Aaron Cruden's last-second penalty handed the Chiefs a narrow victory over the Brumbies in New Plymouth tonight.

Reds backline utility, Auckland-born Karmichael Hunt has been charged with supplying cocaine as part of an investigation by Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission.

Lion was served as the entree, now the Hurricanes must slice through the Bulls for their main dish in South Africa.

The rise and rise of Malakai Fekitoa has coincided with a corresponding fall in the midfield stocks at the Blues, his former franchise for whom he didn't play a competition game.

If the Chiefs are looking to increase their physicality and reverse a growing hoodoo against Australian opposition, then recalling Liam Messam is a handy place to start.

The English Premiership academy system is rightly lauded for its success in promoting domestic talent.

I heard a funny thing the other day. A bloke on the wireless was talking about Super Rugby coaches.

The Auckland Blues rugby supporter with the foghorn voice and the foul mouth at North Harbour QBE Stadium on Saturday.

Three days on and updates about Daniel Carter's latest leg injury are fuzzy.

Forget the Brumbies v Crusaders classics, Wallaby test prop Scott Sio says his Super Rugby side have found a new transtasman grudge rival: the Chiefs.

If you do any form of Super Rugby tipping competition, you'd have been best served to let a random-number generator do your picks during the opening round of the competition.

A key cause of last year's inconsistent Chiefs campaign was the mid-season absence of Aaron Cruden.

With lock Patrick Tuipulotu on the brink of returning, John Kirwan's thoughts as he left Auckland yesterday for Sydney on the first leg of the Blues' journey to South Africa might have been how to....

Those inclined to provoke early season niggle will declare the Crusaders are toast, the Bulls are crisping and the Reds are burned offerings.

Few things inspire confidence in a team like a first-five with a fully functioning computer for a brain.

It might not be a wise idea to be cautiously optimistic about the Blues' chances this year in the wake of a first round defeat, but they did enough for judgement to at least be reserved.

No surprise the Blues came second. Not against the Chiefs who have hovered around the top of the competition for the last few years while the Blues have puttered along in their own slurry.