Chiefs coach Dave Rennie is furious at the backing of the television match official's actions in awarding two tries to the Rebels against his side at the weekend.

Leading New Zealand sides the Chiefs and Blues have run into a bit of a Super 15 lull.

Western Force coach Michael Foley believes his team have been dudded on the fixture front as the Super rugby club braces itself for a gruelling trek back to New Zealand.

The blues latest plucky 18-17 win against the Stormers has now given them a quintet of triumphs in this tournament.

If the Hurricanes look a long way into the distance they might be able to make out the Super Rugby playoffs.

The Blues have been careful not to brand 2013 a development season, even though it has been.

The pain of another close Super Rugby loss has been eased for the Rebels by the re-signing of athletic Wallaby back-rower Scott Higginbotham to the end of 2015.

Israel Dagg's drop to the bench for today's match between the Crusaders and Brumbies speaks to a bigger, wider problem worrying a lot of rugby folk lately: the poor form of many All Blacks.

Five points safely in the bag and yet the Chiefs left Melbourne with questions unanswered about their defence and a sense of confusion about the TMO rulings.

Project Ben is still going and the odds of success - of turning Ben Tameifuna into a world-class hybrid front-rower - have risen.

Shortly after Dan Carter expressed his delight at returning to the Crusaders' starting line-up against the Brumbies, he mentioned how once again the men from Canberra are the team to beat, just as they were at the start of his career.

Younger All Black prospects will get their chance at several training camps this month. But when that group is cropped for the June test series against France, all the established All Blacks will be picked to restate their international credentials.

Controversial Wallaby back Kurtley Beale made a stirring return to Super 15 action as the Chiefs defence of their Super 15 crown kept moving forward in an unconvincing fashion in Melbourne last night.

The Blues held on for a gritty 18-17 win over the Stormers at North Harbour Stadium tonight.

Join us here for our live blog of the Super 15 clash between the Blues and the Stormers from North Harbour Stadium in Auckland.

Tracey Nelson looks the key statistics ahead of this week's Super 15 fixtures as the Blues look to end a losing run against the Stormers.

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