Auckland have fought their way to an NPC quarter-final against North Harbour but have paid a heavy price and will be without a slew of key players on Friday evening.
With David Havili and Quinn Tupaea both leaving the field in last week's Bledisloe Cup clash, much of the discussion in the follow-up has centred around who the All Blacks will field in the No 12 jersey in this weekend's rematch.
Tasman Mako centre Levi Aumua has produced two incredible try assists in the space of three minutes but it wasn't enough to prevent Auckland.
With three Super Rugby Pacific semi-finalists already chosen, the fight for the last spot was in a chilly Canberra. How did the Hurricanes rate in their defeat at the hands of the Brumbies?
The Hurricanes will look to challenge the Brumbies up front this weekend in Canberra with coach Jason Holland naming a side capable of footing it with the best of the best at the set-piece and the breakdown.
Hurricanes coach Jason Holland has heavily rotated his squad ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific quarter-finals, making 11 changes to the team that ran out 45-22 winners against the Rebels last weekend.
The Hurricanes have remained within touching distance of the Chiefs in their hunt for a top four finish in Super Rugby Pacific.
The Hurricanes have made seven personnel changes to their line-up for their upcoming clash with the Rebels, including handing starting berths to Dane Coles and Ruben Love.
The Hurricanes are preparing for their next match on Australian soil as they head to Sydney to take on the Waratahs this Saturday, 9:45PM NZT at Leichhardt Oval.
The Hurricanes are set to welcome two All Blacks hookers back into the fold this weekend while former New Zealand representative Owen Franks is also set to make an appearance in Wellington.