Round six is in the books and the Hurricanes are still unbeaten, after holding out the Highlanders 20-13 in Dunedin to improve their franchise-best start to the season to 5-0.
Elsewhere there were three red cards dished out as the 13-man Sharks upset the 14-man Chiefs in Durban, the Crusaders rumbled into some ominous form in Christchurch and the Waratahs thumped the Brumbies in the big Aussie derby.
That considered, here are the latest Power Rankings:
1 Hurricanes (last week #1)
Not entirely convincing, but 5-0 is 5-0, and any win in Dunedin against a Highlanders team as competitive as Jamie Joseph's has its worth. Considering that four of these five victories have come on the road and six of their next seven games are at home, the Canes are sitting prettier than Taylor Swift at a photo shoot. Yet to unleash their full attacking arsenal, but a resilient, well organised defence and combative pack have been foundation stones. Having Julian Savea and a dialled-in Ma'a Nonu helps too.
2 Chiefs (last week 2)
Losing against 13 Sharks will not sit well with Dave Rennie. Even though they only had 14 themselves. But got stuck in a grind in the wet in Durban and could not apply the finishing touches possession demanded. More goalkicking wobbles from Aaron Cruden will be a concern. But five points from two games in the republic isn't the worst return and still right in the playoff picture. Missed Sonny Bill Williams, though hopefully his game off can at least be written off as All Black "rest".
3 Stormers (last week 4)
A week off to lick their wounds after their Chiefs defeat. Now we get to see if they're the real deal as they head to Dunedin, Wellington, Sydney and Perth. Traditionally travel well, so will have their sights on at least two wins from that month on the road.
4 Crusaders (last week 6)
Look a different team since the return of Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock and Nemani Nadolo. Took a while to get going on Saturday, but once the rhythm was found the Cheetahs were toast. Four of their eight tries came in a wonderful six-minute symphony of scoring. A fortnight in South Africa now, with the only question hovering around when Dan Carter will get another shot back at No 10.
5 Brumbies (last week 3)
Lost a spiteful one in Sydney against the champs, but stay a spot ahead of the 'Tahs by virtue of their better body of work through the season. A week off to think about things, and most of that should revolve around how to get those forwards firing again.
6 Waratahs (last week 9)
More like it. Behind a strong pack effort and a welcome return to form from Israel Folau, the defending champions played the Brumbies off the park, even if they might have got a bit lippy in the process. Will take a lot from their best effort of the season and be pretty keen to keep it rolling this week against the winless Blues.
7 Highlanders (last week 5)
Not much luck as the big calls went against them. But a second home defeat hurts, especially with a schedule that's decidedly road-heavy over the run home. Still, considering they're down three first-choice props and two specialist No 7s, Jamie Joseph's men continue to find a way to be competitive. Must win this week against the Stormers at 'The Glasshouse' and to do so will need more firing like Ben Smith was on Friday.
8 Sharks (last week 8)
What they lacked in discipline they made up for in ticker en route to a remarkable victory over the Chiefs with just 13 men. Hopefully this gets them going, though will need to find a little more attacking fluency to really turn the corner.
9 Bulls (last week 7)
A third straight win, but it sure was ugly as they were outscored three tries to one by a hardly stellar Force outfit. Handre Pollard's boot is winning games at the moment, but will need much, much more against the better sides to come.
10 Lions (last week 12)
A welcome bit of resiliency from the men from Jo'burg as they snatched a dramatic road victory over the Rebels in Melbourne. It could have unravelled after the big defeat in Christchurch but this showed they're made of sterner stuff than that. .
11 Rebels (last week 10)
Ouch. Had it in the bag against the Lions but let their guard down when they could least afford it. This is a group that plays hard, but is still learning the key art of closing out games. One step forward, one back.
12 Cheetahs (last week 11)
Opened up like a keg at a student party by the Crusaders, the big cats from Bloem have now lost three straight and are teetering on the brink. Not the time to be heading to Hamilton to take on a Chiefs side in bounce-back mode.
13 Force (last week 13)
Much better effort to go very close to a significant victory in Pretoria. But should be kicking themselves over letting the Bulls out of jail with a stupid late penalty via a tip tackle. Five straight defeats now, following their big opening win in Sydney.
14 Blues (last week 14)
Their best weekend of the season, as a number of wits have delighted in pointing out. Yes, they didn't lose, because they had a bye, but it's to be hoped they're steeled to start making this run that their coach keeps promising. At 0-5 there are no tomorrows, though Sydney is a slipper launching pad.
15 Reds (last week 15)
Another struggling team coming off the bye, though with the Lions in Brizzie up next, a climb off the bottom of the rankings might only be a week away.
- Stuff
