Stop the Waratahs' forward pack and you'll stifle try-scoring machine Israel Folau.

Sir John Kirwan's comments about Keven Mealamu's calf injury, and the fact he has been sent home from South Africa.

The reinforcements are ready for the Chiefs and, before an arduous schedule over the next two months, their arrival is not a moment too soon.

There is no spontaneity, the players are not reactive, writes Justin Marshall. The Crusaders have their structures and they look like a team that will do anything they can to stick to them

Consistency is not yet their forte as they wavered on the Highveld in Pretoria, teasing us they might conjure a late victory before falling 38-22 to the Bulls, writes Wynne Gray.

They were the only NZ franchise to taste victory this week - a vital first win of 2014 for the Crusaders.

Their defence seemed to be all over the place - even organisational maestro Conrad Smith was caught out a time or two, writes Richard Loe.

On current form, the Hurricanes could ensure their season is over by round six. Not bad. It equals the efforts of the Highlanders last year, the Blues in 2012 and betters their own work in 2011.

The Crusaders won't get close to winning the Super title playing as they did against the Stormers.

The Crusaders have pinched a late win over the Stormers to earn their first points of the Super Rugby season.

Join us here for live coverage of the Super Rugby clash between the Crusaders and the Stormers from AMI Stadium in Christchurch.

If the Hurricanes weren't panicking after losing their opening two games of the Super Rugby season they might need to change that approach after dropping their third.

The Force will go back to basics this week in a bid to end their Super Rugby losing funk.

Aside from a five-minute burst against the Stormers last weekend, the Hurricanes' attack has barely flirted with excitement this season.

The All Black skipper has shown on numerous occasions that he can return to top flight rugby after a long lay-off and play miraculously good rugby, writes Gregor Paul.

If Adam Hill gets trampled at the bottom of a ruck tomorrow night it will probably seem like a tickle compared to his former exploits as a bull rider.

Coaching inbreeding has turned the champs into comparative chumps, writes Chris Rattue. "That backline is about as exciting and instinctive as a North Korean political rally."

A lot of mental preparation and less focus on the physical stuff was Blues coach Sir John Kirwan's summary of how his team would tackle this week.

The main message coming out of the Brumbies camp over flanker David Pocock's knee injury.

There was a time when Western Force captain Matt Hodgson thought he would never get the chance to play a single game of Super Rugby.

The words "McCaw" and "thumb" might be two of the most searched among New Zealand rugby fans this week.