraps.
He looked up and instinctively ran straight through the fractured Blues lineout, turned on the gas and swept around the final defender for a glorious try.
But all that did was open the door for 25 minutes of almost complete Blues dominance.
They got their big men - Hoskins Sotutu, Sam Darry and the ageless Patrick Tuipolotu - rolling and made metres for fun.
Sotutu bustled over for the Blues’ first try in the 10th minute, and Anton Segner nabbed the second just four minutes later.
The Blues were so impressive with ball in hand but the Highlanders were guilty of giving it away just a little easily.
When the Highlanders finally got another chance, de Groot coughed up possession.
There would be no recriminations, however, as the big man continued his exceptional form by just destroying the Blues in the scrum.
Darry was the man on the floor for the Blues’ third try as they continued to dominate possession through relentless carrying and fine support play.
Things looked grim for the Highlanders as they trailed 19-7.
And when things get rough, who do the Highlanders call?
Caleb Tangitau.
The electric winger gathered the ball inside his own half, peeled off a sublime 50m run and passed - definitely not forward, no sir - to Tanielu Tele’a for the try.
Just as he passed, he copped a Zarn Sullivan shoulder to the head. It looked a cast-iron red card but the man upstairs clearly felt a mitigating factor was that Tangitau was falling.
Sullivan only served 10 minutes in the bin but that was the end of Tangitau’s night as he failed an HIA, and was replaced by debutant Xavier Tito-Harris.
The Highlanders were back in the game but were robbed of an opportunity to take the lead in the final minute of the first half.
They were hard on attack before the Blues "legally" stole the ball despite it appearing a blatant case of flopping at the base of a ruck.
The Blues surged again at the start of the second half.
Hooker Bradley Slater scored their fourth try from a rolling maul, Segner powered 25m to score his second, and Beauden Barrett’s boot did the rest to give the home team a commanding 33-14 lead.
This is where that "need to score next" phrase kicks in, and the Highlanders duly did.
De Groot delivered another scrum masterclass and Lennox did the rest, utterly bamboozling three defenders at once before gliding inside the last man in the line.
Regrettably, Blues winger Cole Forbes did his own bamboozling straight away at the other end, and the Blues carried a 19-point lead into the final 15 minutes.
These Highlanders, well, they do not go away easily.
When the Blues made a hash of a visit the red zone, Finn Hurley swooped on the ball and passed - definitely not forward, no sir - to Tito-Harris, who celebrated his debut with a 45m dash to the line.
Not to be outdone, Blues reserve prop Ben Ake scored on his debut to ice the victory, though the final minutes got manic as Blues midfielder AJ Lam got binned, Tele’a scored his second and Soane Vikena scored in the 79th minute to secure a bonus point.
The Highlanders are off to Christchurch next weekend for Super Round.
They play Moana Pasifika - possibly for the last time, as Moana are set to shut down - at shiny One New Zealand Stadium next Sunday.
The scores
Blues 47 (Anton Segner 2, Hoskins Sotutu, Sam Darry, Gordon Slater, Cole Forbes, Ben Ake tries; Beauden Barrett 6 con)
Highlanders 40 (Adam Lennox 2, Tanielu Tele’a 2, Xavier Tito-Harris, Soane Vikena tries; Cameron Millar 5 con)
Halftime: Blues 19-14.
