The Chiefs have pulled off what might be the best signing of 2015 by stealing the hugely promising Nepo Laulala from the Crusaders.

Keven Mealamu's final appearance for the Blues in their match against the Highlanders at Eden Park tomorrow will lend a celebratory air to what has been a depressing season.

The Highlanders are not getting ahead of themselves before playing the Blues in Auckland tomorrow night.

Matt Symons had myriad reasons to rush his return from concussion and get back on the field with the Chiefs.

Keven Mealamu deserves so much better than to depart in the current Blues shambles, writes Chris Rattue.

The angst surrounding Sonny Bill Williams just may be unfounded.

Sir John Kirwan's Blues regime has received another knock, with a key player backing away from endorsing his coaching credentials.

The Hurricanes will top the standings and play at home during the finals but the rest of the ladder will be determined this weekend.

Whichever way you look at it, the Blues are limping towards one of the worst seasons in their history.

Justin Marshall writes the wekend showed the Blues haven't got the pieces in their squad to assemble a competitive team next year.

The Crusaders are out of the playoffs but it's an absence which just might give the All Blacks and Richie McCaw an extra boost ahead of their World Cup defence.

Chris Rattue writes: Come on Sonny Bill Williams - time for the world's greatest athlete to start walking the walk again.

The Chiefs were embarrassed by last week's loss to the Highlanders and that feeling needed to be rectified sooner or later.

Repeat finalists the Crusaders are out of the mix this time yet for some of their squad it is a victory, writes Wynne Gray.

It’s an outcome that is the new normal under Dave Rennie — the Chiefs tonight reached the playoffs for the fourth straight season to continue their hunt for another title.

The Crusaders got the five points they needs and the Blues avoided total annihilation - a good night all round, then.

Sometimes it takes a moment of class to get a team going and last night, once again for the Crusaders, it came from their giant wing Nemani Nadolo.

Join us for a live blog of the Super Rugby clash between the Blues and Crusaders starting at 7.35pm.

Former All Blacks and Hurricanes team-mate Chris Masoe has paid tribute to his close friend Jerry Collins in unique fashion.

The death of Jerry Collins was keenly felt in New Zealand last night - especially in Napier where his former Hurricanes had the difficult task of playing after the news broke.

Daniel Carter will run out at Eden Park tonight to face 15 men looking to take chunks out of him - which is nothing new.

A dark day for the franchise ended on a bright note when the Hurricanes clinched top spot for the first time in Super Rugby history.

Much of the speculative money this week has been on lock James Broadhurst getting an All Black call-up after the season-ending injury to Patrick Tuipulotu.

Join us at 7.30pm for a live blog of the Super Rugby clash between the Hurricanes and the Highlanders.