Cowan pays in Blues romp
Blues ended Highlanders' late surge for a semi-final spot with a 26-6 victory in Friday's Super 14 action at Eden Park.
Last Updated: 17/04/09 11:22am
Blues ended Highlanders' late surge for a semi-final spot with a 26-6 victory in Friday's Super 14 action at Eden Park.
The all-New Zealand clash saw Highlanders skipper Jimmy Cowan red-carded on the hour mark following a number of clashes with the referee, but by then Blues were well on top.
Tries by Isaia Toeava, Jimmy Gopperth and Tanuiela Moa had already given the hosts a substantial lead before Joe Rokocoko completed the scoring with a bonus-point try in the final five minutes.
For the second time in two weeks, the Highlanders fell behind to a try after less than 30 seconds.
Quick hands
The similarities to last week's catastrophic beginning against the Reds did not end there.
It was once again a failure to secure kick-off ball that cost them dear, once again an excellent backs move from the opposition that led to the try: Quick hands from Gopperth, an incisive angle from Rudi Wulf, a long wide pass to Toeava for the score, which Gopperth converted from the touchline.
Within two minutes the Highlanders had three points back through a penalty from Matt Berquist.
Discipline cost the visitors dear though. Cowan gave good field position away with a stamp seconds after referee Dickinson had whistled the man on the wrong side upon whom Cowan wreaked his wrath. Two minutes later, Alando Soakai was caught offside at a ruck.
Gopperth missed the first one, his kick for the second bounced off the upright and drove terror into the Highlanders defence.
After nine more Blues phases, Gopperth dove NFL-style over a ruck to score (he also converted), while Cowan vented spleen on Dickinson for perceived earlier obstructions.
Incensed
Cowan was at it with the verbals again near the half-hour, after Kurtis Haiu got away with murder at the back of a ruck - and almost came away with a smack round the chops from Thomson for his trouble - Cowan was again incensed when David Hall was sin-binned for slowing the ball down, a harsh call.
But there was the deteriorating relationship between Cowan and Dickinson. If Dickinson ended up being harsh on Cowan, it was ultimately the Highlanders' skipper's own doing.
Either way, the Blues were winning. It remained 14-3 until half-time, Berquist shortened the gap just after the break with a penalty, but Moa repaid his disciplinary debt to his side with a super try after 51 minutes, sniping through a gap and having the nous to push the ball against the base of the post in his way.
By the hour, the Blues had enjoyed 60 per cent of both possession and territory, but the Highlanders were threatening a comeback.
Then ball was turned over, Gopperth went to kick from under his own posts and Cowan clattered into him with full intent. The red card ended the contest, but the Blues were without their bonus point.
That came two minutes from the end, Rokocoko tearing down the right then popping up on the left to finish off the move two phases later.
