HIGHLANDERS 57 - 14 STORMERS
FULLTIME: A blowout in Dunedin after the Highlanders have crushed the Stormers 5-14. It was the Landers fifth straight win.
81mins: TRY HIGHLANDERS: What a way to finish the match. Joe Wheeler puts in the grubber kick and Matt Faddes collects the ball to score. WHAT A TRY!
78mins: Heading into the final stages of the match. Highlanders have the ball. Can they score one more before the siren?
75mins: TRY STORMERS: Dewaldt Duvenage scores from the scrum. very easy try. A consolation tries, however. Snaps the Highlanders 52 point scoring run.
74mins: They don't score from the linout. But have a scrum in front of the posts.
73mins: Stormers with an attacking lineout. Five from the line. Can they score here?
70mins: TRY HIGHLANDERS: Greg Pleasants-Tate scores under the posts.
69mins: Highlanders are five metres from the tryline.
68mins: Aki Seiuli is back on the field for the Highlanders.
65mins: TRY HIGHLANDERS: Dillon Hunt scores his first career try. Aaron smith throws the ball to Hunt and Hunt dives low to score.
63mins: Aaron Smith spots a massive hole and makes the break. But the last pass was poor and the away side have been let off the hook. Luckily they have a scrum five metres from the line.
61mins: The Highlanders nearly make a miracle out of nothing, but Gareth Evans drops the ball and the Stormers are let off the hook as we head into the final quarter of the match.
59mins: Stormers have the ball inside Highlanders territory. Had the ball for over 10 phases now and are making no ground... Eventually, they do and the ball is turned over.
57mins: YELLOW CARD HIGHLANDERS: Aki Seiuli makes a dangerous tackle and is sent to the bin.
57mins: The Landrs now lead by 31... 38 unanswered points for the home side.
55mins: TRY HIGHLANDERS: Waisake Naholo scores the try. Stormers look like scoring but drop it and the Landers grubber kicks the ball away. The ball doesn't bounce nicely for the Stormers and Naholo scores the try.
54mins: Stormers win a penalty and they kick towards touch. The ball does go out, but it goes dead.... However, the referee saw things differently... Luckily for them.
53mins: Waisake Naholo turns the ball over. The Landers spread it wide and the Stormers intercept but a dangerous tackle just moments before means the home side has a penalty.
51mins: Stormers win this attacking lineout but the Landers shut down the Stormers attack quickly. But they are slowly marching towards the goalline.
49mins: Scrappy start to the second by the away side. They drop the ball and the Stormers have a scrum just inside Landers territory.
47mins: Stormers have the attacking lineout, but the Landers steal the ball. Stormers go on the counter but run into touch.
44mins: The try is not given as it looks like du Toit dropped the ball and the Landers will have the scrum.
43mins: Pieter-Steph du Toit crosses the line but does not look confident. The TMO will take a look.
42mins: Stormers win a penalty in front of the posts. but the away side will kick towards touch as they are trailing by so much.
40 mins: The second half is underway in Dunedin. Highlanders get the ball and clear it immediately.
HALFTIME: After struggling at the beginning of the match, the Highlanders have scored 31 unanswered points to lead 31-7 at halftime. What have your thoughts been on the opening 40? Tweet us @Newshubsport
38mins: TRY HIGHLANDERS: Rob Thompson scores under the posts. Patrick Osborne makes a great run and throws the perfect offload as the Landers have their fifth of the match.
35mins: Stormers win a penalty and take it quickly. But the Highlanders turn it over (they think) but Glenn Jackson gives the away side another penalty.
34mins: Highlanders 10 metres from the tryline. Can they score another?
32mins: The Highlanders make a break from the restart and are already inside the Stormers 22.
30mins: TRY HIGHLANDERS: Liam Squire scores the try from the lineout. The Landers just push till Squire gets over the line and puts it down.
28mins: Highlanders have the ball inside the Stormers territory and win a penalty. They will kick for touch.
27mins: The Stormers try a trick play down the left wing, but the last pass drifts forward.
25mins: Stormers win a penalty and Robert du Preez kicks for goal... But he pushes it wide.
24mins: The Stormers win a penalty and take the quick tap and are immediatly inside the Highlanders 22.
23mins: Marty Banks had missed one kick heading into hte match, and he has now missed two tonight.... Strange.
22mins: TRY HIGHLANDERS: Patrick Osborne scores his second of the match. Very lucky with the bounce of the ball. Rob Thompson gets the bounce and Ben Smith finds Osbourne who has his second in his 50th match for the club.
21mins: Stormers drop the ball inside Highlanders territory and the Lander clear it downfield.
