Hurricanes vs Highlanders Predictions & Tips - Away victory on the cards in Wellington

Ralph Staniforth

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Last updated: 26 Apr 2021

Ralph Staniforth 26 Apr 2021

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Hurricanes vs Highlanders predictions for Friday’s Super Rugby Aotearoa clash
Fixture is being played at 09:05 SAST at Sky Stadium in Wellington
Highlanders have won 2 of their last 3 games
I'm tipping the Highlanders to claim a victory
Betting tips, predictions and team news for Hurricanes vs Highlanders

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Hurricanes vs Highlanders Predictions

This should be a very close encounter, with both teams playing well in recent matches. Both the Highlanders and Hurricanes seem to perform better away from home, so my bet is for the Highlanders walk away victorious.

Hurricanes have lost 6 of their last 7 matches.
Hurricanes have scored the least (159) and conceded the most (201) points in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Hurricanes have lost their last 3 away home matches.
Highlanders have won 2 of their last 3 away matches.

Head to Head

The Hurricanes lead the Highlanders 21-15 in their last 36 matches.

Earlier this season the Hurricanes beat the Highlanders 30-19 in Dunedin.

Hurricanes Form

The Hurricanes are bottom of the Super Rugby Aotearoa table with just one win in their seven matches. They can’t climb the table either as they are seven points off the Highlanders with one to play.

The Canes will feel a touch hard done by in recent weeks with a couple very narrow defeats, matches they should really have won. After a poor first half of the campaign, they will be pleased with how the second half has gone performance wise.

Their solitary win this season came in a 30-19 away win over the Highlanders. That was followed by a 27-17 loss to the Blues and a 30-27 home defeat in extra time to the Crusaders.

Last week the Hurricanes led for most of the match at the Chiefs only to concede a last minute penalty which saw them lose 26-24.

Hurricanes Injuries & Team News

With this being the final match of the season and nothing other than pride to play for, the Hurricanes may look to make a few changes.

Billy Proctor could come into the side for Wes Goosen with Jordie Barrett moving to the wing. There could be starts for Brayden Iose, Alex Fidow and Asafo Aumua as well. The teams will be announced on Thursday.

Highlanders Form

The Highlanders can still finish fourth on the table if they manage to win this weekend and the Blues falter against the Chiefs. They are currently on 14 points in fourth position but can no longer make the final.

The Dunedin-based outfit has been very inconsistent this season. They have managed some big victories but then fallen away in others.

The Highlanders last three matches have been exciting affairs. They caused a huge shock in round six, beating the Crusaders 33-12 in Christchurch. They needed to back that result up with a win but then lost 26-23 at home against the Chiefs.

Had they held on for the victory against the Chiefs they would be looking at qualifying for the final this weekend. In their last match the Highlanders dealt the Blues a massive blow by beating them 35-29 at home.

Highlanders Injuries & Team News

The Highlanders had a bye last weekend so the players should be fresh. While the final is out of reach, the Highlanders will want to climb the table into third.

Josh Ioane started at fullback in the last match and performed well. That experiment could continue with Mitch Hunt remaining at flyhalf.

Hurricanes vs Highlanders Live Stream FAQ

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Verdict

Hurricanes v Highlanders

The Hurricanes have tasted defeat in six of their seven fixtures this season and could hand some youngsters a chance to make an impact in what is their last fixture of the campaign. I'm tipping the Highlanders to get their third away win in four matches this season.

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