Highlanders need more than guts

 

Although lock Joe Wheeler was sent to the sin bin and they conceded two penalty tries, the Highlanders somehow snuck a 20-17 victory which comes as a major boost ahead of their clash with the defending champion Waratahs next week.

 

However, Joseph said that his team had made themselves pretty difficult for themselves in Hamilton, and expects far better discipline from them in the future.

 

"We really made hard work of it, we knew the Chiefs would be riding on a high (after three straight wins) and it would be a good time to get them.

 

"In the first half we had no ball, and defended our hearts out. What was disappointing was our discipline allowed them back into the game and in many ways we were fortunate at the end," he told Sunday News.

 

The Highlanders coach was impressed with the determination his side showed to clinch victory, but he is also under no illusions about where they need to improve.

 

"But in terms of our belief in what we can do as a group, it's pretty good. We absorbed a lot pressure, and that's particularly hard against the Chiefs. They came back with a hiss and a roar in the second half but didn't put us away.

 

"It was courageous stuff from the team, but the learning is we just need to be a little bit smarter when we get ahead, and more clinical with the little things," he said.

 

With Ma'afu Fia sidelined through injury the Highlanders face somthing of a tight forward crisis ahead of their clash with the Waratahs who Joseph expects to be a stern test of whether his team have learned from their performance against the Chiefs.

 

"The Waratahs have a lot of X-factor across the field, and a huge forward pack, so we're going to have a physical battle. We need to take stock around the win, take the positives and make sure we keep building on it," he said.