Super Rugby

The Highlanders' bonus-point win at Canberra Stadium put them top of the table on 23 points, two points ahead of the second-placed Hurricanes, but both teams need results to go their way on Saturday.

The third-placed Blues (19 points) can claim the top spot and the right to host the final with victory at home to the Western Force but the equation is tougher for the fourth-placed Crusaders (18).

Usually, however, the off-contract players tend to stay put – such is the commitment that they have to the culture in Crusaders country.

Bulldozing outside back Leicester Fainga’anuku has become the latest to extend his time with the Super Rugby Aotearoa champions, agreeing to a new deal that will keep him in Christchurch until 2023.

Vunivalu hobbled off the field in Queensland’s 31-24 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman loss to the Blues last weekend and Wallabies coach Dave Rennie says the injury is significant enough to rule him out of the three-Test series against the French next month.

“Obviously a reasonably serious hamstring injury,” Rennie told AAP.

“That’s going to see him miss the French series and we’ll know a little bit more detail beyond that but he certainly won’t be available for France.”

The Hurricanes needed to score a bonus point win in Canberra on Saturday night to remain on track for the tournament final, but the Brumbies clinched their first 2021 series victory over a Kiwi team with a 12-10 win.

Squandered opportunities – including two late Jordie Barrett penalty attempts – left the stunned Hurricanes to contemplate a tough final round return to Wellington to meet the Reds.

Holland said the tournament format rewarded consistency, and the Hurricanes had come up short.

The win moves the Chiefs onto 14 points from their first four matches but, after missing out on a bonus point, their already slim hopes of a place in the final on 16 June diminished further.

Leichhardt Oval hosted the game after Covid-19 restrictions in Melbourne led to uncertainty over travel between Victoria and New Zealand which saw organisers shift the game from Hamilton to Sydney.

Crusaders boss Colin Mansbridge on Sunday confirmed the match against the Melbourne-based Rebels would be played at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday (4.35pm NZT).

Victoria's latest Covid-19 enforced lockdown had already forced Sanzaar to relocate two matches – Highlanders v Rebels and Chiefs v Rebels – to Leichhardt Oval in Sydney’s west.

Unlike the first two relocated games, Saturday’s match was scheduled as a home game for the Rebels.

The Crusaders will depart Christchurch on Thursday, and will know exactly what they need to do to crack the final come kickoff.

The Crusaders earlier beat the Western Force 29-21 in the opening match of the round but were left ruing a try after the hooter from the visitors that also cost them a bonus point.

The Blues top the standings by a point from the Crusaders with the Hurricanes, who play the ACT Brumbies on Saturday, a further three points back in third. The top two after next week's final round will play off for the title.

Mo’unga is one of four players who started in last week’s 54-28 thumping of the Waratahs in Wollongong who have been benched or rested for this Friday’s match at Orangetheory Stadium.

In his place has come 21-year-old first-five Fergus Burke, who will start in his first-ever game for the Crusaders.

Mo’unga, who has been the subject of plenty of attention in recent weeks due to his sterling performances in Super Rugby this season, will be joined on the sidelines by two other All Blacks, Sam Whitelock and Sevu Reece, who both started off the bench last week.

The SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee has ruled McKenzie out for three weeks following his red card for a dangerous tackle on Reds halfback Tate McDermott in the 22nd minute of the Chiefs' 40-34 to the Reds in Townsville on Saturday night.

Any incident of foul play involving contact with the head starts with a potential six week suspension.

McKenzie's guilty plea and judicial record saw the time on the sidelines reduced to three weeks by the committee of Adam Casselden, Mike Mika and Stefan Terblanche.

The Rebels, who have yet to win in the competition this season, briefly took an unexpected one point lead early in the second half when George Worth slotted over his penalty from near the halfway line.

But after Uelese was shown the yellow card for kicking the ball away, the Highlanders took control, with a penalty try putting them back in front before tries from Josh Dickson and Jona Nareki effectively clinched the game.