20mins: The Landers have dominated the last 10 minutes and deserve to be leading... even though that penalty call was controversial.
19mins: Marty Banks shanks the conversion.... Very very badly....
18mins: TRY HIGHLANDERS: Welcome back Waisake Naholo! The All Blacks winger scores a great try after he catches a great cutout pass by Aaron Smith.
16mins: Time off as the referee wants to look at a potential dangerous tackle..... It was clearly accidental and nothing Oli Kebble could do, but the rules say it is a Highlanders penalty.
15mins: Highlanders have a lineout inside Stormers territory and they are very close to the 22. They attack down the blindside again through Patrick Osborne but he is put into touch.
12mins: TRY HIGHLANDERS: Patrick Osborne scores in his 50th match for the Highlanders. They attack down the blindside and a great pass by Marty Banks puts Dillon Hunt into space and he finds Osbourne for the try.
11mins: Highlanders are close to the line after some great backline play by Malakai Fekitoa and Waisake Naholo, but the Stormers turn it over and clear.
9mins: The Stormers have been the bet team so far to start the match. Landers with the ball on the halfway line.
7mins: TRY STORMERS: Nizaam Carr scores a fantastic try! Siya Kolisi
makes a great run and flicks the ball to Carr who juggles and catches it to score.
7mins: SP Marais makes a great break and gets the away side up to the halfway line.
6mins: Time is off as Ben Smith has an ankle injury. The doctors are strapping it.
5mins: Highlanders have the ball inside the Stormers 22 and spread it wide to Ben Smith. The next play they, Liam Coltman drops the ball and the Stormers survive.
3mins: An unlikely kick from Gareth Evans put pressure on the Stormers who have the ball inside their 22. But they do well to clear the ball.
2mins: Stormers win the first penalty of the match after a player was tackled in the air.
1mins: Highlanders have the first lineout and they make a good run down the wing, but the Stormers intercept the ball and clear it downfield.
KICKOFF: We are underway in Dunedin. Highlanders to have the ball first.
7:34pm: An emotional Patrick Osbourne leads the Landers out in his 50th match for the club.
7:30pm: Welcome to updates of tonights match between the Highlanders and the Stormers.
Hello and welcome to live updates of the Highlanders hosting the Stormers at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights (be sure to refresh your browser) and all the action. VIDEO will be available as soon as the final whistle goes.
Commentary will start from around 7:30pm (NZT). In the meantime check out the video above for Video live updates: Highlanders vs Stormers - Super Rugby
Highlanders vs Stormers - Live
Hello and welcome to live updates of the Highlanders hosting the Stormers at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights (be sure to refresh your browser) and all the action. VIDEO will be available as soon as the final whistle goes.
Commentary will start from around 7:30pm (NZT). In the meantime check out the video above for
Lineups
Highlanders
1. Daniel Lienert-Brown, 2. Liam Coltman, 3. Siosuia Halanukonuka, 4. Alex Ainley, 5.Tom Franklin, 6. Gareth Evans, 7. Dillon Hunt, 8. Liam Squire, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Marty Banks, 11. Patrick Osborne, 12. Rob Thompson, 13. Malakai Fekitoa, 14. Waisake Naholo, 15. Ben Smith (c)
Reserves - 16. Greg Pleasants-Tate, 17. Aki Seiuli, 18. Siate Tokolahi, 19. Joe Wheeler, 20. Jackson Hemopo, 21. Kayne Hammington, 22. Fletcher Smith, 23. Matt Faddes
Stormers
1. Oli Kebble, 2. Bongi Mbonambi, 3. Frans Malherbe, 4. Eben Etzebeth (c), 5 Jan de Klerk, 6. Siya Kolisi (c), 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8. Nizaam Carr, 9. Jano Vermaak, 10. Robert du Preez, 11. Dillyn Leyds, 12. Dan Kriel, 13. EW Viljoen, 14. Cheslin Kolbe, 15. SP Marais
Reserves - 16. Ramone Samuels, 17. JC Janse van Rensburg, 18. Wilco Louw, 19. Kobus van Dyk, 20. Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21. Dewaldt Duvenage, 22. Shaun Treeby, 23. Bjorn Basson
Match facts and stats
Referee: Glen Jackson
Assistants: Brendon Pickerill and Mike Fraser
TMO: Aaron Paterson
The Highlanders won their last encounter with the Stormers 39-21 in Round 7, 2015, snapping a six-game losing streak against the Cape Town side.
The Stormers have never scored more than 24 points in a game against the Highlanders when playing in New Zealand, and average just 19pts per game across that eight-game span.
