Another Highlanders heist gives Smith a win in final home game
In perhaps a beautiful passing-of-the-torch moment, Folau Fakatava has ensured teammate Aaron Smith's final home game as a Highlander was a win with an 80th minute try to steal another win.
In a wild finish under the roof in Dunedin, Fakatava sent the infamous "zoo" section of Forsyth Barr Stadium into pandemonium as he dove into the right corner to score and give the Highlanders a 35-30 win over the heartbroken Reds.
An animated Smith leapt up from his seat on the sideline having been replaced by Fakatava minutes earlier and shortly after the final whistle the two halfbacks embraced with the student telling the master, "I've got you bro".
It was an emotional finish to an already emotionally-charged evening for the Highlanders on multiple fronts. Along with it being Smith's final home game before he goes to Japan next season, the side were also wearing black armbands following the death of Josh Dickson's brother earlier this week.
Earlier in the season, the Highlanders showed their support for Dickson by shaving their heads following his brother's cancer diagnosis.
Throw in the fact that the game was between two sides scrapping to sneak into the playoffs and suddenly you have a lot on the Highlanders' plate to process and push ahead with.
Aaron Smith takes his children onto the field at Forsyth Barr Stadium ahead of his final home game for the Highlanders. (Source: Photosport)
Early on, it looked as though it was too much with the Reds jumping out to a 14-0 lead with attacking flair and a 90-metre effort that may go down as the try of the tournament.
But as they've shown recently, this is a side who handles adversity well and with Freddie Burns delivering a standout performance in the No.10 jersey, the Highlanders struck back soon after through Jona Nareki.
Burns, who has had a frustrating season dealing with injuries, was on song for the Highlanders when they needed him most in a crucial match to keep their season alive - his playmaking second only to his impressive kicking game that kept pushing the fast-starting Reds back and unable to build momentum from their early scores.
One of those kicks eventually led to the Highlanders' second try as he caught the Reds napping off a scrum and put the ball ahead into their 22 for the Highlanders to give chase.
The Reds scrambled back in time to kill the play but the Highlanders still scored moments later off the 5m scrum it earned them via Hugh Renton.
The game looked set to go to halftime locked at 14-14 but a mental error from the Highlanders - a kick out on the full after they carried the ball back into their own 22 - in the final minute gave the Reds a platform to strike and Suliasi Vunivalu sliced through to make the most of it.
James O'Connor makes a run for the Reds. (Source: Photosport)
The Reds then came out fast again to start the second half, chipping over two penalties to push their lead to 13 points but once again, the Highlanders knuckled down and ran straight at them to respond.
Saula Ma'u was the one to deliver the response although he was quick to head over to Smith and thank him for the quick ball that allowed him to bulldoze through the unset Reds line.
That left the score at 21-27 heading into the final quarter of the match and despite plenty of drama already, the chaos was just beginning.
With momentum on their side, the Highlanders threw themselves at the Reds once more and with it came the lead as Connor Garden-Bachop went over to score but the Reds argued, and had every right to, that moments before the ball had been lost by the Highlanders going for the line.
But referee Brendon Pickerill said he saw it go backwards and so the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium threatened to come off with 10 minutes to go and a one-point lead for the home side.
The Reds crashed the party though moments later with a scrum penalty just inside the Highlanders half and Tom Lynagh stepped up for the clutch kick.
That left five minutes for the Highlanders to steal another win and they saved it, once again, until the very last play of the game.
A Reds knock-on while going for a turnover gave the Highlanders a scrum in the middle of the pitch 20m from the line - the perfect attacking platform to work from and Fakatava, on fresh legs and determined to finish the game on a high, used every inch of the advantage they had.
Folau Fakatava runs in to score against the Reds. (Source: Photosport)
The ball swung right and went down 15m from the line. Fakatava was quick to the ruck and looked back to his left to shift the ball but it was all a beautiful lie with the replacement halfback instead picking the ball up and going himself for the right corner.
He dove in, the whistle blew, and the party started.
The win means the Highlanders sneak into the top eight for now, one point ahead of the ninth-placed Force with more results to come this weekend and a daunting trip to Auckland next week to face the Blues in their final game of their regular season.
But for now, the season is still alive and their club talisman farewells Dunedin a winner and that's one important goal they can tick off the long list ahead.
Highlanders 35 (Jona Nareki, Hugh Renton, Saula Ma'u, Connor Garden-Bachop, Folau Fakatava tries; Sam Gilbert 4 con, Freddie Burns 1 con)
Reds 30 (Liam Wright, Jake Upfield, Suliasi Vunivalu tries; Tom Lynagh 3 con, 3 pen)
HT: 14-21
