Hurricanes 37-27 Blues (kick off 7:35pm NZT)
FULL TIME - The Hurricanes come from behind to beat the Blues. What an exciting game of rugby that was. The Blues could only manage a penalty goal in the second half. Took a while, but the Hurricanes finished the day the more dominant team. Click above for highlights
79mins - Into the final minute of the game. All the Blues can do now is try secure a bonus point. Only seconds remain.
75mins - Blues have an attacking line out. They need a try here to stay in the game. A loss would all but end any chance of making the playoffs. A mistake off the line out gives the Hurricanes the scrum.
71mins - TRY HURRICANES - Hurricanes win the line out against the throw. They push it out wide and Vaea Fifita grabs his brace. Fifita gets a standing obviation from the crowd as he leaves the field. Barrett keeps his 100% record and the Hurricanes now lead by 10 after training by 10 just before halftime. (37-27 Hurricanes)
70mins - Willis Halaholo puts the kick in and kicks it forward before it heads into touch.
67mins - A mistake by the Blues gives the players a chance to catch their breath. Lots of players with hands on hips as they are shattered. Thirteen minutes to play, will be an exciting finish.
65mins - Piers Francis pushes the penalty goal wide. Was a prime opportunity to tie the game up. Hurricanes still lead by three. Francis heads off the field with an arm injury. Matt McGahan replaces him.
61mins - James Parsons heads to the bench. Jerome Kaino will captain the Blues for the remainder of the game. Blues currently on attack, creeping closer to the try line. They also have a penalty advantage.
60mins - We are now in the final quarter of the game. The Hurricanes hold a narrow lead. Will they hold onto the lead or will the Blues comeback and take the win? We have an action packed final 20 remaining.
55mins - TRY HURRICANES - The Hurricanes now have all the momentum. Perenara delivers a pin point pass to Vaea Fifita. The Hurricanes now have the lead again for the first time since the third minute
53mins - Male Sa'u heads to the bench after an impressive hit out. Sa'u is replaced by Lolagi Visinia.
53mins - The Blues survive a Hurricanes onslaught. Bekhuis and West both down for the Blues with injuries.
51mins - PENALTY GOAL - Barrett cuts the Blues lead to four as he remains 100% with the boot. (27-23 Blues)
50mins - The Blues are back on attack. But pressure at the ruck wins the Hurricanes a penalty. Barrett lines up a penalty goal.
45mins - PENALTY GOAL - An identical start to the second half as Beauden Barrett lands his second penalty of the night. The margin is now seven once again. (27-20 Blues)
43mins - PENALTY GOAL - The Blues open the scoring for the second half, Piers Francis lands a penalty from right in front (27-17 Blues)
42mins - The Blues are already on the attack. 10 meters out from the line with a penalty advantage.
40mins - We are back under way at Westpac Stadium. The Blues get the game underway. Dane Coles takes the first hit up in the second half.
HALFTIME - The Blues head into the break with a 24-17 lead. It has been a full on fast paced half of rugby. All the players will be shattered after that half. We have 40 minutes of exciting rugby to come after the break.
36mins - The Blues are building momentum as we get closer to half time. They have the ball inside the Hurricanes 22. Building more and more phases together. The Hurricanes then breathe a sigh of relief as the Blues knock on.
32mins - James Parsons wins a penalty for the Blues. They win the line out and the Blues look to attack from their own half before clearing. The Hurricanes makes a break before losing the ball. They Blues then do the same and lost the ball. Very fast paced this game. It looks like this game will come down to who uses their bench the best and who is the fittest.
29mins - interesting choice by the Hurricanes. They get a penalty after the Blues were penalized for hands in the ruck and they opt for the scrum. Wonder what the Hurricanes have planned for this set piece.
27mins - Hurricanes will get the ball in Blues territory after Matt Duffie kicks the ball out on the full. Hurricanes go straight on the attack. Blues get the turnover but knock it on. Hurricanes back on the attack. They spread the ball right and James Marshall is tackled short of the line.
23mins TRY BLUES - Jerome Kaino gets his brace. From the ruck, he spots space and runs straight for the line. That's now five tries in thirteen minute. Francis adds the extras. This will be a very high scoring affair. (24-17 Blues)
21mins - TRY HURRICANES - A controversial try awarded by the TMO. Coles kicks the ball forward after knocking the ball out of a Blues players hand. Coles dives on the ball. Blues are not happy that the try is awarded. All tied up again 17 all.
