In the old days - some would say the good old days - one of the most important days in the rugby year was the All Black trial.
The top players in the land would come together for a game, usually in Wellington, to give the selectors a gauge on who was playing well.
It's gone by the board now, as there are 15 weeks of All Black trials called the Super 14, but the one thing was if you had an absolute blinder at the trial, then you could basically get your All Black jersey fitted out.
Otago back David Halligan was one example. He had a fantastic trial in 1981 and was named in the squad, although injury robbed him of his chance to be an All Black.
Tonight is that sort of night for some players in the match between the Chiefs and Hurricanes.
If men like Leila Masaga, Victor Vito and Jeremy Thrush have absolute blinders, they could well force themselves into All Black reckoning.
But will it happen? And can any player dominate a game like the old days ?
Probably not.
If Masaga bags four tries and runs all over his opposite, then he could put himself in the reckoning.
But in these days of blanket video analysis and into week 13 of the competition, it seems unlikely that Masaga will be given much, or indeed any, room to roam and plunder.
Much has been said about the match-up between centres Richard Kahui and Conrad Smith but, with sophisticated defences and cluttered backlines, it would be hard to imagine either of these players will have total domination over the other.
They are too good to be seriously outplayed.
There are plenty of other rivalries in the game: Liam Messam against Vito, Neemia Tialata up against Ben May, Cory Jane facing Mils Muliaina - but in the modern game opposites do not often meet, except at set piece time.
But more importantly than individual match-ups, is which team will come out on top.
The Hurricanes are on a roll, and have won their past four matches to leap to the top of the table.
After losing their first three matches, the Chiefs have swept nearly all before them, and have just had the one blip against the Bulls.
The teams have similar styles, both liking to throw the ball around. Much will revolve around Piri Weepu, returning after a spell out injured and on the bench, and Ma'a Nonu, who was nearly unstoppable last week.
But it will be defence which will win this game. In close games, it is always the ability to defend the line, rather than cross the line, that wins games. Just look over the Waitaki River.
