KEY POINTS:
It's hardly motivation the Hurricanes and Highlanders would have wanted for this stage of the Super 14 but a little New Zealand rugby pride goes on the line in their clash here on Friday night.
With the playoffs out of the equation for both sides with two rounds
remaining, Hurricanes forward Luke Andrews says avoiding the tag as lowest-placed finisher among the New Zealand teams was now a driving force.
The Hurricanes, who have earned that title more than any other side, currently sit there again in ninth place. The Highlanders have the same five win-six loss record this year but are one place ahead courtesy of three extra bonus points.
"It's more important than anything else now," Andrews said.
"We've got a few guys who aren't going to be here next year that want to finish well. So we're doing it for personal pride and for those guys.
"It's always a good challenge to beat the other New Zealand teams and nobody wants to finish last, we basically want to finish with good memories of the Hurricanes."
The Hurricanes have finished last four times, the Highlanders three times -- including each of the last two seasons -- the Chiefs twice and Blues and Crusaders once each.
Ironically the six-time champion Crusaders have produced the worst Super rugby season performance of any New Zealand team. In the first season in 1996 they were dead last with just two wins.
Highlanders captain Josh Blackie expected a hard-fought affair at Westpac Stadium, with his team keen to build on their narrow defeat of the New South Wales Waratahs last weekend.
"Both teams will be out to finish in the top six of the competition, there's a lot of pride at stake," said Blackie, who this week announced his imminent departure to club rugby in Japan.
"And obviously a lot of players have got further honours in mind, to try and get into other teams. So it will be a high intensity game."
The Hurricanes' chances of a third successive semifinal appearance disappeared with last week's 13-23 loss to the Crusaders.
Andrews lamented his team's inability to ignite their renowned attacking game this year, believing the problem was a lack of confidence as losses mounted.
"Last year we got onto a winning streak but this year we've just struggled with some of the finer details of the game and we've lost our winning way. A bit of self-belief has dropped aside and we just haven't been able to lift that," he said.
"We haven't had as much flair in the team as in previous years and maybe that's shown."
The absence of six All Blacks on reconditioning programmes through the first half of the competition shouldn't be used as an excuse for their lowly placing, he added.
The Hurricanes have won two and lost two games since they returned in round eight.
"We were midfield by the time they came back and we're midfield now," Andrews said.
"They haven't let us down. It's just we're not playing quite as well as last year's team, mainly because we've been getting off to bad starts and having to play catch-up rugby.
"Maybe a little bit of individual (play) has come into our game, but that's what can happen when you fall behind."
- NZPA
