The Highlanders and All Blacks are both being picked for wins by a former Dunedin university student - but both teams will have to work for success.
The former student is David Kirk (54), who played for Otago University, Otago and Auckland and eventually became All Black captain - the first to uplift the Webb Ellis Trophy for New Zealand, in 1987.
In Dunedin yesterday for a fundraising event for FoodShare, he is picking ''the Highlanders by three points'' in tonight's Super rugby final against the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Having played for Otago, including under coach Laurie Mains, Sydney-based Kirk had no hesitation picking the Highlanders, but predicted a ''tough and upfront game''.
''It will be a game of both teams being effective in [taking] opportunism,'' he said.
The Hurricanes' semifinal win was ''very impressive, and methodical'', albeit the Brumbies were ''out of sorts'' and later ''lost their way'' as the Hurricanes piled on the points.
He was more upbeat about the Highlanders' more convincing 35-17 semifinal win over the Waratahs, saying the Highlanders forward pack, while not dominant, had not been dominated.
''The Highlanders have to put aside any anxiety and go for a clinical finish,'' he said, noting they had blown a couple of chances of early tries against the Waratahs.
On the test next week between the All Blacks and Samoa, the first hosted by the island nation, Kirk expects the All Blacks ''to win, and win well'', but it will only come from hard work and executing set pieces well.
''With the Samoans at home, they have everything to prove and will be throwing their bodies into the fray.
''I'm just pleased it's them and not me,'' Kirk quipped, in reference to his 76kg frame.
