Even depleted by injuries, the Highlanders have put in their most convincing performance of the Super Rugby Pacific season, defeating Fijian Drua 57-24 at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium.
An all-round effort from fullback Sam Gilbert and a double from Argentine winger Martin Bogado spearheaded an effort that saw the Highlanders run in nine tries to notch their second consecutive win.
After entering the fifth round of the season 11th on the ladder, the bonus-point result lifts them into seventh, leapfrogging the Drua on points differential.
Already missing a host of players to injury, the Highlanders were hit before kickoff with more, as second-five Thomas Umaga-Jensen, lock Josh Dickson and No.8 Hugh Renton were all scratched during warm-ups.
To make matters worse, the Drua opened the scoring midway through the first half, after centre Apisalome Vota broke the line and offloaded to halfback Frank Lomani to dive over the line, but from 0-7 down, the Highlanders scored four unanswered converted tries to surge into control.
Prop Jermaine Ainsley was the unlikely scorer for the Highlanders' first try, grabbing his first Super Rugby points, when he went over on the left wing, before fellow front rower Ethan de Groot doubled the lead minutes later, picking and going for his side's second.
Bogado was the next to score his first Super Rugby try, on the receiving end of a clever play from Aaron Smith, before Gilbert got among the tries by charging a kick down and racing away to score, keeping his balance, after an ankle tap from Lomani.
The Highlanders were reduced to 14 before the break, when Connor Garden-Bachop was sent to the sin bin for cynical play, and the Drua hit back through winger Taniela Rakuro.
The southerners had one more try in them before halftime, when Smith put Mitch Hunt over for his side's fifth with the final play of the opening spell.
With two assists to his name already, Smith then scored one of his own after the break from a pick and go, before setting up a third with a pass to Jonah Lowe on the left.
The Drua were able to stem the flow of points on the hour mark, when hooker Tevita Ikanivere barged over from close range to bring the score back to 45-19.
In the final 10 minutes, the Highlanders passed their half-century.
Playing on through injury, Bogado was able to limp over the line for his second try, thanks to an overlap on the right, before rookie first-five Cameron Millar had the final say, latching onto a kick through the line from No.8 Nikora Broughton - who was a late addition after Renton's injury - to end the scoring.
The Drua's night ended on a further sour note, when replacement Elia Canakaivata was yellow-carded after a nasty midair challenge that saw him take out the legs of Gilbert.
Now with two wins on the bounce, the Highlanders can make it three in three next week - injury toll allowing - when they travel to Auckland to face Moana Pasifika.
Highlanders 57 (Ainsley, de Groot, Bogado 2, Gilbert, Hunt, Smith, Lowe, Millar tries; Gilbert 5, Millar conversions) Fijian Drua 24 (Lomani 2, Rakuro, Ikanivere tries; Velentini, Lomani conversions)
Join Newshub at 7pm for live updates of the Moana Pasifika v Hurricanes Super Rugby Pacific clash