19mins - TRY BLUES - The Blues score a try through the lineout and Jerome Kaino crosses the line and puts the Blues back in the lead. Very high scoring first quarter. Francis kicks the conversion. (17-10 Blues)
18mins - Blues get the ball from the kickoff and Luatua gets a break down the side before offloading to Kara Pryor who was tackled two meters out from the line. Luatua nearly scored from the ruck but goes into touch. However the Blues win a penalty and the Blues opt to go for touch 5 meters out.
17mins - TRY HURRICANES - The Hurricanes get inside the 22. James Marshall nearly sneaks through for the try. But the Hurricanes keep applying the pressure through the forwards and Reg Goodes scores his third try of 2016. Barrett lands the conversion from out wide and we are all tied up again.
12mins - Jeff Toomaga-Allen appears to have a broken forearm which is not good news for Hurricanes fans. Vito was offside from the kick off. Blues get the scrum on halfway.
11mins - TRY BLUES - Male Sa'u gets a break and gets the ball away to Kara Pryor who runs through to score the games opening try. Francis adds the extra's Blues lead 10-3
8mins - Ihaia West gets through out wide and stabs a kick into the in goal area. Cory Jane their to clean it up. Drop out for the Hurricanes. Blues looking the better of the two sides.
4mins - PENALTY GOAL BLUES - Blues start to build some phases and earn their own penalty. Francis slots the kick to tie the game up at 3 all.
2mins - PENALTY GOAL HURRICANES - Piers Francis gives away a penalty and Barrett slots the penalty goal to give the Hurricanes an early lead. (3-0 Hurricanes)
kick off - We are underway here at Westpac Stadium. Many fans are looking forward to this exciting New Zealand derby.
Hurricanes - 15 James Marshall , 14 Cory Jane , 13 Matt Proctor , 12 Vince Aso , 11 Julian Savea ,10 Beauden Barrett , 9 TJ Perenara (vc) , 8 Victor Vito , 7 Ardie Savea , 6 Brad Shields , 5 Michael Fatialofa , 4 Vaea Fifita , 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen , 2 Dane Coles (c) , 1 Reggie Goodes
Replacements: Ricky Riccitelli, Chris Eves, Loni Uhila, Mark Abbott, Tony Lamborn, Jamison Gibson Park, Willis Halaholo, Jason Woodward.
Blues - Sam Prattley, James Parsons (c), Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Patrick Tuipulotu, Josh Bekhuis, Jerome Kaino, Kara Pryor, Steven Luatua; Bryn Hall, Ihaia West, Tevita Li, Piers Francis, Male Sa'u, Matt Duffie, Melani Nanai.
Replacements: Quentin MacDonald, Namatahi Waa, Sione Mafileo, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti or Hoani Matenga, Blake Gibson, Billy Guyton, Matt McGahan, Matt Vaega or Lolagi Visinia.
Pre match banter
Canes pursue top spot against Blues
By Simon Hampton
Kiwi derbies might be the hardest Super Rugby matches to predict but the Hurricanes will know they need to beat the Blues if they're to realistically have hopes of winning the New Zealand conference.
To do that they'll need a big outing from their newest Test star, and Wellington's latest fan favourite, Ardie Savea.
Savea is one of the five All Blacks who will start for the Hurricanes.
"I don't think any of them wanted a rest really," said coach Chris Boyd. "They don't need it and they're eager to play."
George Moala and Charlie Faumuina won't play for the Blues, but other than that it's been largely the same.
"It's been pretty simple actually," notes Blues coach Tana Umaga. "They've really just come in and jumped right on board and lead in a lot of things, it's like we haven't skipped a beat
It's a match neither side can really afford to lose as the race for playoff spots heats up.
"All I know is that if we win all three we'll make the playoffs and if we drop more than one we probably won't," said Boyd. "We haven't done the higher mathematics yet because there are so many matches, particularly in the New Zealand conference, that are so hard to predict."
This doesn't appear one of them though with the full strength Hurricanes expected to be too strong, especially with the crowd cheering on their new favourite son.
Newshub.
