Rugby: Top guns ready to serve up appetiser

Ma'a Nonu of the Hurricanes breaks away for a try during the round 14 Super Rugby match against the Chiefs on May 16. Photo / Getty Images

Tonight in New Plymouth, if all goes to plan, will merely be the second instalment of a trilogy that decides the Super Rugby season.

The Chiefs and the Hurricanes have been circling each other throughout the campaign and, with apologies to the Highlanders, a climactic encounter between the Kiwi heavyweights would be a fitting finale for the 20th year of Super Rugby.

Both teams are among the competition's most exciting with ball in hand, featuring in the top five for clean breaks, metres gained and defenders beaten, and both teams are laden with enough All Black incumbents or hopefuls to turn almost any area of the park into an intriguing personal duel.

Their first meeting of the season - the Hurricanes' 22-18 victory in Wellington last month - lost some of its lustre due to the injuries suffered on both sides, while a controversial late TMO decision rendered the merit of the result debatable.

Tonight at Yarrow Stadium will again see key personnel missing, with both sides taking the chance to rest a few aches and pains ahead of the playoffs, while the top-seeded Hurricanes' motivations for the match are questionable.

A third clash, however, with everything on the line, with two teams trending towards something resembling a clean bill of health? That would be appointment viewing.

"I'd like an opportunity to play the Hurricanes again," said Chiefs assistant coach Andrew Strawbridge. "And we'd love an opportunity to play a New Zealand franchise in the final, if we're good enough to get there. That would be outstanding for us, and outstanding for the country."

There are a few factors that need to be figured out before that hypothetical can eventuate. First of all, the Chiefs must take care of business tonight, needing to match or better the Highlanders' result against the Blues if they wish to seal fourth spot.

That reward for that position on the ladder is as much about what a team avoids as what they earn for themselves. Home advantage in the first round of the playoffs is ideal, yes, but skipping a trip to South Africa or Australia is even better.

"It would make it a lot easier if we had that home quarter," said lock Matt Symons. "It feels like ages since we played at Waikato Stadium and we all love playing there."

As much as the players would be passionate about a game in Hamilton, the feeling would be shared by those in the Chiefs' front office.

"I think we've got a responsibility to our organisation to go as hard as we can for fourth spot," Strawbridge said. "It would mean a lot to the club in terms of revenue, so that's pretty significant, and it would mean a lot to us in terms of not having to travel. So it's a huge goal."

The Chiefs would still need to win that qualifier and, if other results fall kindly and they're kept on the opposite sides of the draw, the Chiefs and Hurricanes would need to hold serve in the semifinals. But if they can manage that and if the New Zealand rugby public can be delivered a final for the ages, then tonight is only an appetiser.