Highlanders

Winger Ben Lam scored two of the Hurricanes' four tries on Saturday as they notched a third-straight win and handed the Highlanders their first defeat of the season.

The scores were locked 12-12 entering a final half-hour which the hosts dominated, scoring through a long-range penalty to Jordie Barrett and tries to reserve winger Vince Aso and Lam.

Both tries required expert, diving finishes in the corner from the wide men when tackled by the cover defence, as did Lam's first-half try.

The Highlanders trailed 31-24 when Blues replacement flanker Antonio Kiri Kiri was yellow carded by Jamie Nutbrown for a high tackle and the home side seized on the opportunity to take a lead they did not relinquish.

Walden's centre partner Rob Thompson also grabbed two tries, while flyhalf Bryn Gatland, winger Matt Duffie and number eight Akira Ioane (two) replied for the visitors.

Neither team was perfect in their first competitive match of the season as they struggled with the new laws at the breakdown that does not allow defenders to attack the ball.

It might have only been the Brisbane Global Rugby Tens but the heartbreak was real as a last-gasp try from Highlanders winger Tevita Nabura sealed a 12-10 victory at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

The 'Tahs' looked on course to notch the first win by an Australian side over a Kiwi franchise in any format since the opening match of last year's inaugural tens event. An embarrassing 21-0 whitewash in Super Rugby followed.

Led by new coach Aaron Mauger, the Dunedin-based side have agreed to stage a home game in Suva on June 30 against the Colin Cooper-coached Chiefs - who have played the Crusaders in Fiji in 2016 and 2017.

Club chief Roger Clark says it is a sound sporting decision.

"We are aware of the large following Super Rugby enjoys in Fiji and we're happy to have the chance to showcase our style of game in the islands," Clark said.

"Fiji has produced so many great players including our own Waisake Naholo - it will be great experience for him and all the players."

Makos forwards Shannon Frizell, Pari Pari Parkinson and Tyrel Lomax join McKay, while Counties prop Kalolo Tuiloma, Counties outside back Tevita Nabura and Wellington midfielder Thomas Umaga-Jensen are also new.

Otago first five-eighth Josh Ioane is the other new player, and will cover Lima Sopoaga and Fletcher Smith in the No 10 jersey. 

There is no space for former Highlanders co-captain Shane Christie, who didn't play at all last season due to an "illness". 

The Dunedin-based franchise confirmed Mauger as Tony Brown's replacement at their headquarters on Tuesday morning. 

The 36-year-old has signed a three-year deal and beat out fellow Cantabrian Mark Hammett for the top job.

Mauger, who played 46 tests and 89 Super games, signed on as an assistant coach in May, about a month before long-time Highlanders assistant coach Scott McLeod was confirmed as the All Blacks' new defence coach.  

The 30-year-old will make the shift to Scotland at the completion of the Mitre 10 Cup, where he will play one final season for the Tasman Makos.

The six-cap Tongan international made his Super Rugby debut with the Highlanders in 2016 and has gone on to make 26 appearances.

"I'm excited to be joining Glasgow Warriors with my family later this year," Halanukonuka told glasgowwarriors.org.

"It is a team aiming for titles and big things which excites me.

Chasing their eighth title and first since 2008, the Crusaders will remain in Christchurch next week to meet either the Stormers or the Chiefs who play later on Saturday in Cape Town.

RNZI reports driving rain and wind greeted both teams at a sodden AMI Stadium, but the conditions played into the hands of the home side's dominant pack while dampening the Highlanders' attacking firepower.

Front-rowers Joe Moody and Codie Taylor rumbled over for tries to drive the Crusaders to a 17-0 lead at halftime that the Highlanders were unable to budge in the second half.

Naholo had been weighing up a move to the Chiefs for 2018, however in a social media video posted after the Highlanders' captain's run in Dunedin, he confirmed his intention to stay in the south for one more year.

RNZI reports the 26-year-old will start on the right wing for the Highlanders in today's quarter-final against the Crusaders.

Naholo's decision is welcome news for the Highlanders, following the confirmation that mid-fielder Malakai Fekitoa will leave at the end of the season to take up a contract in France with Toulon.

All they can do now is sit back and wait to see if they have to travel to Johannesburg to play the Lions or to Christchurch to play the Crusaders in the quarterfinals, something they might not know until about 5am on Sunday morning. 

Highlanders coach Tony Brown has maintained all week he'd rather play the unbeaten Crusaders, meaning he will be keeping a close eye on Saturday night's match between the Hurricanes and Crusaders in Wellington.