Blues beat Highlanders to claim Super Rugby trans-Tasman championship

The Blues have beaten the Highlanders 23-15 in an all-New Zealand final of the Super Rugby trans-Tasman competition.

It is the Auckland-based Blues’ first title in a Super Rugby competition of any kind in 18 years.

Blake Gibson’s try three minutes from full-time clinched the win at Auckland’s Eden Park after the Dunedin-based Highlanders, who trailed 13-6 at half-time, rallied with three penalties in seven minutes to lead 15-13 after 66 minutes.

A penalty goal to replacement fly half Harry Plummer gave the Blues the lead again in the 70th minute and Gibson’s try — after a break from number eight Hoskins Sotutu — sealed the win when Plummer’s conversion created an eight-point margin.

Time ran out for a Highlanders’ comeback and the Blues celebrated in front of a home crowd of 36,000.

The Blues won the Super 12 in 1996 — rugby union’s first year as a professional sport — and again the following year, before claiming a third title in 2003.

But the years since have been lean for New Zealand’s largest and richest franchise, which has become a graveyard for coaches as it fruitlessly pursued a fourth crown.

Each of the Blues’ four New Zealand rivals has enjoyed Super Rugby success since 2003 — the Crusaders six times, the Chiefs twice, the Hurricanes once, and the Highlanders when they won in 2015.

The Blues again came up short of the final in this season’s New Zealand domestic tournament, Super Rugby Aotearoa.

But they won all five matches against Australian opponents in the regular season of the trans-Tasman competition to reach the final, in which they scored two tries to nil.

It is unlikely this Blues team will be remembered among New Zealand’s better championship sides. The trans-Tasman competition is likely to be a one-off, replaced next year by a 12-team competition including two Pacific Island teams.

The Blues had an overwhelming advantage of possession in the first half but came away with just one try as the Highlanders, playing with typical tenacity, managed to just hang in the match.

They were on the wrong end of several refereeing decisions. In the 23rd minute, Highlanders captain Ash Dixon, playing his 100th match, was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Blues fly half Otere Black, though the challenge appeared to take Black on the shoulder.

Less than 10 minutes later, Blues winger Bryce Heem tackled Highlanders fly half Mitch Hunt in the air, a possible red card offence, but the Highlanders received only a penalty.

The Blues had pressure on the Highlanders at set pieces for most of the match. In the 16th penalty, from scrum ball close to the Highlanders line, Black kicked cross-field to winger Mark Telea who was outside a narrow Highlanders defence.

Fullback Josh Ioane dashed across in cover but glanced off Telea as he scored.

The Blues missed an important penalty at the start of the second half and that preceded a momentum shift which saw the Highlanders snatch the lead with penalties.

Plummer helped win the match for the Blues with his late penalty and conversion.

AP