Rugby: Team shows maturity in win: Shoemark

Jason Shoemark
Jason Shoemark
Highlanders vice-captain Jason Shoemark says the side knew it did not play well on Saturday night but to come away with a win showed a new maturity in the team.

Shoemark said the team did not quite click, and for whatever reason it felt flat throughout the game.

"But I told the boys in the huddle after the game we did not play well but at the end of the day we won. I don't think Highlanders teams in the past have done that," Shoemark said.

"We'll take the four points so you can't complain about that."

Shoemark said the Reds defence was quick off the mark, and it was hard to get over the advantage line.

"We were trying hard but it wasn't quite clicking. We needed a spark and we got that in the second half with Dan's run."

Shoemark had a hand in the second Highlanders try, linking with Daniel Bowden to send a fine pass out to winger Kendrick Lynn, who did the rest.

Shoemark said the side would be up for the Blues next Friday night.

"We've just got to hold on to the ball to create pressure. We've got the attacking players and, if we can just hold on to the ball, we'll be pretty hard to stop."

Highlanders coach Glenn Moore admitted it was an ugly win, and said his side just looked a bit rusty after having last week off with the bye.

"Every year, teams seem to struggle coming off the bye. And we were running out of gas at times there. In the first half, we were building momentum nicely when we just had silly little turnovers," Moore said.

"I never said the bye was a bad thing. But it does take a wee bit out of the tank and we were getting a bit of momentum before it."

Moore would take any win, no matter how ugly, and said his side was still in a handy enough position on the competition ladder.

He said it was great to win a close game and showed the real desire within the team to win.

"We talked about before the game what winners stand for. They win when it is tight and dig deep and front up when it matters.

"We've been on the wrong end of a couple or three of them so it was great to close one out."

The plan in the second half was to get territory but Moore said the side failed to get its hands on the ball for long periods of time.

"But we showed some real desperation in defence and that is what good teams do."

He said the team was looking forward to taking on the Blues on Friday, as the team enjoyed playing other New Zealand teams.

Reds coach Phil Mooney said his side was guilty of giving away too much possession.

Mooney said the side gave away too many penalties and turned the ball over when trying for quick line-outs.

He felt perhaps the side needed to be a bit more steady at times.

Although he was not offering any excuse for the loss, he had concerns over the first two Highlanders tries, saying there looked to be offside play when Josh Bekhuis scored his try while Reds flanker Daniel Braid was taken out when Kendrick Lynn scored his try.

Mooney said, on another day, the calls might have gone the Reds' way but it was not to be.

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