Super Rugby Pacific power rankings: Rinse and repeat for sagging Highlanders
Wednesday, 25 March 2026
Rinse, repeat.
The Highlanders are doing it again, sliding down the ladder after making an encouraging start to the season.
To think it’s only six weeks since they upset the Crusaders in round one, sparking some giddy punters and pundits to jump the gun and suggest it might just be their year.
The “Jamie Joseph factor” were words repeated by many at a time the Highlanders’ head coach was in the process of applying for the then vacant All Blacks head coaching role.
Now, the Highlanders are coming off a 50-7 hiding to the Hurricanes, their worst defeat since 1996, when the Brumbies embarrassed them 70-26.
It prompted prop Ethan de Groot to use the word “unacceptable”, before vowing to conjure a response for both the team and their fans.
With a lone victory over the Western Force to show from their last five matches, they can’t afford to wait beyond Friday night’s away match to Moana Pasifika.
Here are this week’s power rankings.
1. HURRICANES (4-1) PREVIOUS RANK: 1
Dismantled the Highlanders in Dunedin to send a Hurricane warning to the rest of the competition.
Sure, the Highlanders are hardly the Chiefs, Crusaders or Blues, but so much for a long overdue New Zealand derby finally providing a firm test.
Speaking of tests, the streaking Reds are sure to provide one in Wellington on Saturday afternoon.
2. BLUES (4-2) PREVIOUS RANK: 2
Make that 12 straight wins for the Blues over the Waratahs.
Vern Cotter’s troops cooked up an excellent second half to do so, ensuring they’ve now won three straight matches.
A deserved bye looms after they host the Fijian Drua at Eden Park on Saturday night.
3. REDS (4-1) PREVIOUS RANK: 3
Finally broke their duck in Fiji, beating the Drua to notch their first four-match winning streak in almost half a decade.
Indeed, Les Kiss’ men are humming along and appear to be a legitimate title contender half a dozen rounds into the season.
There should be no doubt if they roll into New Zealand’s capital and tip over the high-flying Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon.
4. BRUMBIES (4-2) PREVIOUS RANK: 7
Stared a three-match losing streak in the face, before blitzing the Chiefs with 26 unanswered points.
The Canberra-based Aussies have now knocked over last year’s finalists - the Crusaders and the Chiefs - as well as the Blues.
Impressive, to say the least.
5. CRUSADERS (3-3) PREVIOUS RANK: 5
Now on their first bye week, the defending champions will likely be content at 3-3 after capping a tough six-week stretch to start the season by hosing Moana Pasifika.
That stretch included four New Zealand derbies, three of them on the road, and a round two match against the Brumbies.
With their 13-strong injury ward likely to shrink in the coming weeks, nothing short of five competition points will be acceptable when they host lousy travellers, the Drua, in their final match at Apollo Projects Stadium Friday week.
The Crusaders don’t face another New Zealand team until May 1 (Hurricanes in Wellington).
6. CHIEFS (3-2) PREVIOUS RANK: 4
Are yet to hit their straps under new coach Jono Gibbes, who must still be wondering how they coughed up their round six match to the Brumbies.
A missed Damian McKenzie penalty was brutal inside the final three minutes, as was the intercept pass Simon Parker threw at the death.
Worryingly, the Chiefs have now blown big leads to the Crusaders and Brumbies.
The good news is the season is still young and there’s a ton of time to get into a groove, starting against the Force in Perth on Saturday night.
7. FIJIAN DRUA (2-3) PREVIOUS RANK: 6
Rarely have we seen the Fijian Drua flop in Lautoka before this year.
However, they’ve now done so twice this season, after the Reds bottled them up en route to a 21-6 victory.
The flying Fijians were de-winged, failing to score a single try and conceding 18 turnovers.
Away fixtures against the Blues and Crusaders loom ominously.
8. WESTERN FORCE (1-4) PREVIOUS RANK: 9
Can thank the sagging Highlanders for moving on up a spot during a bye week.
Their tough New Zealand tour in the rear-view mirror, the Force are back home against (gulp) the Chiefs.
9. HIGHLANDERS (2-4) PREVIOUS RANK: 8
Watching the Highlanders attempting to execute a lineout is quickly becoming comedic.
Only the Fijian Drua (71%) have a worse success rate than the Highlanders (76%), who butchered five of their 12 during their beat down at the hands of the Hurricanes.
A by-product of their lineout woes is their talented backs are being starved of opportunities.
The Highlanders have crossed for just 16 tries in six games, just three more than the last-ranked Drua, and 19 less than the pace-setting Brumbies.
10. WARATAHS (2-3) PREVIOUS RANK: 10
So much for this potentially being the Waratahs’ year.
Led the Blues 17-8 at halftime, only for the Auckland-based franchise to out-gun them 25-3 the rest of the way.
That’s three straight losses for the Sydneysiders since losing Wallabies centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to injury.
11. MOANA PASIFIKA (1-5) PREVIOUS RANK: 11
Here’s another case of rinse and repeat.
Moana Pasifika’s second half woes buried them again, this time during a 50-21 defeat to the Crusaders.
The good news is they’re hosting the Highlanders this week, another team that leaked 50 points in round six.