Highlanders rue rotten luck
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Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph bemoaned the number of marginal decisions that went against his side in their 13-20 defeat to the Hurricanes in Dunedin.
The win saw the visitors maintain their unbeaten start to the season, while the Highlanders had to be content with just a single bonus point.
After a tight opening half the game burst into life after half-time, with the Hurricanes ultimately holding out, and Joseph was left frustrated in a game he feels his side could have won.
"We didn't have an ounce of luck. I didn't feel that we got any decisions for us and we didn't play very well at the start of the game either. I think both teams were messy, there were a lot of nerves out there, a lot at stake I guess," he told Fairfax Media NZ.
He said that while referee Ben O'Keeffe has the potential to become a top referee, he still needs a bit more experience.
"He's going to be a good ref at some stage, he just needs to get some experience. He's going to come on, he communicates well with the players, he's decisive," Joseph said.
"You feel for the players because obviously a lot of effort goes into the game and the preparation, but there was a lot of marginal decisions that went against us.
"The opportunities that we did get given, in terms of our attack, we didn't take them. They defended well, the Hurricanes," added Joseph.
Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said that he took encouragement from the fact that his team was able to grind out a tough win under pressure to keep their place at the top of the standings.
"Sometimes you can blast out a win and sometimes you have to grind out a win and we would put this in the grind category," he said.
"The Highlanders are getting pretty good at coming back hard at the end. I think it's a true reflection that two years ago we had guys that were new to Super Rugby, now they have 25 or 30 caps and we've still managed to hold onto the experienced end. I think there is a good degree of experience, or maturity, in the side," added Boyd.
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