Highlanders rule over Rebels
The Highlanders secured a bonus point victory running in six tries in a 40-18 demolition of the Rebels in Melbourne.
By Scott Mathie
Last Updated: 15/04/11 1:44pm
The Highlanders secured a bonus point victory running in six tries in a 40-18 demolition of the Rebels in Melbourne.
After losing their fly-half Colin Slade to a jaw injury early on, the Highlanders appeared unaffected and responded with three unanswered tries in the first half.
The first came after 20 minutes when the Highlanders chose to kick to touch from a penalty just five metres from the Rebels line. The line-out resulted in a successful drive seeing Adam Thompson crash over for his fifth try of the season.
Alando Soakai scored the Highlanders' second after recycled ball led to his try in the corner. The initial break came from a perfectly timed inside ball from replacement fly-half, Robbie Robinson, who found full-back Ben Smith breaking the line.
With a minute to go before the break, a smartly taken quick line-out from Jason Rutledge saw the ball go neatly through the hands of Thompson who released Siale Piatau for his first try of the game.
Consolation
The Rebels, who had taken the lead through a Danny Cipriani penalty in the eighth minute, were unable to match the Highlander's intensity throughout the first half, and went into the break trailing 22-6.
There was more of the same in the second half as the away team scored their bonus point try within minutes of the restart, with Piatau picking up the crumbs from a ruck just 10 metres out, before stepping Cipriani to cross for his second of the night.
A great individual effort from Kade Poki led to the Highlanders' fifth try, after he successfully broke numerous defenders to score in the corner.
Even with the wayward kicking of Robbie Robinson, who only managed four from 10 attempts at goal, proved inconsequential, as the Highlanders maintained their attacking mindset looking to attack from width at every opportunity.
The Rebels offered little in the way of a fightback, with tries from second-rower Hugh Pyle and prop Greg Somerville proving just a consolation for the home team.
Cipriani who has been instrumental in his team's form of late, struggled to control the game, converting just three of his five attempts on goal.
The last 10 minutes saw the best try of the game as Jimmy Cowan's fantastic chip from within his own 22-metre line was gathered by Thompson who ran the length of the field to grab his second of the night and the Highlanders' sixth.
