Jamie Mackintosh praises Highlanders side for brilliant display in Invercargill - Rugby News
Otago Highlanders’ skipper Jamie Mackintosh applauded his side for their outstanding show in Invercargill, as they claimed their eighth victory against the Hurricanes 13-6 in the current Super Rugby competition on Friday, May 13.
The skipper has praised his side for displaying an excellent performance in the wet conditions of Invercargill and said that it was not easy for both sides to score.
Hurricanes got off the mark quickly in the game with the help of their first five-eight Aaron Cruden scoring with the penalty during the third minute. The team could not hold on the chances that they were offered during the match. This was the eighth loss
of the Hurricanes in the tournament.
On the other hand, the Highlanders who struggled in the beginning bounced back and played solid in the second part of the game. Their full-back Ben Smith scored the only try of the match and opened the account for his side in the 35th minute.
Lima Sopoaga added the rest of the points to the total, scoring on two penalties and one conversion.
Highlanders remained under pressure for most of the match as the conditions of Invercargill were not supporting them, despite being the hosts. Moreover, they were playing this match after two consecutive defeats by the Blues and Chiefs.
In a pitch side interview after the match, Highlanders’ skipper Jamie Mackintosh, appreciated his team and stated that the victory was a confidence boost. He said, "It wasn't pretty at times but the conditions were pretty tough out there and I think both
teams wanted territory and wanted to use their forwards so it was quite a physical battle."
He also admitted that their play was not at the mark and that they missed many chances of scoring. He said, “We were struggling to build pressure with our goal kicking but we were lucky to score a try and then Lima stepped up and banged one just before halftime
which put us (seven) ahead which was quite a nice wee buffer.”
Highlanders will take on the Lions in their next clash of Super Rugby competition, on May 28.
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