▁was ▁a ▁loss ▁to ▁the ▁Cr us aders ▁in ▁Christ ch urch , ▁but ▁they ▁then ▁won ▁their ▁next ▁three ▁games — including ▁two ▁in ▁South ▁Africa . ▁They ▁then ▁lost ▁two ▁matches , ▁to ▁the ▁Bull s ▁and ▁Sh arks ▁respectively , ▁before ▁defe ating ▁the ▁L ions ▁in ▁In ver c arg ill . ▁They ▁only ▁won ▁two ▁of ▁their ▁last ▁six ▁games , ▁and ▁finished ▁the ▁season ▁ranked ▁nin th — the ▁lowest ▁ranked ▁New ▁Zealand ▁team . ▁The ▁team ▁lost ▁several ▁players ▁to ▁injury ▁during ▁the ▁season , ▁including ▁James ▁Ryan ▁and ▁Nick ▁Evans . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁ended ▁with ▁a ▁similar ▁result ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁The ▁High land ers ▁again ▁finished ▁nin th ▁on ▁the ▁table , ▁and ▁worst ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁teams . ▁They ▁finished ▁the ▁season ▁with ▁five ▁wins ▁and ▁eight ▁losses ▁from ▁their ▁th ir teen ▁matches . ▁They ▁started ▁their ▁season ▁with ▁a ▁win ▁over ▁the ▁Western ▁Force , ▁but ▁then ▁lost ▁both ▁their ▁matches ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁to ▁the ▁L ions ▁and ▁Sh arks . ▁Of ▁their ▁next ▁five ▁matches ▁they ▁won ▁three ; ▁against ▁the ▁Storm ers , ▁Red s ▁and ▁C heet ah s . ▁They ▁then ▁won ▁only ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁last ▁five ▁matches , ▁against ▁the ▁War ata hs ▁in ▁Sydney . ▁Following ▁his ▁fourth ▁season ▁in ▁charge , ▁and ▁third ▁with ▁the ▁High land ers ▁finishing ▁nin th , ▁coach ▁Greg ▁Cooper ▁left ▁the ▁franch ise ▁to ▁take ▁up