Crunch time in Super 14

SYDNEY – It’s crunch time in the Super 14 this weekend, with a top-of-the-table clash between the Wellington Hurricanes and Waikato Chiefs and five other must-win games that will help shape the playoff picture.

• ROBERT SMITH
The New Zealand sides, first and second in the table, have a showdown in Hamilton on Saturday in the competition’s penultimate round, with the winner in the box seat to host one of the two playoff semi-finals later this month.
Coming in on a four-match winning streak, the Hurricanes (39) hold a two-point advantage over the Chiefs (37), who will be welcoming back their two dynamic wingers Sitiveni Sivivatu and Lelia Masaga.
Sivivatu will start for the first time in six weeks after dislocating his shoulder, while Masaga is back from a knee injury to form a powerful back three combination with skipper Mils Muliaina.
‘The Hurricanes represent a formidable challenge but there will be two teams out there that are feeling confident with their form,’ Chiefs coach Ian Foster said, playing down the limited preparation time after their South Africa leg.
Colin Cooper, coach of the front-running Hurricanes, said it was refreshing for his side to have control of their playoff destiny.
Meanwhile five other match-ups will help decide the playoff fate of the Coastal Sharks, Canterbury Crusaders, Auckland Blues, NSW Waratahs, ACT Brumbies and the Western Force.
The fourth-placed Sharks, whose grasp on first place slipped away in recent weeks, take on the fifth-placed Waratahs in Durban on Saturday without four key members of the side.
Francois Steyn (knee), first-choice No.10 Ruan Pienaar (knee) and Adrian Jacobs (shoulder) are all out, while in-form scrum-half Rory Kockott – the second-leading scorer in this year’s competition is suspended for one game.
Waratahs coach Chris Hickey expects winger Lote Tuqiri (knee) and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau (ankle) to be fit for the game despite them leaving the field against the Cheetahs last weekend.
The defending champion Crusaders, currently sixth, are chasing a bonus-point win over the struggling Queensland Reds at home on Friday. Crusaders captain Richie McCaw has declared himself eligible after a concussion.
The Brumbies and Blues, seventh and eighth place respectively, have a cut-throat encounter in Canberra on Saturday, with the loser out of contention for a top-four finish to guarantee a play-off appearance.
Brumbies coach Andy Friend said his team had to ensure their defence was up to scratch against the Blues, who have amassed 11 bonus points this season.
The Brumbies’ Stirling Mortlock, the Australia captain, goes into the match eight points shy of Super rugby’s all-time points record of 990, held by former Crusaders flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens.
The Force meanwhile have no option but to beat the Western Stormers in Cape Town.
In the weekend’s other games, the Golden Lions host the Otago Highlanders in Johannesburg, while the third-placed Northern Bulls are at home to the last-placed Central Cheetahs.
– Nampa-AFP