1 Are the Hurricanes the real deal?
For years, the lads from Wellington have flattered to deceive. They loom large in predictions but inevitably fall over.
This year, they have started off well and are the only unbeaten team in the competition. But are they only actually four from four because of an easy draw and a slice of luck?
A scratchy win over the Lions was followed by a very lucky win over the Bulls, when a Bulls player cost his side a match-winning try by sliding out just as he went to score.
Then came a good win over a Force team down on skill and execution. And, last week, victory over a Blues side which could not win a one-ticket raffle.
Smith has pulled ahead in the halfback rankings in this country. He is No 1 by a mile, is playing as well as ever and is a key part of the Highlanders.
Perenara was the chosen one, playing for Wellington before he had even left school. But a muddling season in 2014, when he never totally convinced on the international stage, has rather left his international future in a holding pattern.
When the sides last met - in Wellington last year - Perenara had the upper hand. But the Hurricanes still lost.
Perenara has to prove he is at least the equal of Smith. Smith just has to continue to play well.
3 Who will get scrum ascendancy and does it even matter?
We all love it. Those seemingly endless minutes of resets, flops and wheels, followed by a mysterious penalty.
The Hurricanes have a settled scrum with lock Jeremy Thrush back to give the side a boost. The other lock, Blade Thomson, is seen more of a loose forward but has some locking miles, while the Hurricanes front row is solid.
Injuries and suspension have hit the Highlanders front row hard. Some of the referees do not seem to like them.
But scrums and statistics are not great bedfellows. Winning that battle does not translate into a war triumph.
Two years ago, the Highlanders had the most successful scrum in the competition. Where did they finish on the ladder? Fourteenth.
