A confident air surrounds the Crusaders and Hurricanes ahead of virtual Super 14 rugby quarterfinals which could leave them either planning for next year or eyeing a daunting South African trip.
New Zealand's involvement in the playoffs will be determined on a mouth-watering Friday night when the Crusaders host the Brumbies and Hurricanes travel to Sydney to face their recent bogey team the Waratahs.
Victory by either should guarantee them a semifinal, but if both are defeated it will be the first time since 2001 - when the Brumbies beat the Sharks in the final -- that no New Zealand teams have graced the playoffs.
Despite a hectic 35-40 loss to top qualifiers the Bulls in Pretoria, then an arduous trip home, the Crusaders are heavily favoured by bookmakers to finish the Brumbies' season in Christchurch.
It was a much improved effort in Pretoria and offered encouragement the Crusaders could break a three-match losing streak on the road and book their ninth consecutive playoff appearance -- and a possible return to Bulls territory next week.
"I thought we played some great footy with width and we felt we were that much better than the Bulls, but they stayed in it the whole time and that shows what a quality side they are," halfback Andy Ellis said.
"I'd love to go back and have a crack at them. The comment that came out of the changing shed after the game was that we've got to win next week against the Brumbies so we can come back."
All Blacks tourist Ellis reclaims the No 9 jersey from Kahn Fotuali'i, who was dropped for disciplinary reasons after breaching "recovery protocol" in Pretoria.
Coach Todd Blackadder made two other changes, with Sam Whitelock usurping Chris Jack at lock and Ben Franks replacing loosehead prop Wyatt Crockett.
The Brumbies, who kept their hopes alive with a 31-3 win over the Highlanders last weekend, will again be without inspirational leader Stirling Mortlock (back) as they chase their first win in Christchurch in 10 years.
The Hurricanes flew to Sydney today boosted by a positive medical report on halfback Piri Weepu (ankle) who limped out of training yesterday but was cleared of any serious injury.
His goalkicking could be vital against the Waratahs, who have won their past three matches against the Hurricanes and five of the past seven encounters between the sides in Sydney.
All Blacks centre Conrad Smith (concussion) returns to combine with Ma'a Nonu against young pair Rob Horne and Tom Carter while loosehead prop John Schwalger is also recalled but in-form flanker Victor Vito (calf) misses a second successive week.
The Hurricanes are chasing their fifth consecutive win in a blistering late-season run after they languished ninth after round nine.
"I'm pretty proud of the way the group's come back. We've been down this rocky road and they've fought all the way, the players. Now we've got a chance to make the semis, we're not going to let that slip after what we've done in the last four weeks," said coach Colin Cooper, who farewells the Hurricanes at season's end.
The most-discussed match of week 14 is in Cape Town where Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has rested 13 frontliners and handed the Stormers a royal chance of finishing second and ensuring two South African semifinals.
Lock Bakkies Botha leads a side without key men Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez, Morne Steyn, Wynand Olivier and Pierre Spies, with Jacques-Louis Potgieter the only survivor from the starting team who beat the Crusaders.
Explained Ludeke, whose team are eight points clear at the top: "This is not a B team. There are seven national players in this team and we have a lot of respect for our opponents. But we are here to run our own race and we are doing nobody favours."
The other matches are largely academic; with the Highlanders looking to claw up from 13th spot against the fading Reds, the eighth-placed Blues and 10th-placed Chiefs battling for northern pride in Auckland, the Sharks hosting the Force and the Cheetahs hosting the winless Lions in a South African derby.
