Highlanders pivot Cam Millar kicks late penalty to sink Crusaders in Dunedin

Friday, 13 February 2026

At Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin: Highlanders 25 (Caleb Tangitau try 15min, Angus Ta’avao try 45min, Jonah Lowe try 48min; Cam Millar pen, 2 con) Crusaders 23 (Noah Hotham try 19min, Will Jordan try 61min; Rivez Reihana con, 2 pen, Taha Kemara con, pen). HT: 8-10

Jamie Joseph’s CV just got another boost.

The All Blacks head coach candidate was beaming after Cam Millar kicked the Highlanders to a thrilling upset over the reigning champion Crusaders.

Whether or not the 25-23 victory in Dunedin on Friday night makes a difference when New Zealand Rugby make their decision, it cannot have hurt his chances.

For now, having said pre-match he was only thinking about “blue and gold” tonight, Joseph will lap up a rare win against their neighbours from up the road.

The Highlanders were the pick of the teams on a night both teams were rusty, yet still found themselves staring down the barrel of defeat after Crusaders pivot Taha Kemara kicked a penalty with nine minutes to run.

With time ticking and chances running out, Millar got the opportunity to snatch the game after All Black Codie Taylor obstructed Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens after he uncorked a chip.

Millar, who missed a crucial kick in Christchurch against the Crusaders last season, kicking from 48 metres, made no mistake with 90sec left.

The Crusaders had one last chance to pinch it inside the last minute, but Kemara lost the ball in contact to send the 15,000 strong crowd home happy.

The Kemara blunder summed up the night for the visitors.

After all, after Crusaders attack coach James Marshall said ahead of the season his team’s skill set was what set them apart, the red and blacks fumbled and bumbled their way through the opener with an array of inexplicable mistakes.

Taylor wasn’t just guilty of giving up the costly penalty. He also threw a dreadful pass moments earlier, which probably would have put Chay Fihaki over and put the game out of reach.

Indeed, the Crusaders’ ‘bomb squad’ - they injected five All Blacks into the mixer with half an hour to play - could not get it done, despite Will Jordan scoring a try and providing a spark to their dusty attack.

It was that ploy from the red and blacks that prompted Joseph to make a late change, switching starting props Ethan de Groot and Angus Ta’avao to the bench.

Down 13-8 early in the second half, and with the realisation the Crusaders were preparing to inject their big guns into the contest, the Highlanders turned the game on its head with two tries in the space of a few minutes.

Ta’avao scored with his first touch for his new team to land the first blow, an opportunity created after halfback Folau Fakatava earned one of a bunch of breakdown penalties the hosts mustered.

It was good, but nothing was better than the beaut centre Jonah Lowe finished off - a sizzling move which featured a brilliant Timoci Tavatavanawai offload to Jona Nareki.

Forget the perfect conditions under the roof - this had all the telltale signs of a season-opener before some second half fireworks.

For starters, Crusaders coach Rob Penney would not have been blamed if he’d asked to inspect his players’ hands at halftime after they made a whopping 10 handling errors.

Many of them were unforced, including the kickoff No 8 Christian Lio-Willie put on the carpet. He later coughed up another ball in contact to kill off a promising raid, while Braydon Ennor and Leicester Fainga’anuku were also guilty of handling errors.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders’ lineout was scratchy as they chipped in with four mistakes of their own, robbing them of precious opportunities.

It was beyond hard on the eyes. That is outside of the moments of magic Highlanders wing Caleb Tangitau and Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham produced.

Tangitau, so good last year before his season was cut short by injury, gassed Fihaki and Rivez Reihana with a blistering turn of pace to bag the first five-pointer of the season.

Down 8-0 and struggling to get out of their own way, Hotham scooped up the ball at the back of a ruck and dashed 25 metres untouched down the sideline.

Days after Marshall said he wanted his halfbacks and pivots to make more breaks up the middle this year, he’d have been chuffed to see Hotham cut the Highlanders open twice.

But he and the rest of the Crusaders coaching staff will head back to Christchurch scratching their heads, wondering how they can cut out the mistakes and unlock their newly tweaked attacking shape.