Super Rugby preview week nine: Hurricanes or Blues?

Welcome back, Super Rugby.

Sure, there were three games over Easter Weekend, but they were all duds.

This weekend, we have ALL five New Zealand teams in action, including a top-of-the-table clash in Wellington.

The Highlanders get things started on Friday night against their bogey team.

The Chiefs are at home in an away match against Moana Pasifika.

The Hurricanes are finally set to be tested for the first time this season against a new-look Blues team, well, hairstyle-wise.

And the Crusaders are heading across the Tasman without their best player.

So let’s take a closer look at the four games involving Kiwi teams.

Highlanders v Brumbies | Dunedin | Friday 7.05pm

The Highlanders have endured the hardest first half of the season of all 11 teams.

Seven games in a row, including four Kiwi derbies, before finally getting a much-needed bye last weekend.

Inspirational co-captain Timoci Tavatavanawai returns after missing the win over Moana Pasifika, and they’ll need him against a Brumbies team that is searching for a sixth win in a row against the Landers.

The second-five is boasting some impressive stats, leading the competition with 45 defenders beaten (eight more than anyone else) as well as being third in dominant contact on 37 carries (the most of any back).

But the men from Canberra will have no fear heading down to the deep south, having already put away the Crusaders, Blues, and Chiefs this season.

Number eight Charlie Cale is the dangerman for the Brumbies, currently on a six-game try-scoring streak.

Prediction: Brumbies by 2

Chiefs v Moana Pasifika | Rotorua | Saturday 2.05pm

This game was supposed to be in Tonga, but Moana Pasifika couldn’t afford it, so they tried to play it in Northland, but the Blues wouldn’t let them, so it’s off to Chiefs territory in Rotorua for Tana Umaga’s men, who seem destined for the wooden spoon.

To say the Chiefs like playing Moana is an understatement; they love it.

They’ve won all eight matches against them by an average margin of 40 points and have scored 50-plus points in five of their last six meetings.

After a concussion and a few games at fullback, Damian McKenzie returns at first-five and will be looking for a big performance with Beauden Barrett and Ruben Love currently ahead of him on form in the race for the All Blacks number ten jersey.

Wing Kyren Taumoefolau will be looking for a big performance against his former side, while Quinn Tupaea is out to continue his terrific form in the midfield, where he’s made a competition-leading ten turnovers.

Prediction: Chiefs by 40

Hurricanes v Blues | Wellington | Saturday 7.05pm

Finally, it’s week nine, and the Hurricanes have an actual hard game (sorry Highlanders fans).

They’re hosting the second-placed Blues, who’ve won five of the past six encounters against the Canes, who are on a five-game winning streak against Kiwi opposition.

There are tasty match-ups all over the park, none more so than in the ten jersey where it’s the master versus the apprentice: a blonde Beauden Barrett up against Ruben Love, who many are talking up as the person who should start at first-five for the All Blacks in July’s first test against France in Christchurch.

Then there’s the number 11 jersey where incumbent All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke will be on show against Fehi Fineanganofo, who is coming off back-to-back hat tricks, the first player to do so since Cheslin Kolbe in 2017.

The second-row battle should be intense too, with Blues captain Sam Darry looking to test himself against Japan international Warner Dearns, who’s been a great addition for the Canes this season.

One thing I don’t want to see in this game is plenty of yellow seats, so hopefully the fickle Wellington fans get down to the Cake Tin for what promises to be the game of the season so far.

Crusaders v Reds | Brisbane | Saturday 9.35pm

This is a big game for the Crusaders.

Not necessarily because it’s against the Reds, but more because of the absence of Will Jordan.

The defending champions are far from being a one-man team, but when the All Blacks' fullback is absent, they haven’t looked good, like in their week four defeat to the Blues.

35-year-old Johnny McNicholl takes Jordan’s place in the fifteen jersey, and by all accounts, still has the gas that saw him play ten tests for Wales.

Veteran hooker Codie Taylor’s also out with injury after scoring four tries in his last outing, which will make Crusaders fans even more nervous about this one.

But captain David Havili returns from a foot injury to take his place in the midfield alongside Leicester Fainga’anuku, who’s still trying to figure out his best position: centre, wing, impact, or even loose-forward.

The stats are heavily in favour of the Crusaders, who’ve won 14 of their past 15 matches against the Reds, who are coming off two heavy defeats to the Force and Hurricanes.

Prediction: Crusaders by 12