Hurricanes

But Holland doesn't want to spend his Sunday thinking about the Crusaders.

"I don't want to move there yet. I want to soak up what we've just done out there against the Blues, especially if we lost out here to the Blues it hurts for three or four days. So I want to take another day or so to enjoy this," Holland said.

"We want to beat the other team and we want to go to Christchurch to end their run.

"We're going to have to do everything well. We're going to have to prepare well and that will start on Monday morning, but at the moment we're going to enjoy this win."

Barrett's conversion upstaged older brother Beauden, who was making his first appearance for the Blues at Wellington Regional Stadium after he moved north this year following nine seasons with the Hurricanes.

"They're the kicks that every kicker wants, they're the ones I want, they're the ones you practice for during the week and so I was lucky I hit it true. It only snuck in," Jordie Barrett said.

" often enjoy those wide ones where the game's on the line.

They ran in three tries to the visitors' one, but still had to dig deep to hold on for their second win of the competition.

The match started at a frantic pace in gusty conditions, both teams denied a try inside the first 10 minutes.

Two minutes after an earlier obstruction denied Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith a fourth-minute try, Hurricanes second five-eighth Ngani Laumape's try was disallowed for the same reason.

In a statement following a report on 1 News, the Super Rugby club confirmed Spencer would leave the club immediately, as the 0-2 Hurricanes return to training on Tuesday for Sunday's match against the Chiefs in Hamilton.

"Due to the financial uncertainty created by Covid-19, we have agreed he will finish his contract early," the Hurricanes said.

"This means he will not be part of the Hurricanes coaching team for the remainder of Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa.

Mo'unga's 69th-minute try snapped a 25-25 deadlock and came when Hurricanes replacement Cobus Van Wyk mistakenly passed the ball to the Crusaders' Mitchell Drummond less than five metres from his own tryline.

The scrumhalf flicked the ball to Mo'unga, who scored the try and converted from the sideline to give his side some breathing room before David Havili crossed with less than five minutes remaining.

Two-time world player of the year, Beauden Barrett, missed out on the No.10 jersey in his first game for the Blues, instead making his debut at fullback against his former side on Sunday.

Otere Black retained the first five-eighth spot after impressing MacDonald earlier in the season, and landed six from six with the boot as well as directing the Blues back line with clarity and control.

New Zealand's government lifted virtually all COVID-19 restrictions earlier this week, allowing a 10-week competition for the country's five Super Rugby teams to begin this weekend without any limits on crowd sizes.

The Blues said that by 12 noon on Saturday they had sold 43,000 tickets, the capacity set for the match, and there would be no gate sales on matchday.

Eden Park can usually seat up to about 50,000.

"It was only a few weeks ago that we were planning for a competition behind closed doors," Blues chief executive Andrew Hore said in a statement on Saturday.

The 44-test loose forward will come off the bench in Sunday's Super Rugby Aotearoa clash with the Blues in Auckland.

Gareth Evans is at number 8, with Du'Plessis Kirifi at openside and Reed Prinsep at blindside.

Dane Coles starts at hooker and co-captains the team with fellow All Black, halfback TJ Perenara.

Jackson Garden-Bachop is at first-five with Ngani Laumape at second-five. Chase Tiatia is at fullback in the absence of the injured Jordie Barrett.

Head coach, Jason Holland says the team is raring to go.

Jordie Barrett's 40 metre kick in the fourth minute of second-half injury time sealed a 27-24 win for the visitors on Friday night.

The result was a bounce-back for the Hurricanes after their upset loss at home against the Blues last weekend, while the Chiefs suffered their second consecutive defeat in Hamilton.

Discipline had been an issue for the Hurricanes against the Blues, and appeared it may be again as co-captain and halfback TJ Perenara was shown a yellow card for a high tackle in the 57th minute.

Lomax was red carded by referee Mike Fraser early in the second half of the Hurricanes' 24-15 defeat in the capital. 

The Sanzaar foul play review committee accepted a guilty plea from Lomax on Sunday night for contravening Law 9.16.

Lomax has been suspended from all forms of the game for 3 weeks, up to and including March 27, meaning he will miss games against the Chiefs (away), Crusaders (away) and Bulls (home).