MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Flyhalf Stephen Perofeta created a length-of-the-field try on halftime which sparked the Auckland-based Blues to a 37-29 win over the Dunedin-based Highlanders Friday in Super Rugby Pacific.
Highlanders prop Ethan de Groot lost the ball near the Blues’ goalline just as the halftime siren sounded. Perofeta took the ball back behind the posts and shaped to kick for touch to bring the first half to a close with the teams tied at 15-15.
Instead, Perofeta dashed between the posts and headed upfield with only remnants of the Highlanders defense ahead of him. He linked with winger Mark Telea.
From an ensuing penalty, Perofeta put the ball into touch, the Blues won the lineout and Telea scored from a subsequent phase to give the Blues an unexpected 22-15 lead at the break.
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Highlanders fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens was sent to the sin-bin for making a tackle in an offside position during the breakout, meaning his team started the second half with 14 men.
The Blues took advantage as Hoskins Sotutu scored in the third minute of the second half on his way to a hat trick to follow his double in the Blues’ opening round win of the Fijian Drua. That made the lead 29-15 in favor of the Blues and all but shut out the Highlanders.
While the Blues had led almost every statistic in the first half their attacking play had been clunky, their execution poor and the Highlanders had been able to take a 15-8 lead by the middle of the half.
Former All Blacks scrumhalf Folau Fakatava and former Wales flyhalf Rhys Patchell formed a dynamic halves partnership for the Highlanders and combined in cross-kick try to Patchell which gave the Highlanders a 15-8 lead after 26 minutes.
Patchell has brought impact to the Highlanders through his ability to take on the defense line and offload. He did so in the 11th minute, creating a try to Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens who touched down twice in an opening round win over Moana Pasifika.
The Highlanders had to make 134 tackles in the first half and that made fatigue a factor. They swapped out their entire front row after only 48 minutes.
They still managed to rally with a try to winger Timoci Tavatavanawai to cut the Blues’ lead to 10 points at 32-22. But Sotutu scored his third, a relatively easy finish after the Highlanders had become tangled in defense, and that made the game safe for the Blues.
The Highlanders scored the last, consolation try to Ajay Faleafaga on debut who also converted his try.
“We’ll take the win but it was a slow start,” Perofeta said. “The Highlanders are a formidable pack and they’re a team that will never give up. They showed that in the first 20 and probably in the last 20.
“For periods of the middle game we found our groove and got into our power game. But towards the end there we probably over-played our hand.”
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