The Highlanders were defeated by one point in their last home game against a team from South Africa, they’ve not lost consecutive such games since Round 7, 2012, when they lost to the Stormers.
The Highlanders have won their last four games, the last time they won more in succession was a stretch of five wins from March to April last season.
The Stormers have lost their last six games in New Zealand, their longest losing streak there, including a 33-point defeat to the Crusaders in the last round which was their second-heaviest loss in New Zealand in the competition’s history.
The Stormers have demanded their opposition make 125 tackles per game this season, forcing a bigger defensive effort of their opponents than any other team in the competition.
The Highlanders have been successful with 89% of their goal kicks this season, the best accuracy of any team in the competition and 15 percentage points more accurate than the Stormers (74%).
SP Marais has been involved in nine tries this season (3 tries, 6 try assists), the fourth most of any player and the most of any player not playing for the Hurricanes.
Past meetings
Head to head: Played 29, Highlanders 10, Stormers 8, draws 1
In New Zealand: Played 8, Highlanders 5, Stormers 2, draws 1
Last time played: Highlanders 39 def Stormers 21, March 28, 2015
Head-to-head: Highlanders - $1.16 Stormers- $5.10
Pre-match banter - Newshub round table: What will the All Blacks coaching staff look like after the 2019 Rugby World Cup
Ollie Ritchie, AM Show/Newshub Sport reporter
Head coach: Vern Cotter
Assistants: Scott Robertson/Jamie Joseph
The All Blacks have pretty much been untouchable since their 2015 World Cup win. So after they take out the three-peat in 2019, Vern Cotter will come in from France as a chance to freshen things up at the helm of the All Blacks juggernaut.
Despite mixed results with Scotland, the side largely improved under his watch and he brings a new approach with knowledge of the gradual improvement of Northern Hemisphere rugby.
Scott Robertson will have also tasted success with the Crusaders by that point, he will come in as an assistant to eventually move up the pecking order when Cotter decides his time is up.
Jamie Joseph makes sense as a second assistant after success with the Japanese side and a Super Rugby title to his name.
With a taste of how things work at international level, Joseph and Robertson would suit the style of Head coach Vern Cotter.
Simon Hampton, Newshub sport reporter
Head coach: Joe Schmidt
Assistants: Chris Boyd/Tana Umaga.
Two Six Nations titles, a historic win over the All Blacks and a 65 percent win record with Ireland is a fantastic record for Schmidt, and he'll likely take them deep at Rugby World Cup 2019. After which, he'll be the perfect All Blacks head coach.
Newsflash: The Hurricanes won't be bad anytime soon so Boyd will quite possibly have another title under his belt and be ready for the next challenge when his contract expires at the end of next season.
Umaga is clearly a coach on the rise, although his appointment would hinge on his ability to get the Blues back to the playoffs in the next few years.
Ross Karl, Newshub rugby reporter
Head coach: Ian Foster
Assistants: Jamie Joseph/Chris Boyd
If you read between the lines in comments out of New Zealand rugby, then I think it will be Ian Foster.
Steve Tew has said they'd like to have the next head coach involved in the 2019 campaign. Well, that might rule out Joe Schmidt, Dave Rennie, Warren Gatland and Vern Cotter. They're all under foreign contracts during that time.
The succession from Sir Graham Henry to Steve Hansen worked, so they might want to do it again, especially with all the success Hansen and Foster have had together.
On the other hand, if they don't win the 2019 World Cup then all of that could go out the window.
Matt Tewhatu, Newshub digital sport producer
Head coach: Ian Foster
Assistants: Todd Blackadder/Chris Boyd
Warren Gatland will likely return to New Zealand after the 2019 Rugby World Cup but due to his time spent in the All Blacks coaching team, Ian Foster will get the head coaching gig ahead of Gatland.
Meanwhile, after Todd Blackadder's successful stint in Europe, he'll come home and get the assistant coaching role.
Chris Boyd will get the nod in the other assistant role after a very good tenure at the Hurricanes.
John Day, RadioLIVE rugby reporter
Head coach: Dave Rennie
Assistants: Leon MacDonald/John Plumtree
2019 will see Steve Hansen depart as arguably the greatest ever All Blacks coach with back-to-back World Cups under his belt. It'll be a hard act to follow, but I think Dave Rennie's the man for the job.
He has a great relationship with several of the leading All Blacks including future captain Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick, and Aaron Smith and he would work well with Leon MacDonald, who is rising through the ranks as an innovative backs coach.
John Plumtree has whipped the much-maligned Hurricanes forward pack into one of the best in Super Rugby so he gets the nod in my book.
Newshub.
