In a wild week of results some big names stood out in round eight of the Bunnings NPC.
For the Blues game, they've selected their strongest available 23 and again named All Balck Ethan de Groot as captain.
The Highlanders have named a young back row to take the Crusaders as they look to end a multi-year losing streak against New Zealand teams.
The Highlanders head to Brisbane in what might just be a critical contest against the Reds as they look to keep up in the race for the playoffs.
Fly-half Ajay Faleafaga will start at Super Rugby Pacific match for the first time on Saturday when the Highlanders take on the fifth-placed Melbourne Rebels.
The Highlanders’ reigning Players’ Player of 2023 Billy Harmon will lead the team once again in 2024, as confirmed by head coach Clarke Dermody on Wednesday.
The very first game of 2024's Super Rugby Pacific pre-season kicks off in Queenstown on Friday (6pm NZT) with a match between the Highlanders and Moana Pasifika.
It has so far not been a vintage Junior World Championship for New Zealand, as they only scrapped by Wales – the bottom team in the 2023 age-grade Six Nations – before enduring a 21-point hammering from the more physical France in a 35-14 rain-affected loss.