SYDNEY — The Otago Highlanders took their chances ruthlessly to dethrone the New South Wales Waratahs with a 35-17 victory Saturday that set up the first all-New Zealand Super Rugby final since 2006. Tries from Aaron Smith and Richard Buckman in the first half combined with a Waisake Naholo effort, a penalty try and a late Patrick Osborne score after the break sent the Highlanders to Wellington to face the Hurricanes next Saturday. The reigning champion Waratahs had a first half try from Rob Horne and 12 points from the boot of flyhalf Bernard Foley but were error-prone where the Highlanders were clinical in front of 32,632 at the Sydney Football Stadium. Earlier, the Hurricanes looked every inch champions-elect as they beat ACT Brumbies 29-9 in another trans-Tasman Sea semifinal to take their place in their first title-decider since 2006. That ensured whoever won in Sydney would have to hit the road for the final but it rarely looked like being the Waratahs, who spent most of the match trapped inside their own half. Horne's 11th minute try from Foley's cross-kick was a rare moment of class from the Waratahs in the first half but it failed to settle their nerves. The Highlanders were back in front eight minutes later when scrumhalf Smith intercepted Wycliff Palu's pass off the back of a defensive scrum and touched down. Two Foley penalties put the home side 11-8 up but the Highlanders struck back again after 33 minutes when Buckman ran through a succession of tacklers to score. Another Foley penalty got the Waratahs to within a point at 15-14 at the break and his fourth 11 minutes after the break put them in front. It all completely fell apart for the reigning champions over the next 10 minutes. Winger Naholo brilliantly touched down just inside the dead ball line from his own chip for his 12th try of the season and two minutes later the Highlanders were awarded a penalty try, which Lima Sopoaga converted to give the visitors a 27-17 lead. Osborne had been held up just before the line by flanker Jacques Potgieter but referee Craig Joubert decided his fellow South African had done so illegally with a swinging arm into the face of the Highlanders winger. Potgieter also got 10 minutes in the sin-bin. — Reuters
