Captain Conrad Smith has been a part of the best and worst times at the franchise and says the building blocks were laid during the past few years.

Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham will take whatever perceived advantages he can get when his side plays the Hurricanes in their Super Rugby semifinal tomorrow.

Liam Coltman is not getting ahead of himself. The Waratahs - and their big, bristling forwards - await, but the Highlanders hooker and his team are staying calm.

The Highlanders are one win away from playing in their second Super Rugby final, with only the Waratahs standing between Jamie Joseph's side and the final.

The Highlanders need to be shown a bit more respect, their former coach Greg Cooper believes.

Brumbies winger Henry Speight will miss the Super Rugby playoffs after being suspended for five weeks.

Tana Umaga says he must earn the respect of his players but Blues captain Jerome Kaino thinks the new coach has it already.

The sun shone brightly on Alexandra Park yesterday morning as Tana Umaga began his tenure as Blues head coach.

Tana Umaga, the new head coach at the Blues, says he would have worked with John Kirwan and was negotiating a contract on that basis before Kirwan suddenly quit last Friday.

Tana Umaga has been handed the job to try to resurrect the Blues.

Aaron Smith is the one of the most vital players in All Black rugby today. And he is in the form of his life.

A Hurricanes-Highlanders Super Rugby final could mean All Black spots for Andy Ellis, James Lowe and Nepo Laulala.

The Hurricanes are dangerous given their prowess on attack but have one major weakness.

Australia has two sides playing in the Super Rugby semifinals and they're stacked with Wallabies showing steady improvements in Australian rugby, writes Justin Marshall.

Should Jerome Kaino get the all-clear in the next 10 days to resume playing, it might be a wise idea to stand back as there is a bit of pent-up frustration within him.

Considering the Chiefs lost five from five against the Kiwi sides still alive in the Super Rugby playoffs, no arguments can be made of an unjust exit.

The brilliance of the Highlanders' attack poses questions about whether it can be repeated at All Black level, writes Wynne Gray.

Ticket sales have been strong for the Hurricanes with more than 17,000 already snapped up for Saturday's semifinal at Westpac Stadium.

Any players disappointed to not hear their name called at yesterday's All Blacks announcement will now have a firm rooting interest in the Super Rugby semifinals.

For a nation with a surplus of rugby talent, there are always hard-luck stories and surprise elevations after the announcement of national training squads, writes Wynne Gray.

The Hurricanes will host the ACT Brumbies in their Super Rugby semifinal in Wellington on Saturday night after the Brumbies upset the Stormers.

In today's short-attention-span, reality TV world, results are everything and it cannot be denied Kirwan did not bring them in.

The New Zealand under-20s, Blues, Tana Umaga and All Blacks, in a curious way, are all inter-connected.

There were 16 long years between home playoff games for the Highlanders - but this one was well worth the wait.