With five rounds of Super Rugby to go, it's getting extremely tight in the New Zealand conference, with the Crusaders, Chiefs and Highlanders all on 37 points, one ahead of the Hurricanes.
The advantage lies with the Chiefs, however, because they host the Rebels next, a match on Saturday against a game but limited team which they should win comfortably after their bye.
A night earlier, the Crusaders play the Waratahs in Christchurch. Todd Blackadder's men will be favoured to win that, but it's hard to know what sort of effect their 34-26 defeat to the Highlanders in Dunedin will have on them because that was a match they dominated until the home side didn't just turn the tables in front of a sell-out crowd, but threw them out the window.
It was the Crusaders' second defeat to a New Zealand team after their round one defeat to the Chiefs, so they are likely to feel more comfortable about playing the inconsistent Sydneysiders in the knowledge that, with two tries disallowed by the match officials in Dunedin, not a lot went their way.
The Highlanders will have celebrated that victory fully given they have a bye this weekend, with the Hurricanes, who beat the Reds 29-14 without their grounded Famous Five, also having a rest.
