The ACT Brumbies, Northern Bulls and Canterbury Crusaders face Super Rugby crunch games this weekend as the below strength NSW Waratahs embark on a crucial tour to South Africa.
Twice-winners Brumbies must continue their strong home record against the Bulls on Friday after relinquishing the Australian conference lead to the Waratahs last weekend.
The Pretoria-based Bulls haven’t won in Canberra for eight years, but need to break through if they are to keep in contention for the top-six playoffs next month.
The seven-time champion Crusaders are walking the plank against the runaway championship leaders Wellington Hurricanes in Nelson on Friday.
The Crusaders are all but gone for this season as they lie seven points outside the play-offs with just three regular season games left. A loss to the Hurricanes means they will miss the finals for the first time since 2001.
The Waratahs face the play-off chasing Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday without suspended forward pair Silatolu Latu and Will Skelton, pending appeals, and may lose their conference lead if they go under and the Brumbies win.
New Zealand rivals Waikato Chiefs and Otago Highlanders also have a bit at stake when they go head-to-head in Invercargill on Saturday.
The Chiefs are one point ahead of the Highlanders in fourth and both outfits are looking to maintain their play-off push ahead of the Brumbies, Lions and Bulls.
There is also pressure on the Western Stormers to win their South African derby against the Central Cheetahs in Cape Town and hold their South African conference top spot and with it a home final next month.
Prop forward Scott Sio is back from two months out with a knee injury for the Brumbies against the Bulls, while Wallabies playmaker Matt Toomua is out for one more week with an ankle injury.
– ‘We just have to win’ –
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has named Jurgen Visser at fullback after he joined the squad this week in place of injured Jan Serfontein.
Stormers’ coach Allister Coetzee said he will play his best possible team against the Cheetahs after also selecting a full-strength team against the Melbourne Rebels last week.
Only flanker Schalk Burger will be given the weekend off as part of the South African franchises’ agreement with SA Rugby to rest top Springboks ahead of September’s World Cup.
“We want to make sure that we stay in contention, and to do that you have to play your best team. We want to consolidate, because we just have to win and then we should be fine,†Coetzee said.
Lions’ quest to make the play-offs has become a little tougher with hooker Robbie Coetzee missing the remaining regular round games through suspension.
The Waratahs hold hope that giant lock Skelton and hooker Latu will have their suspensions lifted after appeals ahead of the Lions game.
Both were cited for their part in a lifting tackle on Crusaders and All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock in last week’s game, which the Waratahs won 32-22 at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium.
All Black centre Ma’a Nonu will earn his 123rd cap for the Hurricanes against the Crusaders, claiming the outright record for the most games from former midfield great Tana Umaga.
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has made seven changes with three players ruled out following head knocks – Whitelock, No 8 Kieran Read and midfielder Ryan Crotty.
Richie McCaw will take over captaincy duties and the number seven jersey and fellow All Black Dan Carter starts at fly-half.
Highlanders co-captain Nasi Manu has a shoulder injury and the Chiefs will again be without All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams, while Liam Messam is also missing with a shoulder injury.
In the weekend’s remaining games, the Coastal Sharks host the Rebels in Durban, Western Force face the Queensland Reds in Perth and the Auckland Blues have a bye.