There's something to be said for having a gun goal-kicker and Beauden Barrett showed exactly why that's the case at Westpac Stadium last night.

As Owen Franks prepares to go head to head in a match against his brother, Ben, for the first time, he has revealed he would have left the Crusaders in search of more game time if his elder sibling hadn't.

Q&A with Victor Vito of the Hurricanes.

You'd hope two things come out of this woebegone match - that referee Steve Walsh is censured for manhandling Hurricanes skipper Conrad Smith and that the Canes do not head any further down a path which could see them hailed as 'the new Blues'.

Super rugby is billed as a massive tri-nations provincial series. But tonight looks more like an event for sparklers rather than any whizz-bang skyrockets and trumpets flourish.

With the five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises naming their squads today, APNZ looks at how each side stands heading into the 2013 season.

Chiefs assistant coach Wayne Smith wonders if Super Rugby needs specialist television match officials.