PREVIEW-Rugby-Canes look to storm Blues fortress in Super Rugby blockbuster

In the first meeting between the sides in early March, the Hurricanes prevailed 29-21 but the Blues have won seven straight since then and have been unbeatable at Eden Park for all bar the Canterbury Crusaders in 31 matches since February 2020. The sole defeat for the Hurricanes this season came against the ACT Brumbies two weeks ago but they got back to winning ways in some style last Friday with a 41-12 humbling of the New South Wales Waratahs.

An unpredictable Super Rugby Pacific season narrows into a sharp focus this weekend when the Wellington Hurricanes take on the Auckland Blues in a top-of-the-table blockbuster at Eden Park.

The Hurricanes top the standings by a single point from the Blues going into the round 12 clash, and whoever comes out on top on Saturday will be in the driving seat to claim top seeding and home advantage throughout next month's playoffs. In the first meeting between the sides in early March, the Hurricanes prevailed 29-21 but the Blues have won seven straight since then and have been unbeatable at Eden Park for all bar the Canterbury Crusaders in 31 matches since February 2020.

The sole defeat for the Hurricanes this season came against the ACT Brumbies two weeks ago but they got back to winning ways in some style last Friday with a 41-12 humbling of the New South Wales Waratahs. "They've been really good this year," Zarn Sullivan, who returns to the Blues side at fullback after six weeks out with a knee injury, told local media this week. "We know we've got a big challenge. They'll come up here and try prove a point, so we've got to bully the bullies really."

The Blues have few peers when it comes to bullying, with their pack a match for the physicality of any team and powerful number eight Hoskins Sotutu the competition's joint leading try-scorer with nine. The return of Sullivan is a welcome boost to a backline missing All Blacks Rieko Ioane (concussion) and Finlay Christie (groin) as well as flyhalf Stephen Perofeta (shoulder).

Blues winger Mark Telea has been in brilliant form but Hurricanes coach Craig Laidlaw is clearly expecting the match to be decided up front and has gambled on a 6-2 split on his bench in favour of the forwards. The experienced TJ Perenara starts at scrumhalf and Jordie Barrett will play in the centres inside the dazzling back three of Ruben Love, Kini Naholo and Josh Moorby.

"The team showed a level of maturity last week to bounce back and put out a strong performance for our fans," Laidlaw said. "We haven't won in Auckland since 2019, so we know that there is a massive challenge ahead of the side."

In other round 12 action, the Otago Highlanders will rarely have a better chance to end their 19-match losing streak against New Zealand opposition than when they meet struggling South Island rivals the Crusaders in Dunedin on Saturday. In Australia, the third-placed Brumbies will look to keep pace with the leaders and pour more misery on the struggling Waratahs in Sydney.

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