Highlanders win Perth snorefest

The Highlanders cemented their place in the Super Rugby play-off zone with a stuttering 23-3 win over a hapless Western Force team in Perth on Saturday.

The Highlanders held a slender 6-3 lead at half-time in a dour contest, but second-half tries by John Hardie (from a maul) and Aaron Smith (after a Marty Banks break) took the game away from the hosts.

It was a contest marred by bucketloads of errors and even more aimless kicking.

The Highlanders dominated territory and possession after the break.

Flyhalf Lima Sopoaga provided a solid goal-kicking performance with a conversion, two penalties and a drop goal. Replacement Marty Banks kicked the other conversion.

The Highlanders are locked in a battle with the Chiefs for second position in the New Zealand conference behind the Wellington Hurricanes and, following their win over the Force, they join the Chiefs on a 9-4 record.

The Highlanders and the Chiefs meet next weekend in Invercargill.

Meanwhile, the Force remain winless against all Super Rugby teams in 2015 bar the defending champion Waratahs.

The Force didn't make the most of chances to score in the first half and were made to pay with the Highlanders grinding their way to control the game.

"Our boys stuck at it and credit to the Force, they are a hard team to put away," Smith said.

"We had to keep chipping away and we managed to get a bit of territory in the second half and got a few points out of it."

Man of the match: Marcel Brache had his moments, Nick Cummins tried to spark his team. while Ben McCalman and Matt Hodgson were the work-horses of the team – doing all the dirty work. Waisake Naholo and Malakai Fekitoa kept the Force's defence honest. Lima Sopoaga again produced an accomplished performance, while Aaron Smith was the general that kept his forwards on the front foot. Dan Pryor, John Hardie and Gareth Evans were workman-like. However, our award goes to Highlanders fullback and captain Ben Smith, the only real spark in an otherwise dull game.

Scorers:

For the Western Force:

Pen: Ebersohn

For the Highlanders:

Tries: Hardie, A Smith

Cons: Sopoaga, Banks

Pens: Sopoaga 2

DG: Sopoaga

Teams:

Western Force: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Marcel Brache, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Nick Cummins, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Ryan Louwrens, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 Matt Hodgson (captain), 6 Angus Cottrell, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Steve Mafi, 3 Tetera Faulkner, 2 Nathan Charles, 1 Pekahou Cowan.

Replacements: 16 Heath Tessmann, 17 Chris Heiberg, 18 Guy Millar, 19 Sam Wykes, 20 Kane Koteka, 21 Alby Mathewson, 22 Luke Burton, 23 Brad Lacey.

Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith (captain), 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Shaun Treeby, 11 Patrick Osborne, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Dan Pryor, 7 John Hardie, 6 Gareth Evans, 5 Mark Reddish, 4 Alex Ainley, 3 Josh Hohneck, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Brendon Edmonds.

Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Ross Geldenhuys, 19 Tom Franklin, 20 Elliot Dixon, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Richard Buckman, 23 Marty Banks.

Referee: Andrew Lees

Assistant referees: Rohan Hoffmann, Graham Cooper

TMO:  Ian Smith