In a season full of gloom for the Blues, Josh Bekhuis, a new signing from the Highlanders, is standing out like a fair-haired beacon.

The Hurricanes are yet to taste defeat in 2015 and tonight’s 25-20 win over the Stormers in Wellington took them to their seventh win on the bounce.

Charles Piutau yesterday spoke publicly for the first time since signing with Irish club Ulster rather than the Blues.

Slow to start before bubbling towards the playoffs.

The Chiefs have mounting choices in their bid to stem a niggling pattern which has hit them mid-season.

Charles Piutau is a player the All Blacks definitely didn't want to lose. But it is understood he has been offered and has already signed a deal in Europe.

A long-held perception among Super Rugby followers is that New Zealand teams are more exciting to watch. Generally, they run the ball more and play an open game.

Michael Leitch crossed the try line on Saturday in his first Super Rugby game in the country of his birth, helping the Chiefs to a 37-27 victory over the Cheetahs in Hamilton.

We are always very quick to criticise coaches when teams are inept or failing to get results so I would take this opportunity to give credit to the coaches at the Highlanders and Hurricanes.

It's after nights like these that John Kirwan, rather than resigning himself to going back to the drawing board, must be tempted to smash the thing to smithereens and start on something else like an old stone tablet that he could also use to knock some se

Chaos awaits at the World Cup, judging by the confused and inconsistent decision-making of officials in Super Rugby.

On his knees with head in hand - a shattered Quade Cooper's reaction to his potential match-winning 30m drop-goal attempt being charged down on fulltime said it all on Friday night.

Some of the same issues remain but the Chiefs were able to see off the Cheetahs this afternoon while still playing short of their best.