The Hurricanes-Highlanders rivalry has always been a fierce one and reached fever pitch just two years ago when the two clubs met in the 2016 Investec Super Rugby final at Westpac Stadium.

Last year the two teams split their matches one apiece with the Highlanders winning 17-16 in Dunedin and the Hurricanes winning the return match 27-20 in Wellington.

Check out some of the key statistics that have marked the competition between the two clubs below:

STAT ATTACK

28 The number of times the Hurricanes have played the Highlanders. The record stands at 15-13 in the Hurricanes favour.

100 The match against the Highlanders will be the Hurricanes 100th against all teams at Westpac Stadium. (Including the match against the Crusaders in 2011 which was regarded as a home game for the Crusaders after the earthquake on February 22 prevented them from hosting the Hurricanes in Christchurch.)

7 The Hurricanes current succession of wins at Westpac Stadium is a club record.

14 The number of times the Hurricanes have hosted the Highlanders with the record in the home team's favour - eight wins to six.

23 During the 99 matches the Hurricanes have played at Westpac Stadium Ma'a Nonu holds the record for most tries with 23. Wing Julian Savea is second on the list with 20.

685 The number of points the Hurricanes have aggregated against the Highlanders made up of 76 tries, 52 conversions and 67 penalties.

9 The Hurricanes record for the most tries scored against the Highlanders in a single match is nine, in Wellington in 1997.

7 The most tries scored by a Hurricanes player in all matches against the Highlanders is seven by Ma'a Nonu, closely followed by TJ Perenara with six.

25 The most points scored by a Highlanders player in a match against the Hurricanes are 25, by Lima Sopoaga at Dunedin in 2014.

172 The number of points the Hurricanes have scored so far in the 2017 Super Rugby competition (26 tries, 18 conversions and two penalties). They have conceded just 49 points (five tries, three conversions and six penalties).

3 Julian Savea has scored a try in each of the first three matches of the season.  If he scores against the Highlanders he will become just the seventh Hurricanes player to score tries in four consecutive matches. Andre Taylor hold the record with tries in six consecutive matches in 2012.

58 The number of points the Highlanders have scored so far in the 2017 Super Rugby season (four tries, four conversions and 10 penalties), and have conceded 66 points (seven tries, five conversions and seven penalties).

7 The margin that separated the sides when they last met in Wellington, on May 27 last year the Hurricanes won the match 27-20. Ardie Savea scored two tries and Brad Shields one. Beauden Barrett kicked three conversions and two penalties for a total of 12 points.

Hurricanes vs Highlanders previous records