From what I can piece together:

1. de Groot
2. Taylor
3. Ta’avao
4. Haig
5. ?
6. ?
7. Withy
8. ?
9. Fakatava/Lennox
10. ?
11. ?
12. Tavatavanawai
13. Tele’a
14. Tangitau
15. ?
16. Vikena
17. Bartlett
18. Kautai
19. Tengblad
20. Casey
21. Lennox/Fakatava
22. ?
23. ?

This is what I got from looking from afar. Couldn’t see Cribb, and Stodart was off to the side so bench at best.

Might be Howden, Withy, Lasaqa, Broughton

Several of them having been doing extras, I expect Tito-Harris to be in the 23 - not sure if he starting. Jonah Lowe looked to be fit so expect him to be involved.

@frugby I was thinking this should be a rest week of sorts for Tangitau he's in for a big year after super hopefully, but then when you consider this is likely to be the Highlanders 3rd to last home game the fans in Dunedin do deserve too see the best on show

Clearly my eyesight is no good… miles off.

Renton is back, no locks selected… Warner Dearns will eat our lineout for breakfast

Highlanders

Ethan de Groot, Jack Taylor, Angus Ta'avao, Oliver Haig, Te Kamaka Howden, Sean Withy, Lucas Casey, Hugh Renton (co-c), Folau Fakatava, Reesjan Pasitoa, Jona Nareki, Timoci Tavatavanawai (co-c), Jonah Lowe, Caleb Tangitau, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens

Replacements: Soane Vikena, Josh Bartlett, Sosefo Kautai, Tai Cribb, Veveni Lasaqa, Adam Lennox, Andrew Knewstubb, Tanielu Tele'a

Hurricanes

Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua, Pasilio Tosi, Caleb Delany, Warner Dearns, Devan Flanders, Peter Lakai, Brayden Iose, Cam Roigard, Ruben Love, Fehi Fineanganofo, Jordie Barrett (c), Billy Proctor, Josh Moorby, Callum Harkin

Replacements: Vernon Bason, Siale Lauaki, Tevita Mafileo, Hugo Plummer, Brad Shields, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Ereatara Enari, Bailyn Sullivan

Canes players unavailable for this game:

Tyrel Lomax (ankle): 1-3 weeks
Isaia Walker-Leawere (being a dumb fluffybunny): 1 week
Taine Roiri (hamstring): 4 weeks
Jai Tamati (ankle): 5-7 weeks
Brett Cameron (knee): Expected to miss season
Harry Godfrey (knee): Expected to miss season
Josh Timu (foot): 3-5 weeks
Ngane Punivai (hamstring): TBC
Kini Naholo (foot): 2-4 weeks

Well 7-2 split, could be a good move with the Landers having a few forwards out.

@DurryMexted risky if one of our backs goes down early.

Sucks to see Lomax out again. Assume he won't come back until after the bye now.

On the game itself, really looking forward to this one. Congratulations to Vernon Bason who will make his debut off the bench at hooker.

Unfortunate for the Landers with that locking crisis, but with 5 loosies on the park it's fairly obvious how they are going to look to play on Friday night. I'd say the Canes forwards will look to go through the Landers with their power game and big ball carriers, while the Landers will look to ultimately play at speed and contest everything at the breakdown.

Both backlines look full of firepower so I'm sure there will be plenty of meat pies.

Could be a long night. A real shame to be down so many at a position this early in the season. Sucks about Cam being out with concussion too, meanwhile the guy who put him out gets to start this week like nothing happened. Unreal

Same for Lavanini. The man who did the cheap shot for no reason that put him out, he gets to lace up and start this weekend as well. Mind boggling

We just don't have the depth to deal with the injuries we have in key positions.

Could be a weird backs against the wall kind of performance.

And the two playwrs we really want to see haven't been sighted yet. Give us a geeze of Solomon and Tito-Harris!

I would have put Knewstubb at 10

Bason is good to see

Withy continues to lead a charmed life. Why not Stodard at 6, Lasaqa at 7 and give Casey a bit of a break at 20.

Also, the chances of the Highlanders loosing this are high, why rush Lowe back? Give him another weeks rest. Nareki looks cooked, so let’s have him run into one of the bigger back lines in the comp.

@jimmyb I'm now tempted to lay some down on a highlanders win.

@Bones said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb I'm now tempted to lay some down on a highlanders win.

The house?

Where's Stargazer?
It's finally your time buddy.

@DurryMexted said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

Well 7-2 split, could be a good move with the Landers having a few forwards out.

That's a big bench indeed. A 6/2 split is more frequent. Maybe they would field 14 players in the starting team.

@Bones said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb I'm now tempted to lay some down on a highlanders win.

If the Canes get to run a 7-2 bench split, then they deserve to be very short favourites.

@cgrant said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@DurryMexted said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

Well 7-2 split, could be a good move with the Landers having a few forwards out.

That's a big bench indeed. A 6/2 split is more frequent. Maybe they would field 14 players in the starting team.

hahaha shit whoops. Would prefer it actually to be 6-1 split, tell Enari to head straight to the showers after warm up

@jimmyb said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@Bones said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb I'm now tempted to lay some down on a highlanders win.

The house?

The house of pain?

@Canes4life said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@Bones said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb I'm now tempted to lay some down on a highlanders win.

The house?

The house of pain?

Bring back Carisbrook I say. The winter air and a few couch burnings is what can turn this team around

@jimmyb said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@Canes4life said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@Bones said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb I'm now tempted to lay some down on a highlanders win.

The house?

The house of pain?

Bring back Carisbrook I say. The winter air and a few couch burnings is what can turn this team around

Such a grim shithole in the end.

