Highlanders coach Tony Brown was a frustrated figure after his team’s season-opening loss to the Crusaders. OPINION: Tony Brown’s willingness to fire shots at referees and opposition tactics should never be berated, but the Highlanders’ coach ought to take a good, hard look at his own side’s deficiencies. Two yellow cards – to captain Scott Barrett and flanker Ethan Blackadder – were indeed dished out, as referee Ben O’Keeffe and his assistants particularly cracked down hard on offside play. But that wasn’t enough for Brown, whose honesty is to be admired at a time good interview subjects are hard to come by.