A potential season ending injury to Cam Roigard has soured the Hurricanes' 47-12 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin.
Scrum-half Roigard was a pivotal figure in a fast-paced match in Dunedin as the Hurricanes made it six wins from six, picking up a bonus point to stretch their lead atop the standings.
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The ruthless visitors lifted their season try tally to 33, crossing seven times against a Highlanders side who slumped to their fourth defeat.
The Hurricanes were 28-0 ahead at halftime, with the last try before the break being scored by the lively Roigard, who was a constant menace with his probing runs.
Opposite number Folau Fakatava got the Highlanders on the board just after the break, before disaster struck for Roigard.
Touted as the player most likely to replace the retired Aaron Smith at the base of the scrum for the New Zealand All Blacks, Roigard suffered a suspected dislocated kneecap in the second half that forced him from the field.
Captain Brad Shields hoped his 23-year-old game-breaker wouldn't be out for long but noted the Hurricanes have an excellent backup scrum-half in veteran Test player TJ Perenara.
"One thing we're pretty lucky with at the moment is our depth. If you take one All Black off, you bring another All Black on," said Shields, who was enjoying his team's fast-paced style.
"It's pretty cool, I can't complain at the moment.
"We're pretty excited with where we are but there's a lot of season to go."
Perenara made an instant impact, crossing the line for his 60th try, the second player to reach the milestone behind former teammate Julian Savea.
Replacement lock Justin Sangster sealed the win on the siren to cement their place on top of the ladder
