The joke was on the Brumbies as the Highlanders won their Super 15 rugby match at Invercargill tonight.

Colin Slade will finally make his return to first class rugby, having fully recovered from a broken jaw in pre-season.

A top Highlanders player is facing an internal disciplinary hearing after being arrested in Dunedin early on Sunday morning.

The Crusaders showed a ruthless streak and underlined an enduring ability to perform away from home as they outclassed the Highlanders 44-13.

Join us at nzherald.co.nz for live scoring of tonight's NRL and Super Rugby matches.

All Blacks rugby coach Graham Henry is unashamedly a fan of the Super 15's new conference format.

Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph threw down the gauntlet to his players as they left Cape Town

Stats guru Tracey Nelson breaks down round three of the Super 15 and pinpoints the key stats from each match.

High in the coaching box in the turmoil at Loftus Versfeld, Jamie Joseph and Simon Culhane exchanged awkward smiles.

An air of intrigue hovers over New Zealand teams in this weekend's third round of Super rugby.

Veteran first five-eighth Tony Brown has been drafted into the injury-depleted Highlanders' Super 15 squad

Only the Highlanders remain unbeaten of the New Zealand teams in rugby's revamped Super 15 after the Blues faded in Durban today.

A second-half momentum shift saw the Highlanders battle back from a seven-point halftime deficit to down the Chiefs tonight.

The Chiefs will field a significantly different starting 15 when they face the Highlanders in a Super rugby match in Dunedin on Friday night.