Caleb Tangitau crossed twice and debutant halfback Nic Shearer was the architect of a dominant Highlanders display as they ran out 39–19 winners over Moana Pasifika at North Harbour Stadium — before a power outage plunged the ground into darkness and cut Sky Sport’s broadcast for the final 20 minutes.
Key moments
3 mins – MISSED PENALTY HIGHLANDERS: Reesjan Pasitoa pulls his penalty attempt wide and to the left from 32m out after Moana give away an early infringement. (Moana Pasifika 0–0 Highlanders)
8 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: The Highlanders strike first with a flowing move. Nic Shearer fires a wide pass left, with Angus Ta’avao playing it out the back door. Caleb Tangitau receives on the edge and breezes through two limp tackles to score down the left edge. Pasitoa hits the left upright with the conversion attempt. (Moana Pasifika 0–5 Highlanders)
20 mins – PENALTY HIGHLANDERS: Pasitoa slots from in front after the Highlanders opt for the posts following sustained pressure at the scrum. (Moana Pasifika 0–8 Highlanders)
27 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: Shearer rolls it left to Tanielu Tele’a, who finds a nice ball for Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens on the right edge. He is hauled down on the 5m line, but Shearer takes some neat steps, eluding two defenders before feeding Tangitau, who bulldozes over in the corner for his second. Pasitoa converts from the left sideline. (Moana Pasifika 0–15 Highlanders)
33 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: Oliver Haig drops the lineout ball but Shearer keeps his composure, sizing things up before firing a long pass to Jona Nareki, who slips the defensive line on the blindside and rounds under the posts. Pasitoa converts. (Moana Pasifika 0–22 Highlanders)
38 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: The Highlanders go to the lineout maul inside the Moana 22. Jack Taylor lobs the ball to Tomas Lavanini, who drives it in, generating powerful forward momentum before Taylor peels off the right side to finish down the edge. Pasitoa’s conversion attempt is shanked wide to the right. (Moana Pasifika 0–27 Highlanders)
Half-time: Moana Pasifika 0–27 Highlanders. The Highlanders are in cruise control, barely leaving second gear throughout a dominant first half. Moana have been their own worst enemy, repeatedly coughing up possession through handling errors and gifting the visitors field position through cheap penalties. Tangitau has been the chief beneficiary in the red zone with two clinical finishes, while debutant Nic Shearer has been the architect of much of the damage at halfback. Tomas Lavanini has brought physicality and lineout presence, and there is very little to write home about for the home side.
41 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: Only 14 seconds into the second half. Tangitau collects the kick-off on the fly and drives up over halfway. Tele’a works to the right edge and bursts straight through Joel Lam before offloading for Shearer, who leaps over in the right corner. Pasitoa’s conversion drifts left. (Moana Pasifika 0–32 Highlanders)
44 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: Moana hit back immediately. Haig drops the ball and Moana regather and drive. A flat shift drive catches the Highlanders short on numbers, and Niko Jones receives a short ball in midfield to burst through and score in the right corner. Jackson Garden-Bachop converts from the right sideline. (Moana Pasifika 7–32 Highlanders)
46 mins – YELLOW CARD MOANA PASIFIKA: William Havili is sent to the bin following a head-on-head collision with Tele’a, with an off-field review to follow. Moana are reduced to 14 men.
52 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: With Moana down to 14 men, the Highlanders go wide immediately. Tele’a drives into midfield to draw the defence, and Shearer bounces back right to send Veveni Lasaqa striding in down the right edge untouched. Pasitoa converts. (Moana Pasifika 7–39 Highlanders)
52 mins – YELLOW CARD MOANA PASIFIKA: Glen Vaihu is shown yellow for failing to retreat at a tap penalty, deemed a professional foul. Moana are briefly reduced to 13 men.
53 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: Moana respond immediately despite being down to 13. Haig drops another one, and Tangitau spills in trying to tidy up. Millennium Sanerivi hits a sharp line in midfield off a couple of short balls, races on into the 22 and finishes beside the posts. Garden-Bachop converts. (Moana Pasifika 14–39 Highlanders)
58 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: Good quick interplay down the right edge by Moana sees the Highlanders’ forwards sucked wide, with Siaosi Nginingini playing a key role in the build-up before Allan Craig drives over low and flat in the corner. Garden-Bachop’s conversion attempt hooks right. (Moana Pasifika 19–39 Highlanders)
Play is halted for nearly 30 minutes at approximately the 60-minute mark after a power failure at North Harbour Stadium takes out a light tower and cuts Sky Sport’s TV broadcast. After liaising with Sanzar, the decision is made to resume the match without a TMO and without live coverage. No further points are added.
Full-time: Moana Pasifika 19–39 Highlanders
Match report
Tangitau was the name on everyone’s lips as the All Blacks hopeful burned through the Moana Pasifika defence twice in the first half, setting the tone for a commanding Highlanders performance. His first, in the eighth minute, came after Shearer’s wide pass found Angus Ta’avao playing it out the back door; Tangitau received on the edge and breezed through two limp tackles to score in the corner. The winger’s second arrived on 27 minutes — Shearer threading through two defenders before feeding Tangitau, who bulldozed over despite the close attention of the Moana defence. New All Blacks coach Dave Rennie, in attendance in his new capacity, would have noted not just the clinical finishing but Tangitau’s willingness to hunt the ball across the field rather than wait passively on his wing.
