The highlanders vs brumbies clash in Dunedin has arrived with urgency for both sides, and the Brumbies have named Allan Alaalatoa to start in his first appearance of 2026. The ACT side are coming off a bye after a tough derby defeat to the NSW Waratahs at home, while the Highlanders need a win to stay in touch with the top six. Friday night’s game is set for Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, with the Brumbies aiming to restart their season.
Highlanders Vs Brumbies carries pressure on both ends
Stephen Larkham’s side go into the match with a mix of returnees and milestones, including the comeback of Wallabies prop Allan Alaalatoa and hooker Lachlan Lonergan. Ryan Lonergan is set to bring up 100 caps for the club, while Billy Pollard will reach 50. That gives the visitors a significant lift after the bye, and the selection calls point to a team built to reset quickly.
For the Highlanders, the task is simpler but no less demanding: win at home and stay in the race for the top six. They currently sit eighth, which means the margin for error is already thin. The setting under the roof in Dunedin adds a sharper edge to a contest that both teams need for different reasons.
Alaalatoa’s return changes the tone
Alaalatoa’s comeback is the clearest headline inside the highlanders vs brumbies meeting. He had been staring down the possibility of missing the entire season after carrying a back injury into the Wallabies’ spring tour, but he has now reached a point where he is ready to go. He has said the rehabilitation period was difficult because he did not have a clear target at first, and medical staff warned him he could miss the whole Super Rugby Pacific season, or potentially longer.
The Brumbies have managed without him and without Tom Wright for any part of the campaign, yet they still sit fourth at the halfway point of the season. Rhys van Nek, Tevita Alatini and Darcy Breen helped cover the front-row void, though van Nek’s hand injury changed the picture and pushed Alaalatoa’s recovery forward.
Lonergan milestones add another layer
There is also a personal milestone for Ryan Lonergan, who is due to reach 100 appearances for the ACT side. His brother Lachlan Lonergan is back in the mix too, having been named on the bench for his first top-flight appearance since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament against the British and Irish Lions last year. That return has been timed to the same week as Ryan’s landmark, which gives the Brumbies another emotional thread inside a match already loaded with significance.
For the Highlanders, the focus remains on staying close to the top six and turning a must-win feeling into points. For the Brumbies, the challenge is to turn selection boosts and restored experience into a result that pulls their season back into stronger shape. The highlanders vs brumbies meeting now carries that sense of immediate consequence, and the next step will be whether the ACT side can use the comeback stories to produce the response they want in Dunedin.
