Hurricanes vs Western Force preview as the sides meet at McLean Park.
Hurricanes sit in third place in the Super Rugby table with two wins and one loss from the opening three, but have played one game fewer than the two teams above them. Western Force have only won one of their four games and have yet to pick up a bonus point in their four games. Defeat in this match could see them drop to the bottom of the table.
Hurricanes vs Western Force confirmed lineups and team news
Hurricanes (1-15):
Rakete-Stones, Devery, Tosi, Delany, Walker-Leawere, Shields, Kirifi, Flanders, Roigard, Harkin, Fineanganofo, Barrett, Rova, Sullivan, Moorby
Replacements (16-23):
Aumua, Numia, Lomax, Dearns, Iose, Viljoen, Love, Higgins
Western Force (1-15):
T Robertson, Paenga-Amosa, Johnson-Holmes, Williams, Swain, Harris, Tizzano, Champion de Crespigny, H Robertson, Donaldson, Kuenzle, Beale, Bridge, Lancaster, Burey
Replacements (16-23):
Dolly, Pearce, Epenisa, Molina, Faifua, Hastie, Annan, Stewart
Recent Form:
Hurricanes (Home team): W-L-W-L-W
The Hurricanes have had two strong wins to start the season, scoring more than 50 points against Moana Pasifika and the Waratahs. Their only defeat of the year came on a wet trip to face the Fijian Drua.
Western Force (Away team): L-W-L-L-L
There have been more than 50 points in each of the Force’s four games this season. They have been on the losing end three times, conceding 39 or more points in each of these games. Their one win came against Moana Pasifika, where they took a 35-7 lead with less than 10 minutes to go before conceding two late on.
Hurricanes vs Western Force head-to-head record (last five matches):
| Date | Competition | Winner | Score |
| 19th April 2025 | Super Rugby | Draw | 17-17 |
| 23rd February 2024 | Super Rugby | Hurricanes | 14-44 |
| 2nd April 2023 | Super Rugby | Hurricanes | 45-42 |
| 28th May 2022 | Super Rugby | Western Force | 27-22 |
| 28th May 2021 | Super Rugby | Hurricanes | 43-6 |
The Hurricanes have traditionally dominated this fixture, although last year’s game ended as a 17-17 draw. Western Force scored a late penalty to bring it back to 17-17. This came after the Force had taken an early 14-0 lead, before the Hurricanes scored 17 unanswered points. The Hurricanes have scored more than 40 points against Western Force three times out of the last five.
How to watch Hurricanes vs Western Force?
Hurricanes vs Western Force kicks off at 6:05 am on Friday 13th March in the UK and is available to watch on Sky Sports+, and coverage will begin at 6 am.
