Super Rugby final preview: Hurricanes vs Highlanders

Here we are. The Super Rugby final has arrived, and it will be contested by the Hurricanes and the Highlanders, the teams that finished on the highest points after the regular season.

After all the virtual ink spilled on The Roar in the past season about the conference system, this seems like the fairest result we could have had.

Let’s pull no punches – the Highlanders come into this one as rank underdogs. The Hurricanes looked rampant against the Brumbies last weekend in the semi-final, as they have for most of the season.

They have only lost twice all season; once at home to the Waratahs on a good day, and once to a resurgent Crusaders team late in the season, it’s unthinkable that they could drop the last game of the season against the Highlanders.

That said, if any team were going to be able to get over them this season, it’s the Highlanders.

They’ve played consistent, entertaining and team-oriented football, led around the park by Aaron and Ben Smith and Lima Sopoaga. But the two times they’ve come up against the Hurricanes they’ve been comprehensively beaten.

Early in the season the Highlanders played out a tough match with the eventual minor premiers, going down 13-20 at home.

The second time was just four weeks ago, where they were thrashed by the Canes by 36 points. That game was played at Nelson, this one will be played in Wellington, in front of a full Cake Tin on Wellingtonians who will be hungry to see their team claim their first Super Rugby title.

Both teams were impressive in dispatching their Aussie opposition last weekend. The ‘Canes looked untroubled by the Brumbies’ attack, and were brutal when they had the ball, eventually taking the game 29-9.

It was a controlled performance in defence, and rampant showing in attack. Julian and Ardie Savea were ruthless with the ball in hand, proving too much for Brumbies tacklers on more than one occasion.

While the Waratahs proved a little tougher for the Highlanders, they still ran out easy winners away from home.

A comeback was never really on the cards, with the boys from the South Island playing the smarter rugby throughout the whole game. They never let the Waratahs into the contest, and they find themselves in the big dance as a reward.

Can they do the same to the ‘Canes?

All indications from this season say no.

Ardie and Julian Savea will get the ball, no matter how little possession the Hurricanes get, and they will be hard to stop. Nehe Milner-Skudder has proved unstoppable in his first year of Super Rugby, and Conrad Smith and Beauden Barrett add a lot of composure to a backline with plenty of flair.

Dane Coles, despite his lineout problems, is one of the best runners in the game, and there’s plenty of aggression from players like Jeremy Thrush and Victor Vito.

It sounds like a winning combination.

The Highlanders will do well to stop it. Malakai Fekitoa will need to have a blinder in attack to punch holes in a strong ‘Canes defence, and Aaron and Ben Smith will have to spark plenty if they’re to be a chance. The excellent Nasi Manu also needs to step up in this match.

This clash sees the top two try scorers of the competition also go head-to-head. Waisake Naholo has scored 12 tries this year, with TJ Perenara the next best on 10.

One thing that will spur the Highlanders on is their last meeting against the Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium – where they came out victorious. Since that point, though, the only loss the ‘Canes have had here was to the Waratahs earlier this year.

The Canes have the advantage in every attacking stat you could imagine, with the Highlanders having the advantage in the lineout.

It should be a fascinating contest, and we expect the Canes to come away with the chocolates and the final Super Rugby trophy (in the current format).