@SouthernMann said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@Canes4life said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@Bones said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb I'm now tempted to lay some down on a highlanders win.

The house?

The house of pain?

Bring back Carisbrook I say. The winter air and a few couch burnings is what can turn this team around

Such a grim shithole in the end.

It had a rustic charm

@jimmyb said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@SouthernMann said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@Canes4life said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@Bones said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@jimmyb I'm now tempted to lay some down on a highlanders win.

The house?

The house of pain?

Bring back Carisbrook I say. The winter air and a few couch burnings is what can turn this team around

Such a grim shithole in the end.

It had a rustic charm

It had rust.

Though I think Miller has been very good the past couple of weeks, I think him being out may ironically help us. Because he is such a good goal kicker, we have a tendency to just bank the three because he is largely all but a guarantee.

I am wondering if with Pasitoa and Knewstubb, given they are not noted for being strong goal-kickers, will we show a little more intent to go for tries? We might actually be forced into it.

@frugby love the sentiment but im sure in the past we've talked about treating games more seriously, more like test rugby and taking point on offer, keeping the scoreboard ticking over and not thinking we're the harlem globe trotters of rugby that can score tries easily

@frugby said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

Though I think Miller has been very good the past couple of weeks, I think him being out may ironically help us. Because he is such a good goal kicker, we have a tendency to just bank the three because he is largely all but a guarantee.

I am wondering if with Pasitoa and Knewstubb, given they are not noted for being strong goal-kickers, will we show a little more intent to go for tries? We might actually be forced into it.

If the million or so phases for zero tries against the Crusaders after Millar was KO'd is any indicator I'm not sure that is the best plan...

If we get caught banging on the door in the 22. There will be a kick. Second man play with JRK potentially kicking to a winger or centre.

Sounds weird, but, I don't think they like attacking from 10 or 15 out. The driver is to kick and get the defensive line disjointed and use the outside backs or loosies to counter.

@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@frugby love the sentiment but im sure in the past we've talked about treating games more seriously, more like test rugby and taking point on offer, keeping the scoreboard ticking over and not thinking we're the harlem globe trotters of rugby that can score tries easily

Time and a place. I’m talking about when we have a penalty 40m out in the middle of the half. Go to set piece and work from it

@frugby i agree in principle....just feel we've seen it too many times, go for touch and immediately lose the lineout

@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@frugby i agree in principle....just feel we've seen it too many times, go for touch and immediately lose the lineout

But we haven't this year though. I think for this team to take steps forwards, you have to try to play on top of the game - that was something Otago did really well.

To take a step from being an underdog to being a genuine top side, you need to be brave and turn down points to go for the corner. It might not work straight away, but in the big moments, the best teams deliver tries.

Obviously you don't have to do this every time, but we over do it.

If the mindset is to take 3s because we either:
a) Don't think we can win the lineout
b) Don't think we can score tries

Then we are doing something wrong. If you aren't happy with the lineout, change the players. If you don't think you can score tries, then sack the attack coach, because on paper that is as lethal a back three as there is in the competition.

We are taking the 2nd most penalty goals in the competition.

For those interested, these stat packs are great: https://super.rugby/superrugby/match-centre/match-packs/2026-srp-rd6/2026-srp-rd6-highlanders-v-hurricanes/

@frugby said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@frugby i agree in principle....just feel we've seen it too many times, go for touch and immediately lose the lineout

But we haven't this year though. I think for this team to take steps forwards, you have to try to play on top of the game - that was something Otago did really well.

The Pledger effect. He ran the play close to the line. Found runners and made the space. It can't be underestimated how much impact he had. There would have been a big improvement in our attacking shape close to the line if he was playing and not struggling to open cassette players.

Otago without him this year will not make the semi finals.

Tyrel Lomax will miss the Hurricanes’ clash with the Highlanders on Friday night.
Coach hopeful he could return to face the Reds next weekend.

@SouthernMann Not exactly what I am talking about.

It is a mentality - hence why we absolutely slotted Auckland even without Pledger.

It is hard to explain, and possibly isn't even measurable, but sometimes teams play in a way where they are in command. They score certain types of tries, they take bold decisions as a team.

I don't believe that even if this Highlanders team gets out in front, that they will keep kicking away, because they don't play in that manner. Otago did.

A real shame there is no coverage of the development game that is about to kick off… it’s not like it’s being played in the stadium the super rugby game is about to be in or anything…..

@frugby said in Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

@SouthernMann Not exactly what I am talking about.

It is a mentality - hence why we absolutely slotted Auckland even without Pledger.

It is hard to explain, and possibly isn't even measurable, but sometimes teams play in a way where they are in command. They score certain types of tries, they take bold decisions as a team.

I don't believe that even if this Highlanders team gets out in front, that they will keep kicking away, because they don't play in that manner. Otago did.

It is an attitude thing. Which comes with belief. With Otago, it is traceable as the belief grew the performances improved for the better.

Which is often led by a player or two. Especially if it breaks a trend of previous performances.

Go back to last year. This team, more or less should have picked up two wins against the Canes and beaten the Crusaders away (or at least drew with them). It isn't about attacking shape or threats. It is a mindset.

Before they can dominate and run away with games. They need to close some out. Incremental improvement. Looking from last year, we need fo avoid blowouts. Which happened twice against the Chiefs and once against the Crusaders.

The improvment process is a bit painful. Walk before we run. It is why we often see floggings at the back of the season. Teams are full of confidence, like Otago was and down on it like Auckland was. A perfect mix.

12 all at the break between the two dev sides.

Hunters beat the Bravehearts 38-27