Blues beat Highlanders 32-25 in Super Rugby Pacific

DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) — The Auckland-based Blues led 18-6 at halftime, then held on grimly to beat the Dunedin-based Highlanders 32-25 Saturday in a Super Rugby Pacific match between New Zealand teams.

The Blues were dominant in a first half in which their defense mostly shut down the Highlanders. Flyhalf Beauden Barrett kicked well to give them territorial superiority and they built a substantial lead with tries to Barrett and winger Caleb Clarke.

Roared on by the largest crowd of the season amid relaxed COVID-19 regulations — a sellout of 43,000 in Dunedin — the Highlanders rallied strongly in the second half.

They cut the lead to seven points for the first time when fullback Sam Gilbert scored an unconverted try in the 49th minute. The Blues lost Barrett to injury and their game lost some of its fluency as the Highlanders began to hold possession and mount more concerted attacks.

But a superb try to Blues and All Blacks backrower Hoskins Sotutu in the 55th minute gave the Blues the cushion of a 14-point lead. Sotutu is known for his blockbusting runs and he produced one of his best Saturday, stepping through two weak tackles, then fending off Highlanders halves Aaron Smith and Mitch Hunt.

The Highlanders rallied again with a try to 59th-minute try to prop Daniel Lienert-Brown who ran off a neat pass from Hunt. The conversion again restored a seven-point margin.

In a quick turnaround, the Blues will now face Moana Pasifika on Tuesday in a previously postponed match and as part of a testing series of three games in eight days.

____

More AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports