Hurricanes vs. Highlanders: Winners and Losers from Super Rugby 2015 Final

The Highlanders are the 2015 Super Rugby champions after a 21-14 win over the Hurricanes.

A late first-half try was followed by an early score in the second to put the unfancied visitors in the box seat, and they were the smarter side throughout the contest.

This was a classic case of one team utilising every scrap of possession and turning it into points, while the other failed to convert dominance into numbers on the board.

The 'Canes bossed possession in the second half, but a horrible error from Julian Savea saw a certain try go begging, and Beauden Barrett's three penalties were never going to be enough.

Jamie Joseph's men have done it the hard way, coming through an away semi-final against 2014 champions the Waratahs and now winning the final in the home of their opponents—the side that ran away with the overall table.

Here are the winners and losers from a gripping final.

The Hurricanes' blueprint is to move the ball quickly and get teams scurrying to cover the wide men they put into space early.

Thanks to the Highlanders' rabid work at the breakdown, this plan was scuppered time and again in the final. Turnovers at the ruck stopped the hosts getting any momentum to their attacks on several occasions.

One such steal resulted in one of Lima Sopoaga's first-half penalties, and in the second, a ruck turnover bore even more fruit, handing the visitors possession that they turned into a try for Waisake Naholo.

Clinical use of turnover possession is a hallmark of the current All Blacks team, and Jamie Joseph has copied it to great effect for his Dunedin-based team.

Beauden Barrett's goal-kicking yips are becoming a serious problem.

The Hurricanes fly-half was relieved of the tee in the semi–final after missing the target with regularity in the first half, and his radar was not fixed in time for the final.

Barrett missed his first three shots at the sticks, meaning the home side trailed 6-5 when they could have been 14-5 to the good before Elliot Dixon's late try.

In contrast, Highlanders No. 10 Lima Sopoaga popped over two long-range three-pointers and nailed the conversion to give them a 13-5 half–time advantage.

Barrett nailed three penalties in the second half, but those points that went begging in the first half were a serious impediment to his team's chances. They were always playing catchup as a result.

Aaron Smith currently enjoys the billing of best No. 9 in world rugby, and we saw why with his role in Elliot Dixon’s try.

Smith had earlier put his team under the cosh with a reckless, blind flip of the ball on his own goal line, but his senses were clearly unscrambled by the close of the first period.

His sleight of hand sold one Hurricanes defender and his flat ball took out another two, creating the space for Dixon to get outside the cover and muscle his way to the line.

Of all the players, in all the games, Julian Savea would not be anywhere near top of the list to fluff a golden try-scoring chance. But he did.

A rare Ben Smith error gifted the 'Canes a chance and they quickly worked it wide to the man who has 30 tries in 33 games for New Zealand.

All he had to do was catch it and fall over the line, but the pass was slightly behind him, and in his haste, he couldn't gather it in, knocking on and butchering the chance to bring his team within two points.

Elliot Dixon had a man-of-the-match performance, scoring one impressive try and providing the assist for Waisake Naholo's score.

The blindside flanker is one member of the Highlanders' unheralded pack. There are no star names in that forward unit, but their scrum was solid and their energy levels consistently high.

Dixon was the embodiment of their work ethic in the final, and it was fitting that a player with such a low profile proved one of the stars of the show.

Not only did he score one and create another, he also led the tackle count for his team with 13, per ESPN.