PORT ELIZABETH:Â Unsurprising, though untidy - the Highlanders predictably started their Super Rugby round the world trip with a 48-18 victory in Port Elizabeth to maintain pressure on the New Zealand conference leaders.
The defending champions were expected to beat the hapless Kings with ease - and although the final scoreline suggests a comfortable victory at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the Highlanders needed a 28-point burst in the last 12 minutes to add gloss to an often error-ridden performance.
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Waratahs make huge statement
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The Waratahs canter home in their first game in Japan turning a 26-12 half-time lead into a 57-12 thrashing of the Sunwolves in Tokyo.
Although they warmed up for a journey that also includes a historic fixture in Buenos Aires with an impressive trial win over the Crusaders in Oamaru on June 23, the round 15 encounter against South Africa's worst franchise was a harder slog than the muddy clash they endured in North Otago until the final quarter yielded four tries.
Understandably eager to back five competition points, a Highlanders side missing five All Blacks, were frustrated for long periods before they accelerated clear to improve to 43 points, one behind the third-placed Hurricanes. The Chiefs lead on 46 after beating the Crusaders (45) in Suva on Friday night.
A dozen handling errors in the opening half - and a resilient opponent keen to impress a sparse crowd in their final home game - combined to thwart a Highlanders side where Matt Faddes produced the only highlight when he scored over for the opening try in the 24th minute.
Standing in for Ben Smith at fullback, Faddes exploited a midfield missing second five-eighth Shane Gates to beat three defenders after an 18-phase build up, a rare display of cohesion from the overwhelming favourites.
Faddes struck while Gates was sidelined after being yellow carded by referee Marius van der Westhuizen for a dangerous clean out on Highlanders lock Tom Franklin, a costly indiscretion though the vice-captain made partial amends with a try-saving tackle soon after he returned.
The seventh try of Faddes' maiden Super Rugby season hardly broke the Kings resolve and they Kings deservedly scored on the brink of halftime when wing Wandile Mjekevu beat Jason Emery after a period of sustained pressure- though Elgar Watts missed an easy conversion to give the Highlanders a two-point buffer after an unsatisfactory opening half.
Faddes notched his double six minutes after the resumption after strong lead-up work from Dan Pryor - a halftime replacement on the openside for groggy captain Shane Christie - and when the wild-haired loose forward powered over from a lineout drive to extend to advantage to 20-8, the Highlanders looked on track to collect maximum points.
However, a popular try to departing captain Steven Sykes and the accurate boot of replacement first five-eighth Louis Fouche cut the deficit to two before the Highlanders finally lifted as the Kings tired.
Winger Jack Wilson eased anxieties when he took a Sonny Bill Williams-style offload from replacement Patrick Osborne with 12 minutes to play.
The Fijian international then benefited from an astute cross kick from Lima Sopoaga - a late promotion to the starting line-up after Marty Banks' injury-cursed season continuing with a hamstring strain during training denying the back-up first five-eighth the first start of his farewell season.
Faddes then scythed through a fractured defensive line to complete his first hat-trick before prop Aki Seiuli completed the rout when he crossed between the posts after the fulltime siren.
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