With four rounds of Super Rugby's regular season remaining there's every chance three New Zealand teams could again assert their collective authority by sneaking into the playoffs.
Last year it was the Crusaders, Chiefs and Highlanders who commanded three of the top six positions; this year those three are all in contention but they're all chasing the table-topping Hurricanes. What a transformation it has been.
Barring an extreme collapse the Hurricanes, sitting 14 points clear of the second-placed Brumbies and 13 ahead of the Chiefs after beating the latter 22-18 in Wellington on Saturdday night, seem near assured of making their first finals appearance since 2009 and should, from here, also book home advantage.
Of course, plenty of twists, turns and controversy will spring from the corner of rucks. The bounce of the rugby ball invariably catches you by surprise and, as the Chiefs discovered in Wellington on Saturday, one contentious TMO call can alter your fate drastically.
Of the four Kiwi teams in playoff contention, the Crusaders will be most nervous.
The red-and-blacks will need to have summoned a master-plan during their bye week to win all four matches on their treacherous run home. In all likelihood, they must knock over the Waratahs, Blues and Brumbies all away from home - and halt the Hurricanes in Nelson. It requires one of the great recoveries from Todd Blackadder's men to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
The Highlanders kept the heat on their southern rivals by regaining their poise after a disappointing result against the Lions with a crucial seven-try, 45-24 bonus point win over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. That result saw them move up to fifth and level with the Chiefs on points. A win over the Force in Perth this week will see them well placed for a playoff charge upon returning home.
New Zealand teams are again benefitting from the collective struggles of the South African teams. Under the conference system which promotes the top team from each country, the Bulls held on to third spot, despite having less points than the sixth-placed Waratahs and falling 23-18 to the lowly Blues in Auckland on Friday night.
All four other South African teams sit outside the top six, allowing New Zealand to take advantage.
As for the Chiefs, they are warming into the work at the right time. Dave Rennie's men could rightly feel aggrieved about the final ruling of a match-winning try to replacement halfback Augustine Pulu. Missing a host of stars, including Sonny Bill-Williams, Tim Nanai-Williams, James Lowe and Brodie Retallick, the Chiefs showed all the attributes of title contenders. This loss will hurt and the final -round rematch with the Hurricanes in New Plymouth is sure to be a heated affair.
Result aside, the Hurricanes and Chiefs appear by far and away the two best teams this season. Saturday's match had evertyhing.
The Tahs and Brumbies, who knocked over the Sharks (33-18) and Lions (30-20) respectively, are Australia's two best hopes after the Rebels confirmed they don't have the mentality to consistently challenge after losing to the second-last Reds in Brisbane.
While the playoff picture becomes clearer each week, picking a champion remains difficult.
At this point the Kiwis have a better shot than others.
- Stuff
