The Super 14 play-off battle goes down to the wire in this weekend’s final round of matches, with seven teams still in the hunt for the four available places.
The front-running Northern Bulls and second-place Waikato Chiefs are in the box seat to host the play-off semi-finals — but one of the tightest races in memory means almost anything could happen.
New Zealand’s Chiefs can secure just their second playoff appearance ever by taking one point from their clash with the ACT Brumbies on Friday, so even a bonus point would send them into the play-offs next week.
But if the Brumbies can deny the Chiefs a point and get their own four-try bonus point win, they will book their first play-off berth since 2004 — and the Australians have won on their last four visits to Hamilton.
”Probably the best thing about it is getting your game out there, doing the best you can and then sit back and see what everyone does,” said Chiefs captain Mils Muliaina, whose team can ensure a home semi-final with a win.
”But we have to do our job first. It would be nice to have a home semi. We clearly know we could still miss out if we don’t do things right on Friday.”
South Africa’s Bulls, meanwhile, can lock up a home semi-final if they can beat the sixth-placed Coastal Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
The win would give them a franchise record 10 wins in one season, while the Sharks — who have lost three of their last four games — have beaten the Bulls just twice at home in the Super Rugby round robin since 2001.
The Wellington Hurricanes and Canterbury Crusaders, in third and fourth place, will book their own play-off spots with wins on Saturday.
The Hurricanes travel to Brisbane to take on the second-from-bottom Queensland Reds, while the Crusaders have a feisty New Zealand derby with the ninth-placed Auckland Blues.
The Hurricanes, who relinquished the competition lead with last week’s 16-8 loss to the Chiefs, must beat a Reds side bolstered by the return of Wallabies James Horwill and Berrick Barnes.
Wellington, chasing a fifth semi-final appearance in seven years, have won on two of their last three visits to Brisbane and have won six of the last seven between the two teams.
The seven-time champion Crusaders, meanwhile, have worked their way into play-off contention winning six of their last eight games but face the Blues — the only team in Super Rugby with a winning record against them.
Like the Brumbies and Sharks, the NSW Waratahs also can still squeeze into the play-offs if the right results fall their way — but they need a bonus point win against the Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Friday.
The seventh-placed Waratahs have just four bonus points this campaign and will need to unshackle their defensive mindset to get the four tries needed to have even a remote chance for the play-offs.
”All we can do is go out there with a focus on winning the game,” coach Chris Hickey said. ”That’s all we can control, and the rest will take care of itself.”
In this weekend’s remaining games, Australia’s Western Force are at home to New Zealand’s Otago Highlanders and the Central Cheetahs host the Western Stormers in Bloemfontein. — Sapa-AFP