The unbeaten Canterbury Crusaders face fellow competition leaders the Wellington Hurricanes this weekend on the first leg of a two-week campaign that should unravel the cluttered top end of the Super 14 table.
The following week they play the New South Wales Waratahs, who co-lead the championship with the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes have won their past three matches with come-from-behind finishes, very much in the style of the Crusaders, who have played one less game but are just one point behind the two front-runners.
As expected, the Crusaders have reinforced their forward pack for Saturday’s match in Wellington with the return of All Blacks Richie McCaw and Chris Jack, who were in the reserves in their previous match against the Cats two weeks ago.
They are among six changes to the run-on team where the rapidly maturing Andrew Ellis starts at halfback ahead of All Black Kevin Senio, and Caleb Ralph replaces Casey Laulala at outside centre.
It will be the biggest assignment for the rookie Ellis, who has a more robust style than Senio in the crucial half-back match-up where the Hurricanes will field the rugged Piri Weepu.
Weepu was in hospital with a mysterious fever earlier in the week, but is expected to take his place in the starting line-up.
Much of the Hurricanes’ success has been built around the destructive force of their All Blacks loose trio Rodney So’oialo, Jerry Collins and Chris Masoa, and their combination with Weepu.
Both the Hurricanes and the Waratahs have one loss from their seven matches with the Sydney franchise at home to the Central Cheetahs, who hold sixth place and are the second-best-performing South African side behind the Northern Bulls.
Despite the Cheetahs building their game plan around a powerful forward pack, the confident Waratahs have taken the liberty of placing vice-captain Phil Waugh on the bench, alongside Rocky Elsom who returns to the side after a four-week ban for punching.
As expected, Daniel Halangahu has been installed at flyhalf after Mat Rogers was ruled out with a rib injury, with Rogers confident of returning to take on the Crusaders next week.
The fifth-placed Bulls are against the struggling Auckland Blues at Eden Park on Friday night, making three changes to their run-on side from their 30-21 win over the Western Force last weekend.
Mobile flanker Danie Rossouw, Springbok halfback Fourie du Preez and centre Wynand Olivier are all rested.
The Blues could make no excuses for the way their side, with so much talent, evaporated against the Waratahs a week ago and have turned to utility Isa Nacewa to be playmaker at the expense of under-performing flyhalf Tasesa Lavea.
The other option to get the backline under way was Luke McAlister, but his luckless season continued when he was injured against the Waratahs in what was his comeback match from a fractured jaw.
Other injuries hampering the Blues include winger Doug Howlett, specialist open-side flanker Daniel Braid and half-back Steve Devine.
In the New Zealand derby, the Otago Highlanders go to Hamilton to face the Waikato Chiefs in a middle-of-the-table clash. The loser can almost certainly wave goodbye to any chance of making the top four.
Last week, the Highlanders produced an exceptional defensive effort to hold off the Golden Cats but did little on attack, while for the Chiefs it has been defensive lapses that have undone their attacking talents led by Sione Lauaki and Sitiveni Sivivatu.
The remaining matches in round eight cover four teams at the bottom half of the table. The Queensland Reds travel to Durban to play the Coastal Sharks, and the Stormers are in Perth to play the Western Force.
The ACT Brumbies and the Golden Cats have the bye. — Sapa-AFP