Highlanders vs Force

The Western Force travel to Dunedin in what's shaping as a potential finals eliminator as they face the Highlanders.

"We'll take the win, they don't come easy in this comp ... we're just trying to build our game for the playoffs." "You could see the energy ... really proud of our effort, a full 23-man squad, to finish like that is pretty special." Highlanders captain Aaron Smith said it was a big result as they look to make an impact in the playoffs. "We were very much chasing the game from the start ... they were on and just had a great start to that game. It again highlighted the gulf between the Force and the competition's elite, falling to 0-3 against New Zealand-based sides this campaign, while it was a third-straight win for the Highlanders as they continue a late-season charge. "The physicality, the breakdown area, we were really poor in that area tonight, the Highlanders had a flurry of quick ball."

App users click here for latest update. Highlanders 28 Force 10. Highlanders - Makalio, Gregory & Mikaele-Tu'u 2 tries, Gilbert 4 conversions.

Try-fest in Dunedin with five in the first quarter, four of them to the Highlanders as they claim big early lead.

The Highlanders ran in eight tries as they thrashed the Western Force 61-10 in their Super Rugby Pacific match in Dunedin on Friday night.

"We'll take the win, they don't come easy in this comp ... we're just trying to build our game for the playoffs." Highlanders captain Aaron Smith said it was a big result as they look to make an impact in the playoffs. "You could see the energy ... really proud of our effort, a full 23-man squad, to finish like that is pretty special." It again highlighted the gulf between the Force and the competition's elite, falling to 0-3 against New Zealand-based sides this campaign, while it was a third-straight win for the Highlanders as they continue a late-season charge. "The physicality, the breakdown area, we were really poor in that area tonight, the Highlanders had a flurry of quick ball." The early try seemed to break the Force's spirit and the points piled up as Rhys Marshall and Folau Fakatava crossed for the Highlanders, and matters only got worse when Richard Kahui was sent off for a high shot.

It was something the team was seemingly incapable of last time it took to Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium tonight. Certainly Australian side Western Force may ...

It was their third win in a row, crucially opening a gap from the Force in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot. By the time Marino Mikaele-Tu'u crossed for his second - striding over off the back of a scrum in the 22nd minute - the Highlanders led 28-5. A kick to the corner, a tidy lineout, a well-worked build-up and the use of space out to the right allowed the hooker to give the Highlanders the lead in the second minute of the game.