The Crusaders, Hurricanes and Highlanders sit in the top three spots in the overall standings but before the conference winners get the three top seeds for the playoffs it means the Hurricanes and Highlanders are set for a fourth v fifth quarterfinal.
The Crusaders currently sit seven points clear of the Hurricanes atop the NZ Conference and a staggering 18 points away from third. It's fair to say a home quarter-final is secured for the defending champions.
The Brumbies are the new Australian Conference leaders and jumped from ninth to the third seed with last night's win over the Sunwolves. They sit a point ahead of the Rebels.
The South African Conference remains very tight with the Sharks hold top spot by a point over the Bulls. The Jaguares are just two points back while the Stormers sit in last spot of the SA Conference but just five points away.
Coming up
The Crusaders head to Cape Town to play the Stormers in a battle between the two conference leaders. A defeat for the home side will see the Stormers lose the SA Conference top spot if the Bulls (away to the Rebels) or the Jaguares (away to the Hurricanes) can cause upsets. The Lions also have a chance to jump the Stormers if they can beat the Highlanders in Johannesburg on Sunday.
The Brumbies have the bye with gives the Rebels a chance to take back the Australian Conference lead with a win over the Bulls in Melbourne.
The winner of the Blues-Chiefs game on Saturday night at Eden Park will reignite their playoff hopes. Same goes for the other local derby between the Reds (12th) and Waratahs (13th).
