▁that ▁season ▁included ▁a ▁ 7 5 – 4 3 ▁defeat ▁by ▁Natal ▁in ▁Dur ban . ▁The ▁points ▁scored ▁by ▁Natal ▁included ▁ 5 0 ▁points ▁by ▁G av in ▁Law less — a ▁competition ▁record . ▁Their ▁three ▁vict ories ▁that ▁season ▁included ▁defe ating ▁the ▁Can ter bury ▁Cr us aders ▁at ▁Car is bro ok , ▁and ▁the ▁Wa ik ato ▁Chief s ▁at ▁T au po — where ▁Doug ▁How lett ▁scored ▁three ▁tries ▁for ▁the ▁High land ers . ▁ ▁Play offs : ▁ 1 9 9 8 – 2 0 0 0 ▁ ▁Following ▁their ▁last ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁season , ▁Tony ▁Gilbert ▁was ▁appointed ▁coach . ▁Before ▁the ▁season ▁began ▁the ▁O tag o ▁High land ers ▁were ▁r ated ▁ 1 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 ▁odd s ▁of ▁winning ▁the ▁competition ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁Their ▁first ▁game ▁was ▁against ▁the ▁Queensland ▁Red s — who ▁had ▁finished ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁four ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 — who ▁they ▁ups et ▁ 2 6 – 1 9 . ▁Although ▁they ▁lost ▁to ▁the ▁A CT ▁Br umb ies ▁and ▁then ▁the ▁A uck land ▁Blues ▁in ▁r ounds ▁two ▁and ▁three , ▁they ▁then ▁defeated ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁final ists ▁the ▁Sh arks ▁in ▁round ▁four . ▁They ▁eventually ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁New ▁Zealand ▁side ▁to ▁defeat ▁all ▁four ▁South ▁African ▁teams ▁in ▁one ▁season ▁( the ▁Cr us aders ▁achieved