Israel Dagg fires up in running of the Bulls

BY NATHAN BURDON

The Highlanders arrive home tomorrow morning having banked five competition points from their three games in South Africa after yesterday's 50-35 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria.

Highlanders fullback Israel Dagg scored three tries in a 19-point haul, but it was all the visitors could do to stop the Bulls juggernaut from continuing its relentless roll through the 2010 Super 14 season.

Highlanders assistant coach Peter Russell said Dagg had been eager to make up for an off game the week before against the Stormers.

"I spoke to Izzy after the game and he was pleased about his game, but disappointed for the result. He's set his benchmark. He played poorly the week before but that's the nature of the beast. You've got to play well week in, week out. He played every game last year and everyone knows Israel Dagg now. He has to bring more strings to his bow in terms of his preparation and how he plays the game."

The Highlanders made a bright start to the game and it was almost against the run of play when Bulls hooker Gary Botha ran over for the first of his team's seven tries.

Quarter of an hour into the game, however, the Super 14 defending champions were ahead 21-nil and they had added another two tries by the end of the half.

It was an impressive 40 minutes of rugby from a team that was once the whipping boy of the competition but has now won 10 games in a row and hasn't lost at home since April 2008.

However, Russell believes it's too early to start writing up the Bulls as back-to-back champions.

"Once they leave here, their fortress, they aren't going to have that kicking game available to them - less height, the altitude. I thought we were probably the fitter of the two. We lasted quite well, actually."

In the end the Highlanders did well to score five tries of their own and to restrict the losing margin to 15 points when it looked like they would be on the end of a cricket score.

They dominated the first 10 minutes of the second half but couldn't put any more pressure on the Bulls because of some inconsistent work in the set pieces.

Kendrick Lynn was incisive at centre for the Highlanders, while Dagg was busy when he wasn't scoring tries and kicked well when he took over the duties late in the game from Mat Berquist.

Robbie Robinson got his most significant amount of game time in his rookie season, coming on with 15min to go and scoring a try after a searing touchline run and chip by Stags team-mate James Paterson.

Victor Matfield, in his 99th Super rugby appearance and his 50th as the Bulls captain, was a menace at lineout time, while No8 Pierre Spies made an impressive return from a knee injury.

Russell said the team had put the suspension of Michael Hobbs and Adam Thomson for breaking team curfew behind it and the two players would front at training tomorrow like everyone else.

Highlanders captain Jimmy Cowan could also return for Saturday's game against the Sharks at Carisbrook after having to come home early when he badly dislocated a finger against the Stormers.

FINAL WHISTLE

Bulls 50 (Francois Hougaard 2, Pierre Spies 2, Gary Botha, Wynand Olivier, Gerhard van den Heever tries; Morne Steyn 6 cons, pen) Highlanders 35 (Israel Dagg 3, Tim Boys, Robbie Robinson tries; Matthew Berquist 3, Dagg 2 cons) Halftime: 36-14

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