The Crusaders' journey to Hamilton was disrupted by fog today. They will be hoping that is the last diversion they have to make on their way to the promised land of the playoffs.
Making an brief unscheduled stopover in Wellington wasn't too painful for Todd Blackadder and co - a worse scenario would have been a two-hour bus journey to Hamilton from Auckland. No harm done then, but the Chiefs have the potential to hurt the Crusaders' playoff pretensions further with a victory at Waikato Stadium tomorrow night.
If the Hurricanes broke the skin with their upset win in Christchurch last weekend, the Chiefs can plunge the dagger halfway in with another reverse for the seven-time defending champions.
The Crusaders, though, will be boosted by the return of injured All Blacks Dan Carter, Israel Dagg and Kieran Read, and will be thirsting for revenge after feeling hard done by at AMI Stadium last Saturday night and also the first time the two sides met, in Napier in March.
That was considered a home game for the Crusaders because their new stadium in Addington hadn't quite been completed, but it didn't end well for them as the Chiefs poured on the pressure at the breakdown, and, more surprisingly, the scrum. They crowded the Crusaders at the set piece and the tactic paid off magnificently.
The Crusaders, fifth on the table, need to win this match and next week's against the Force at home to ensure they don't miss out on the business end of the competition for the first time since 2001. The Chiefs, leading the competition by four points, want a victory to seal their place at the top and home advantage in the final if they make it.
For the Chiefs, having an assistant coach in Wayne Smith, who has worked with the Crusaders and All Blacks, is proving a real advantage, and his defensive nous could create further problems for the red and blacks.
It is the game of the round, with another derby, the Sharks v the Bulls in the South African conference, not far behind. The Bulls are in fourth and face a difficult trip to Durban to play a Sharks team in eighth place, but still with a decent chance of making the playoffs. The home side will have to do without injured utility Patrick Lambie and loose forward Willem Alberts after both failed late tests.
The Highlanders, ninth on the table and their chances almost gone, have a daunting prospect in Brisbane against the Reds, although they will be helped by the late injuries to Reds' wing Digby Ioane and flanker Liam Gill.
The Blues get their season back under way after last weekend's bye with a match against the Force at Eden Park on Saturday night. Hooker Keven Mealamu returns to lead the side after an injury ruled him out of nine matches.
Australian conference leaders the Brumbies should be too good for the Waratahs in Canberra, the Cheetahs host top South African side the Stormers and in the other match between two struggling teams, the Lions play the Rebels.
