Blues 12-16 Highlanders: Malakai Fekitoa try seals Super Rugby win

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Watch the best of the action from Eden Park as the Blues hosted the Highlanders

The Highlanders ground out a 16-12 victory over the Blues at Eden Park to post their first Super Rugby win of the season.

All Blacks centre Malakai Fekitoa scored the game's only try on 16 minutes to extend the Blues' run of losses in the New Zealand conference to seven.

After being beaten by the Chiefs and Crusaders at home in the opening two rounds, the Highlanders beefed up their defence and polished their trademark kick-and-chase game for the trip north.

While it was not champagne rugby, the improvement in the Highlanders was evident early as the Blues struggled to cope with the high-ball pressure and committed multiple errors which kept them on the defensive for the first 60 minutes.

Malakai Fekitoa's try put the Highlanders on course to their first win of the season

George Moala mounted a fightback with a 30-metre solo effort that took the Blues deep into Highlanders territory where they pounded the Highlanders line for most of the final quarter.

But it was the handling problems which ultimately ruined their finishing burst when a forward drive on the stroke of full-time ended with the ball lost on the try line.

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The Hurricanes suffered their first loss of the season in Hamilton against the Chiefs

As the Highlanders celebrated, captain Elliot Dixon noted the extra effort that that had gone into their preparation.

"It was an awesome effort," he said. "We went to the drawing board and thought we needed to step up our game on defence. It was a good improvement for us, but it was a nail-biter."

The Highlanders shocked the Blues with their pressure start and were up 10-0 with a Fekitoa try and a conversion and penalty by Lima Sopoaga before the Blues were able to get on the board with two Ihaia West penalties.

The second half was restricted to penalties with the Blues closing to one point at 12-13 before another Highlanders penalty eight minutes from time forced the Aucklanders to go searching for a try.

"We put ourselves in a position to win it," said Blues skipper James Parsons said.

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The Brumbies scored two late tries to snatch victory against Western Force in Canberra

"But it starts at the start of the game. We needed to set a platform to get the result and unfortunately we took about 20 minutes to do that and we were chasing the game from there on."

The Highlanders next week head to Wellington to play the Hurricanes in a repeat of the 2015 final, while the Blues play the Crusaders in Christchurch.