Hurricanes vs Highlanders Prediction: Can anyone stop the ‘Canes?

The Hurricanes take on the Highlanders on Friday night (7pm local time, 8:05am BST Saturday, live on Sky Sports +) at the Wellington Regional Stadium.

The hosts will be keen to extend their four-game winning run, against a side that have lost eight games already this term Read on for my Hurricanes vs Highlanders predictions.

The Hurricanes have won their last 10 meetings with the Highlanders and look set to continue that run on Saturday.

That streak is the longest by either side in this fixture's history and includes the 'Canes' 50-7 victory in Dunedin, which was their biggest ever winning margin against another Kiwi side, other than Moana Pasifika.

The Wellington outfit are top of the log after winning nine of their last 10 matches, only losing to the Chiefs in Golden Point on April 18.

Saturday's visitors to the Kiwi capital start the round four points off the play-offs and need to win this match, as this is their final regular-season fixture.

However, they have won just four of their last 21 matches away from Forsyth Barr Stadium, and all of those were against the competition's weakest side, Moana Pasifika.

Team News

The Hurricanes have made six changes and a positional switch from last week's 47-24 win over the Blues, with tighthead prop Pasilio Tosi and full-back Josh Moorby making their 50th appearances for the club.

Loosehead prop Siale Lauaki and lock Isaia Walker-Leawere come in, while in the back row, Devan Flanders moves to blindside flanker to allow Brayden Iose to come in at number eight.

Centre Bailyn Sullivan returns from injury to wear the number 13 jersey and Ngane Punivai dons 14 on his first appearance since February due to a hamstring issue.

Lock Tom Allen is in line to make his Hurricanes debut from the bench, while the Higlanders name an unchanged front five from last weekend's 42-12 defeat to the Chiefs, but have made two alterations in the back-row, with starts for Te Kamaka Howden and co-captain Hugh Renton.

Nic Shearer comes in to partner Cam Millar in the halves, while Jona Nareki and Xavier Tito-Harris are selected at outside centre and right wing.

Prop Daniel Lienert-Brown could make his 140th appearance for the Highlanders and is joined among the recements by potential debutants Stanley Solomon and Meihana Grindlay.

Hurricanes vs Highlanders Odds

The Hurricanes are the obvious 1/18 favourites to record an 11th straight win over the Highlanders, with the Otago outfit 8/1 to break their duck.

The tie is priced at 40/1, while the Highlanders are given 21 points on the 3-way handicap.

Hurricanes -23 @ 11/10

There is real momentum about the Hurricanes as they chase only their second Super Rugby Pacific title, a decade on from their first, and it is difficult to expect anything other than an eighth straight win at the Cake Tin.

Those results have been by an average of 26.3 points, although the Crusaders pushed them close in the most recent one, eventually succumbing 38-31.

The Highlanders haven't beaten anyone but Moana Pasifika away from Dunedin in thir last 21 attempts and have had an inconsistent season, with the form figures from their last five games reading LWLWL.

With the likes of winger Kini Naholo - who has been involved in 13 tries in as many matches (12 tries and 1 assist) - the Canes could go big and set the tone for next Friday's final round grudge match against Crus.

Click the link for all the latest Rugby Union Odds

Find more Rugby Union Betting Tips here at Betfred Insights