RugbyU: Journeymen key to Highlanders win

Wellington

When the victorious Otago Highlanders signed off the final Super 15 season with a rags-to-riches story, they underscored the lesson that championships must be earned not bought.

Two years after buying a raft of All Blacks and finishing second to last, the Highlanders on Saturday fielded a team of mainly journeymen and won their first Super title with a 21-14 victory over the Wellington Hurricanes.

They attributed their upset win in part to a controversial clause in the conference system which forced them into the play-offs as the fourth best team, despite finishing second on points to the Hurricanes in the regular season.

"We're over the moon with the result," said coach Jamie Joseph who has ensured his "brotherhood", as they call themselves, will not be under-rated when the competition evolves into Super 18 next year.

"After the last two weeks, when we had to play the Chiefs and the Waratahs we felt we had a good preparation coming into the match," said Joseph.

The Hurricanes, with an All Blacks-stacked backline, had home advantage and the benefit of a week off between the regular season and semi-finals which saw them installed as favourites.