Overview
- The Reds confirmed on Wednesday that Harry McLaughlin‑Phillips starts at fly‑half and Tom Lynagh returns on the bench for his first minutes of 2026.
- Carter Gordon misses round seven with a minor lower‑leg injury after being rested last week in Fiji.
- Captain Fraser McReight reclaims the No.7 jersey for the fourth‑placed Reds, who broke new ground with a first win in Fiji to extend their streak to four.
- The Hurricanes lead Opta’s attacking metrics and have beaten Queensland 10 straight, including every Wellington meeting since 1998.
- Elsewhere in round seven, James Slipper marks 100 games for the Brumbies, the Waratahs start Andrew Kellaway with Harry Potter sidelined, and the Force delay Zac Lomax’s debut after only days of training.