Hardie takes the place of Alando Soakai on the openside flank as one of two changes to the side which went down to the Lions last Saturday.
The other change is also in the loose forward trio, with Adam Thomson fit to play his 50th game for the franchise after he withdrew late last week because of a rib injury.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said every time Hardie had come on, he had added impact, and was confident Thomson would be right.
"He was a week early last week and was very keen and hungry to get in and play that game. I think it is a good game to play his 50th given that it is the last game the Highlanders will play at Carisbrook," Joseph said.
"The focus this week has been how we want to play and the opposition and not so much about Adam. But we will make mention of that."
Joseph said he did not have to go far to look at what went wrong last week when the side lost to the lowly Lions.
"We always talk about that every Monday but at the end of the day they [the players] were very disappointed with the performance. The effort was certainly there, the attitude was there, but [it] just came down to letting the opposition off the hook at critical times. I think I talked about nine or 10 times when we should have scored."
Joseph felt the Force was very unlucky to lose to the Hurricanes last week.
"They have got some class players and are playing really well. We are going to have to make some big improvements in our play if we want to beat them."
The Force have made just the one change to the side which lost 34-28 to the Hurricanes, with Alfi Mafi coming on the right wing in place of Nick Cummins.
The Highlanders again go for five forwards on the bench, fully expecting a bruising encounter.
Jonathon White will be the man in charge at Carisbrook for the second week in a row and Joseph said White should be used to the Highlanders' style.
"He now has a feel for the way we play the game and how we approach things, the areas we have been attacking and been successful at. There were a couple of times last week when we got penalised and he has come back and said he'll have another look at that."
Joseph said there had been no drama in the team around the new jersey to be worn by the Highlanders tomorrow night.
"Our team is very much about playing the game. The drama seems to be on the outside.
"I can see the valid reasons why we need to have a new jersey or an identity which emphasises we are a new outfit. I can see the positives in that.
"I can also see the reasons why a feeling it should not change from the traditionalists and the people within the region who have become used to those colours and understand the reasons behind it. So you are damned if you do and damned if you don't.
"The decision has been made by our leaders and as a team we support that."
Highlanders v Force
Carisbrook, tomorrow, 7.35pm
Highlanders: Ben Smith, Kade Poki, Kendrick Lynn, Shaun Treeby, Siale Piutau, Lima Sopoaga, Jimmy Cowan, Nasi Manu, John Hardie, Adam Thomson, Josh Bekhuis, Jarrad Hoeata, Chris King, Mahonri Schwalger, Jamie Mackintosh (captain). Reserves: Jason Rutledge, Bronson Murray, Tom Donnelly, Nick Crosswell, Aaron Smith, Robbie Robinson, Alando Soakai.
Force: Cameron Shepherd, Alfi Mafi, Patrick Dellit, Rory Sidey, David Smith, James Stannard, Mark Swanepoel, Ben McClaman, David Pocock, Matt Hodgson, Nathan Sharpe (captain), Sam Wykes, Tom Fairbrother, Nathan Charles, Kieran Longbottom. Reserves: Ben Whittaker, Matt Dunning, Tom Hockings, Richard Brown, Chris Cottee, Mitch Inman, Nick Cummins.
