The Western Force have missed the chance to claim another Kiwi scalp, falling to the Highlanders in a 7-6 arm-wrestle in their Super Rugby Pacific clash in Dunedin.
Highlanders halfback Folau Fakatava was the sole tryscorer, with both teams guilty of a swag of handling errors despite the match being played under the roof of Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday.
After a rousing win over the defending champions Crusaders last round, the Force were looking for successive victories over New Zealand sides but came up short.
In a frustrating affair, their only points came through two penalty strikes by five-eighth Ben Donaldson.
Neither team managed to get on the scoreboard until Donaldson gave his team a 3-0 halftime lead, slotting a penalty in the 37th minute.
The home side went ahead six minutes into the second half when Fakatava found a hole in the Perth side’s goal-line defence.
Highlanders halfback Folau Fakatava was the sole tryscorer in the win over the Western Force.Credit: AAP
Force winger Chase Tiatai raced forward out of the defensive line, momentarily distracting his teammates, with Fakatava seizing the opportunity to dive across.
The converted try gave the Highlanders a 7-3 lead until Donaldon’s second penalty in the 53rd minute closed the margin to one point.
