While four New Zealand teams are preparing for Super Rugby quarter-finals the Australians are getting ready for the All Blacks. It's

They'll kick off in the middle of peak hour but the Brumbies are hoping a campaign urging bosses to let Canberra workers off early

No team can match the Crusaders for playoff experience - or even get close.

The Hurricanes will start the biggest game of their season without the biggest name in their team.

All Blacks winger Julian Savea has been dropped to the bench for the Hurricanes quarter-final clash against the Sharks in Wellington on Saturday.

An all-New Zealand Super Rugby semifinal round is possible...but is it going to happen? The TAB has set odds at $5.25 for four New

Highlanders coach makes brave call in face of Brumbies star Pocock's return to play.

Explore a Herald interactive which reveals the best and worst Super Rugby teams for every season since the tournament launched in 1996.

Will either the Chiefs or the Stormers benefit from the disparity in their respective schedules in Sunday's quarter-final?

Super Rugby delivered specific proof last weekend that NZ has an emerging glut of openside flankers who are going to have a major impact in the playoffs.

COMMENT: Of all the strange rugby decisions made this season, the Liam Messam one has got to be the craziest, writes Scotty Stevenson.

The Sharks may be rank underdogs for Saturday's Super Rugby quarter-final in Wellington, but the Hurricanes are not preparing for

The presiding view is that the Lions took a huge gamble not sending their best side to Argentina for their final conference game and

The Hurricanes were so awful in their first outing of the season, one commentator called them 'fat and slow'. Now they are Super Rugby's top ranked team.

Chris Boyd is not so sure that the chances of four NZ sides reaching the semifinals are as cut and dried as many pundits and the form book would suggest.

Crusaders have posted online a patchy sing-along tribute to departing stalwart Andy Ellis ahead of their must-win quarter-final.

Will the Lions' Super Rugby strategy prove a masterstroke?

The Hurricanes will be reminding their players and staff that they need to put their phones on in-flight mode when they are flying.

For the second straight season the Hurricanes have topped Super Rugby following the round robin. Can they turn home advantage into

Chris Boyd is not so sure that the chances of four New Zealand sides reaching the semifinals are as cut and dried as many pundits

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder knows his side face a tough task ahead in South Africa after a bruising finish to the Super Rugby

Former Wallaby Glen Ella says their is immense pressure on Michael Cheika to avoid another series whitewash against the All Blacks.

The kickoff time was a compromised result of the Brumbies failing to book Canberra Stadium early enough to stage a Saturday game.

Liam Messam has been ruled ineligible by Sanzaar for Sunday morning's Super Rugby quarter-final against the Stormers.

Piers Francis, a surprise package for the Blues this season with his consistently high-quality performances in the midfield, is looming

COMMENT: An amazing last Super Rugby round showed once again the quality of the New Zealand teams.

An already difficult assignment for the Crusaders in Todd Blackadder's last few weeks as coach has just been made much tougher.

From humble beginnings, the Hurricanes have won the NZ conference and are now in the box seat to host playoffs all the way to the Super Rugby final.

The Crusaders have to sit on their hands for more than 48 hours before getting on a plane, and will be missing several key players.

If the Chiefs' playoff task appears much trickier than what was forecast a week ago, that challenge is only enhanced when assessing their midfield stocks.