The Highlanders have picked up their first win of the Super Rugby campaign, defeating the Blues 16-12 in an Eden Park war of attrition.
Test centre Malakai Fekitoa's 18th-minute effort on the right edge was the only try in the four-point triumph, as both sides struggled in the Auckland wet.
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Highlanders' first win of season in Auckland
The Blues could only manage penalty goals as the Highlanders held on in a frantic finish to claim their first win of the season, 16-12.
Balls were dropped left, right and centre by both teams, while the Highlanders conceded 18 turnovers and the Blues gave up 23.
But the injury-ravaged Highlanders eventually ground out the win, relying on the kicking game of playmakers Lima Sopoaga and Aaron Smith to guide them home.
![On the burst: Patrick Tuipulotu of the Blues.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170626175439im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/w/4/u/0/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.guw4tu.png/1489234478231.jpg)
"It's just an awesome effort from the boys," skipper Elliot Dixon said.
"It was a good improvement from us. It was a nailbiter and a bit unfortunate a team had to lose but I'm glad we won it."
Blues winger Rene Ranger set the tone early for the all-Kiwi derby, smashing Fekitoa as the midfielder looked all but certain to score.
The Highlanders held all the territory in an erratic opening but couldn't trouble the scorers, bar a Sopoaga penalty goal.
Yet despite losing Waisake Naholo early with a leg issue, the Highlanders were able to engineer an opening try via Fekitoa and Marty Banks.
A wicked bounce of the ball evaded Ranger and fell into the arms of substitute Banks, who played Fekitoa in to score.
A pair of Ihaia West penalty goals reduced arrears for the Blues but neither side could string phases together in the wet, heading into the break at 10-6.
The second half was a mirror of the first, as both sides committed simple errors and couldn't generate attacking momentum.
Each side bagged a pair of penalty goals over the half as the Blues' George Moala, Augustine Pulu and Melani Nanai came close but to no avail.
The Tana Umaga-coached side then had one final chance to snatch victory but knocked on through Patrick Tuipulotu barely a metre from the line.
"We put ourselves in a position to win it," Blues co-captain James Parsons said in his first senior game since September.
"We were there or thereabouts but we just need to clinch those final moments."
The win comes at a cost for the Dunedin-based side, with regulars Naholo and Sopoaga joining an increasing injury list that includes Ben Smith and Liam Squire.
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