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WATCH: Blues lock Patrick Tuipulotu scores the ONLY try in low-scoring New Zealand derby

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Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu showed his class as he scored a well-taken try in his side’s 16-9 victory over the Highlanders in their Super Rugby Pacific derby at Eden Park on Friday.

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As the scoreline suggests, this was a tightly contested affair and there were few try-scoring opportunities for both sides during the 80 minutes.

On the half hour-mark, however, the home side did well to take the ball through the phases in the Highlanders’ 22, with Mark Telea, Tom Robinson, Nepo Laulala and Ofa Tuungafasi catching the eye with strong carries in the build-up.

Tuungafasi’s progress was halted close to the visitors’ try-line but the ball was recycled quickly before Finlay Christie found Tuipulotu with a well-timed pass and he crashed over the whitewash despite the attentions of Shannon Frizell.

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Harry Plummer slotted the conversion which gave the Blues a 16-6 lead at half-time.

Earlier, Sam Gilbert and Plummer traded penalties which meant the Highlanders held a slender 6-3 lead after the opening 10 minutes. Another penalty from Plummer in the fifth minute restored parity for the home side before Tuipulotu scored his five-pointer.

The second half was an arm wrestle as the sides went at each other hammer and tongs in a bid to take control of proceedings, but the game’s attritional nature meant that we had to wait until the 79th minute for the only points of the half – another penalty from Gregory.

That meant that the Highlanders secured a losing bonus point from this match but they face an anxious wait to see if they qualify for Super Rugby Pacific‘s quarter-finals as the Western Force, Fijian Drua and Melbourne Rebels could all surpass them in the standings if they win their respective matches later this weekend.

Video credit: Super Rugby Pacific

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