Speight's Highlanders to play the Brumbies

The last round of the Sky Super Rugby Trans-Tasman Competition has arrived and with it a blanket finish at the top of the table with three unbeaten teams; the Blues, Crusaders and Highlanders all in the box seat to secure a spot in the finals. However, there are no guarantees as a loss by anyone of those three teams opens up a number of permutations.

The task for the Highlanders is made harder by the fact they take on the Brumbies at their stronghold in Canberra and they may well need five points to get into the top two, depending on results.

The team welcomes back talisman halfback and All Black Aaron Smith and Kayne Hammington who had a strong game against the Waratahs reverts to the bench. Hugh Renton swaps places with James Lentjes in the starting line-up while the rest of the team stays the same.

The game will be veteran hooker, Liam Coltman's, 128^th cap making him the most capped hooker in Highlanders history surpassing Anton Oliver.

 Highlanders v Brumbies - 9.45pm NZT, Friday 11^th June, GIO Stadium, Canberra

1.   Ethan De Groot

2.   Ash Dixon (cc)

3.   Siate Tokolahi

4.   Bryn Evans

5.   Pari Pari Parkinson

6.   Hugh Renton

7.   Billy Harmon

8.   Kazuki Himeno

9.   Aaron Smith (cc)

10. Mitch Hunt

11  Jona Nareki

12. Scott Gregory

13. Michael Collins

14. Patelesio Tomkinson

15. Josh Ioane

Reserves

16. Liam Coltman

17. Ayden Johnstone

18. Josh Hohneck

19. Josh Dickson

20. James Lentjes

21. Kayne Hammington

22. Sam Gilbert

23. Teariki Ben-Nicholas

Unavailable due to injury: Jermaine Ainsley (ankle), Fetuli Paea (ankle), Freedom Vahaakalo (foot), Folau Fakatava (knee), Thomas Umaga-Jensen (wrist), Connor Garden-Bachop (hand), Liam Squire (knee), Marino Mikaele Tu’u (leg), Caleb Makene (leg), Josh Timu (ankle), Saula Mau (knee), Shannon Frizell (ankle). 

ENDS