If the season ended today...
Super Rugby Pacific: Possible quarterfinal matchups with three rounds to play
There are three rounds to go in the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific season and with eight quarter-final spots up for grabs, all 12 teams are still in the running for the playoffs.
Fijian Drua (7 points) and Moana Pasifika (6) are still in the hunt with a mathematical chance of locking in eighth spot but are set to play each other in Sydney on Saturday.
As it stands with 18 games remaining it's looking like there will be three quarter-finals in New Zealand with one all-kiwi clash.
Here's how the quarter-finals match-ups are currently stacking up:
1 Blues v 8 Highlanders, Auckland
The Blues remain in top spot and hold a two-point lead over the Brumbies. The 43-point drubbing of the Rebels on Friday gave them a handy lead over the Brumbies on points difference as well. It could increase if the Brumbies don't beat the Crusaders this Friday in Canberra before the top two teams (for now) meet there eight days later.
The Highlanders moved into eighth spot with a win over the Reds on Friday. They have two home games coming up against the Force and the Waratahs before finishing the regular season in Melbourne. Would it surprise anyone if they won all three?
Previous meeting:
Week 4 - Blues 32 Highlanders 20 Games remaining:
Blues - Reds (h), Brumbies (a), Waratahs (a) Highlanders - Force (h), Waratahs (h), Rebels (a)
2 Brumbies v 7 Hurricanes, Canberra
A win on New Zealand soil proved the Brumbies are serious contenders.
It may have never been said before but Canberra is the place to be this Friday night. The Brumbies have a massive two weeks upcoming with first the Crusaders at home followed by the Blues the following Saturday.
The Hurricanes are still a chance to finish fourth for a home quarter, just three points behind the fourth place Chiefs following yesterday's big win over Fijian Drua (wins, then points difference will decide if teams finish on the same points). They are also 12 points clear of the Highlanders in eighth so lock in a playoff spot. If they do play an away quarter-final though, they might prefer to play in Australia considering they end the regular season in Perth.
Previous meeting:
Week 11 - Brumbies 42 Hurricanes 25
Games remaining:
Brumbies - Crusaders (h), Blues (h), Moana Pasifika (a)
Hurricanes - Waratahs (a), Rebels (h), Force (a)
3 Crusaders v 6 Reds, Christchurch
The Crusaders could jump to second with a win in Canberra this week, or could also make ground the following week when the Blues play the Brumbies. If the third seed remains their spot then it means the Crusaders and Reds will face each other in the final round of the regular season and then a week later in the playoffs. The Reds look unlikely to match the Blues this week but a win against Moana Pasifika should mean they'll have enough points to lock in at least seventh spot.
Games remaining
Crusaders - Brumbies (a), Fijian Drua (h), Reds (h)
Reds - Blues (a), Moana Pasifika (h), Crusaders (a)
4 Chiefs v 5 Waratahs, Hamilton
The Chiefs will be looking for a bounce-back win in Melbourne on Sunday and hold onto the crucial fourth seed. The Waratahs have now won two straight and host the Hurricanes on Saturday. The last time the 'Tahs beat the 'Canes in Sydney was 2014 while last year's Super Rugby Transtasman fixture at the SCG produced the impressive Scorigami of 64-48. Worth noting the Chiefs end the regular season in Fiji. It would be interesting if they lock in a 4 v 5 quarter-final against the Hurricanes and both teams are heading some distance to Hamilton for the first playoff game.
Previous meeting:
Week 10 - Chiefs 51 Waratahs 27
Games remaining:
Chiefs - Rebels (a), Force (h), Fijian Drua (a)
Waratahs - Hurricanes (h), Highlanders (a), Blues (h)