'Talent gulf': How NZ media reacted to Blues destroying Highlanders

The New Zealand Super Rugby franchises are renown for being highly competitive between each other, with lopsided beatings usually reserved for the Australian sides. The Highlanders counter-punches came while the Blues were dealing with two yellow cards, but once returned to a full contingent there was no contest. New Zealand Herald rugby writer Liam Napier wrote ‘the gulf in talent was brutally exposed’ in Dunedin as the Blues contingent of 13 starting All Blacks put the Highlanders to the sword. Missing starting halfback Aaron Smith, the Highlanders starting line-up featured two All Black starters from last year, Ethan de Groot and Shannon Frizell, while capped No 9 Folau Fakatava had a rare start in Smith’s absence. “By contrast, the Highlanders struggled for cohesion often as their passing, in particular, was wayward.”ADVERTISEMENTMany of the Blues tries came from Highlanders errors, with the dangerous backs pouncing on loose passes and launching long-winding counter-attacks.