LIVE COMMENTARY (Be sure to refresh your browser)
Hurricanes - 17 Highlanders - 11
FULLTIME - Click here for highlights and a full wrap.
82 mins - Can the Landers pull off an improbable victory with time expired? Penalty gives them a lineout at their own 10m. The dice continues to be rolled...nope, the lineout is turned over.
80 mins - Landers take a shot at goal from a penalty to secure the bonus point.
79 mins - Landers work thorugh the phases. It's all consolation at this stage.
76 mins - Landers break down the left edge, 5m out now...Scrum Landers right in front of the posts.
75 mins - Turnover ball, Nareki places an excellent kick to the Canes 22m.
71 mins - Sloppy lineout is knocked on. Canes scrum 5m from the line and a chance to close this out.
70 mins - Landers lineout at the Canes 10m. They'll need to put points on the board promptly. Overthrown and Perenara makes a brilliant heads up play, finding touch just inside the Landers corner post.
67 mins - Canes butcher a try! Huge overlap on the right edge, Van Wyk stumbling with Barrett unmarked outside him and the pass is fired directly into Barrett's noggin at high pace. You had to laugh. Landers droput.
62 mins - Canes working their way towards the Landers 22m.
59 mins - TRY HIGHLANDERS - The Landers roll the maul from 5m out, Dixon pops off to create the overlap for Smith who scoots through to score. Game on! Hunt can't convert. (Canes 17-8)
58 mins - Landers on the attack. 5m lineout.
53 mins - Landers scrum at their own 10m. Nareki with room to move on the left edge.
50 mins - Landers claim a penalty from close range and they're on the board. (Canes 17-3)
48 mins - TRY HURRICANES - The patience pays off for the Canes, as Devan Flanders scoops and dives over from inches short to score after another enormous build up. Barrett misses the conversion. (Canes 17-0)
47 mins - Patient attack again from the Canes, 13 phases in the shadow of the posts.
44 mins - 22 phases now, Landers stoic in defence under the pump. Canes cash in a penalty advantage and will launch again from a 5m scrum.
43 mins - Canes 10 phases deep, Landers defence holding near their own line.
41 mins - Canes quickly on the offensive. Counter ruck wins the ball inside the Landers 22m.
Second half underway...
HALFTIME
39 mins - Landers penalty at the scrum. Lineout at halfway, a final roll of the dice here before halftime. Speculator chip over the top is cleaned up and that will do us.
36 mins - TRY HURRICANES - Barrett bursts through a hole in midfield, fires a gorgeous wide ball to Kobus van Wyk, who beats Hunt and finishes in the corner. Barrett slips as he tries to convert from out wide. (Canes 12-0)
33 mins - Barrett cleans up a chip kick and the Canes try to exit. A penalty helps their cause. Barrett fails to find touch. Landers work their way to the 50m, but a knock on halts their progress.
31 mins - Canes pinged for not rolling away fast enough at the tackle. Hunt will look to the posts, tricky shot from about 35m out. Smith lies prone to keep the ball steady. Shot sails wide of the right-hand upright.
28 mins - TRY HURRICANES - It all just opened up for TJ Perenara, who scoops some ruck ball and bolts through to score untouched behind the posts from 8m out. Conversion is a simple one. (Canes 7-0)
27 mins - Penalty Canes after the lineout steal. They'll throw the lineout at the Landers 22m.
25 mins - Landers lineout inside the Canes 22m. Ben May waltzes to the back of the ruck to make the easiest turnover of his life and they clear to their 10m.
23 mins - Perenara intercepts from a Hunt break, links with Kirifi but the ball is spilled, Landers bring it back over halfway. Penalty Landers. Hard-fought stuff out there so far.
20 mins - Laumape on the wrap around, grubbers into the in goal but the Landers cover defence wins the race. Drop out returned to the Landers 10m...
18 mins - Van Wyk beats one, find Perenara. Canes 15m out now...ball dropped but penalty advantage cashed in. Canes lineout 5m out.
14 mins - Canes on the attack now. Fletcher Smith with a have break, can't quite link with Laumape and the movement breaks down. Penalty advantage being played though, lineout for the Canes 5m out.
10 mins - Aso with a mammoth hit to kill off the Highlanders attack with a fumble. Scrum Canes just outside their 22m.
9 mins - Another penalty to the Landers at the breakdown. Hunt finds touch at the Canes 22m.
7 mins - Ben Lam returns the kick with profit, nice chip and chase over the top to pin Barrett near his 22m. Penalty at the ruck though, Landers way. Lineout at hlafway.
6 mins - Laumape runs it in behind the posts from close range after what looked a blatant obstruction. Referee is checking...no try. Landers find touch from the penalty near their own 10m.
4 mins - Mitch Hunt regathers a kick at his own 10m, cuts inside some lazy defence and finds Aaron Smith on his shoulder, who runs it in under the post. Referee wants to check for obstruction, and they've called it back. That's a very harsh decision. Barrett takes us to a lineout at the Landers 5m. Huge swing there.
2 mins - Frizell carries strongly as they cross halfway. Hunt drops an Andrew Johns-esque mini-chip into the corner, finds touch just inside the corner post.
1 min - Landers get us started. Canes clear and the Landers go wide early.
We're underway...
3:32pm - Both teams make their way out onto a pristine pitch at Sky Stadium. Conditions look rife for some running rugby.
___________________________________________________________________________
Kia ora and welcome to play-by-play coverage, as the Hurricanes and Highlanders square off in Wellington.
Commentary will start from around 3:35pm. In the meantime check out the video above for a preview of today's match.
Betting odds:
Hurricanes - $1.46 Highlanders - $2.55
