The Highlanders have a shot at leapfrogging the Chiefs into third place on the New Zealand Conference standings, albeit temporarily, with a win over the Hurricanes in Dunedin on Friday, writes Shaun Goosen.
Highlanders v Hurricanes
1 June 09h30
Forsyth Barr Stadium
To Win (80 Mins)
Highlanders 15/10
Draw 22/1
Hurricanes 11/20
Handicap
Highlanders (+5.5) 9/10
Hurricanes (-5.5) 9/10
The Canes, whose 10-match winning run came to an end in Christchurch last week, will want to make sure the Crusaders don’t slip out of reach as the race for qualifying positions begins to heat up.
Again, it almost beggar’s belief that the fourth-best placed Kiwi team has accumulated the fifth-most points in the competition thus far. Still, after 13-odd rounds of action, this is exactly where the Highlanders find themselves, sitting comfortably in sixth on the overall standings and, crucially, in a wild-card berth.
As consistent as Aaron Mauger’s side have been this campaign (as their eight wins in 12 fixtures suggest), losses against the Sharks and Waratahs have somewhat blighted their copybook this term. Subsequently, going down to the Chiefs and Canes away has meant that the 2015 champions have it all to do with just four games to come if they are to break into the top two in their conference. A win on Friday will ensure they jump into third in New Zealand, with the Chiefs’ hosting of the Crusaders a day later determining whether they stay there.
March’s encounter between the sides ended with the team from Wellington claim a massive 29-12 win at home to put themselves into a commanding position so early in the season. That result was their third victory on the trot and paved the way for a winning run spanning 10 matches before the Crusaders’ expert use of wet weather put an end to it last week in a 24-13 win.
Ater the weekend, the Hurricanes have dates with the Brumbies and Chiefs away including a home game against the Blues sandwiched between. The June international window will offer their fatigued squad a much-needed break, but they will realize the significance of winning each of their remaining fixtures if they are to have any chance at pipping the Crusaders to top spot. It is absolutely crucial they win as many as possible from here on out.
Both coaches have named their strongest available squads for this the final hit-out before the international season takes centre stage, with All Blacks in abundance all over the park.
The first-five battle between the electrifying Beauden Barrett and the mercurial Lima Sopoaga is surely the headliner, with the latter enjoying his last season of New Zealand rugby before jettisoning off to Wasps. Sopoaga will want to make a statement against the world’s best in Barrett and remind Kiwi coach Steve Hansen why he was wrong to let him go.
Verdict: Hurricanes (-5.5) 9/10)
Sopoaga will have plenty to say this weekend, but it will be Barrett’s bunch to come out on top. Their loss to the Crusaders did not sit well and they will be fired-up and ready to prove their dominance over their fellow Kiwis.