Shearer, 22, had been handed his Super Rugby debut after Folau Fakatava was dropped following a string of below-par performances, and the former Southland NPC standout made the most of every opportunity. His crisp service from the base of the ruck gave the Highlanders’ backs the front-foot ball they had been denied in recent weeks, and his constant scanning of the backfield telegraphed the approach of a footballer thinking several phases ahead. His arrival was complemented by the return of Argentine lock Tomas Lavanini, whose physicality and lineout presence stabilised a set piece that had wobbled badly in the previous week’s 50–7 hammering by the Hurricanes. Jona Nareki added a third try with a composed blindside finish after Shearer’s long pass split the line, before Jack Taylor rumbled over from the lineout maul five minutes before half-time to complete a commanding opening period. By the break, the Highlanders led 27–0 and had barely moved out of second gear.
Moana’s misery deepened within 14 seconds of the restart when Tangitau regathered the kick-off, Tele’a burst through Joel Lam’s attempted tackle on the right edge and offloaded for Shearer to leap over in the corner. With the score now 32–0, the match appeared over as a contest — and two yellow cards in quick succession threatened to make the second half a procession. Havili was binned for a head-on-head collision with Tele’a, and with Moana reduced to 14 men, Lasaqa strolled over from Shearer’s service to make it 39–0. Moments later, Vaihu was shown yellow for a professional foul, briefly leaving Moana with just 13 men on the field.
To their credit, Moana rallied from that low point and won the second period 19–12. Jones burrowed over from a flat shift drive that caught the Highlanders short on numbers, Sanerivi capitalised on a Haig knock-on to race to the posts, and Craig’s bulldocking finish in the 58th minute completed a spirited fightback. Prop debutant Paula Latu was exceptional off the bench throughout, winning multiple scrum penalties that will make him a genuine contender to start against the Chiefs after the bye. Craig’s try arrived just as the lights went out and Sky’s coverage was cut, with a significant power outage at North Harbour Stadium overwhelming the broadcast truck’s failover battery. After liaising with Sanzar, the decision was made to complete the match without a TMO and without live broadcast. Viewers were directed to Moana Pasifika’s Instagram, where the club’s media manager streamed the conclusion to more than a thousand viewers. North Harbour Stadium management face serious questions about how the situation was allowed to arise.
The Highlanders head into their bye week with five points and considerably improved spirits after back-to-back dispiriting results. The bonus-point win temporarily moves them into the top six, though other results over the weekend will determine whether they stay there. For Umaga, coaching his side through his final season before departing to join Dave Rennie’s All Blacks staff, the injury list continues to grow — Joel Lam, Lalomilo Lalomilo and Niko Jones were all forced off during the match, adding to an already crowded ward. When one of the floodlights failed in the second half, it felt like a fitting metaphor for Moana’s season. Jonah Lowe did at least bring up his 50th Super Rugby appearance, a milestone that passed largely without fanfare on a night that had no shortage of other talking points.
Match details
Moana Pasifika 19 (Tries: Jones 44, Sanerivi 53, Craig 58; Conversions: Garden-Bachop 2/3)
Highlanders 39 (Tries: Tangitau 8, 27; Nareki 33; Taylor 38; Shearer 41; Lasaqa 52; Conversions: Pasitoa 4/6; Penalties: Pasitoa 1/2)
Half-time: 0–27
Yellow cards: William Havili (Moana Pasifika, 46 mins); Glen Vaihu (Moana Pasifika, 52 mins)
Venue: North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
Referee: Damon Murphy (Australia)
Teams
Moana Pasifika: 15 William Havili, 14 Solomon Alaimalo, 13 Tevita Latu, 12 Lalomilo Lalomilo, 11 Glen Vaihu, 10 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 9 Joel Lam; 8 Dominic Ropeti, 7 Niko Jones, 6 Miracle Faiilagi (c), 5 Allan Craig, 4 Veikoso Poloniati, 3 Feleti Sae-Ta’ufo’ou, 2 Millennium Sanerivi, 1 Abraham Pole.
Replacements: 16 Samiuela Moli, 17 Malakai Hala-Ngatai, 18 Paula Latu, 19 Alefosio Aho, 20 Ola Tauelangi, 21 Siaosi Nginingini, 22 Patrick Pellegrini, 23 Tevita Ofa.
Highlanders: 15 Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, 14 Caleb Tangitau, 13 Jonah Lowe, 12 Tanielu Tele’a, 11 Jona Nareki, 10 Reesjan Pasitoa, 9 Nic Shearer; 8 Hugh Renton (co-c), 7 Veveni Lasaqa, 6 Te Kamaka Howden, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Oliver Haig, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Jack Taylor, 1 Josh Bartlett.
Replacements: 16 Henry Bell, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Rohan Wingham, 19 Will Stodart, 20 Sean Withy, 21 Adam Lennox, 22 Andrew Knewstubb, 23 Nikora Broughton.
What’s next
Both sides have the bye in Round 8. The Highlanders return to Dunedin to host the Brumbies in Round 9, while Moana Pasifika welcome the Chiefs to North Harbour Stadium. The bonus-point win temporarily moves the Highlanders into the top six, though other results over the weekend will determine whether they stay there.
International2 weeks ago
International7 days ago
International2 weeks ago
International3 weeks ago
International4 days ago
International2 weeks ago
International2 weeks ago