Hurricanes welcome back Barrett brothers for Brumbies qualifying final in Wellington

The Hurricanes head into Friday’s Super Rugby Pacific qualifying final against the Brumbies in Wellington missing three of their strongest contributors, yet Clark Laidlaw has been able to call on the bulk of his first-choice squad for the knockout opener.

Only six players retained their starting places from last week’s 47-14 defeat to the Crusaders: Xavier Numia, Ardie Savea, Cam Roigard, Kini Naholo, Josh Moorby and Callum Harkin. Moorby and Harkin have been reshuffled, moving to right wing and fullback respectively, while Tyrel Lomax — who has managed just 74 minutes of game time this season — drops to the bench.

Seven All Blacks feature across the run-on side, with the returning co-captains among the most significant inclusions. Laidlaw pointed to their leadership as a key factor heading into the knockout rounds.

“It’s an exciting week. The boys are really looking forward to welcoming the Brumbies to Wellington for a Qualifying Final,” Laidlaw said. “It’s great to have such a strong squad available at this time of the year, with most of the squad fit and available to select from.”

“We’re welcoming back our captains Dupes and Jordie, which gives us leadership in playoff rugby. With so much of our squad having shared experiences over the last few years of the knockout stages, it gives us real confidence around our preparation and how we play.”

The two sides have recent history in playoff rugby, and Laidlaw acknowledged the Brumbies’ consistent ability to reach the latter stages of the competition.

“We’ve got a huge amount of respect for the Brumbies. They’re a high-quality team that can always get to the playoffs, and we’ve got recent history in knockout games with them, so we understand the challenge that’s coming,” he said.

“We’ve played them under the roof in Christchurch during Super Round. I’m sure it’s going to be different conditions and a different game, but one we really can’t wait for on Friday night.”

The Hurricanes finished the regular season as one of Super Rugby Pacific’s form sides in 2026, making the three absentees the primary concern for a squad that otherwise looks close to full strength at the right moment.