Rugby-Sopoaga leads Highlanders to hard-earned win over Brumbies

April 30 (Reuters) - The Otago Highlanders produced a superb defensive effort while flyhalf Lima Sopoaga contributed 18 points to beat the ACT Brumbies 23-10 in their Super Rugby clash in Invercargill on Saturday. The Highlanders lived off what scraps of possession they had to keep their playoff hopes alive as they moved up to fourth in the Australasian group on 28 points, four ahead of the Wellington Hurricanes, who play the Lions in Johannesburg later. The Brumbies, who had almost 80 percent of possession, continued their mid-season slump and remain sixth on 20 points. Sopoaga scored a try and added 13 points from the boot, including three second half penalties that slowly increased his side's lead as they soaked up immense pressure. All Blacks fullback Ben Smith also scored an early second half try, while Brumbies hooker Josh Mann-Rea responded for the visitors with Christian Lealiifano converting and adding a penalty. The Highlanders were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes in the first half when Jack Wilson was yellow carded for a high tackle on Robbie Coleman. The Brumbies could have built an early lead but spurned shots at goal and tried to execute rolling mauls from attacking lineouts only for lock Sam Carter to get penalised three times in a row for illegally blocking defenders. While the home side's defence kept them in the match, they also squandered much of what little possession they had with poor passing, until Sopoaga burst over in the last minute before the break following a looping pass from scrumhalf Aaron Smith. Sopoaga converted to give his side an unlikely 7-3 halftime lead. The Highlanders increased their advantage early in the second half when All Blacks centre Malakai Fekitoa bumped off his Wallabies counterpart Tevita Kuridrani and fired a long pass to fullback Ben Smith, who scored in the corner. The Brumbies then finally got their rolling maul working by using Carter as the lineout target rather than a lifter and hooker Mann-Rea crashed over. The visitors could not breach the home side's defence again and Sopoaga gradually increased his side's advantage with three unanswered penalties. (Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by John O'Brien)