A key cause of last year's inconsistent Chiefs campaign was the mid-season absence of Aaron Cruden.

With lock Patrick Tuipulotu on the brink of returning, John Kirwan's thoughts as he left Auckland yesterday for Sydney on the first leg of the Blues' journey to South Africa might have been how to....

Those inclined to provoke early season niggle will declare the Crusaders are toast, the Bulls are crisping and the Reds are burned offerings.

Few things inspire confidence in a team like a first-five with a fully functioning computer for a brain.

It might not be a wise idea to be cautiously optimistic about the Blues' chances this year in the wake of a first round defeat, but they did enough for judgement to at least be reserved.

No surprise the Blues came second. Not against the Chiefs who have hovered around the top of the competition for the last few years while the Blues have puttered along in their own slurry.

Live updates of the Super Rugby encounter between the Blues and Chiefs at North Harbour Stadium.

This year we enter the 20th season of the tournament and you have to wonder whether rugby has pushed on and used those opening seasons as a springboard for real progress, writes Wyanne Gray.

Pain has been a constant companion for Blues loose forward Luke Braid for much of the past two seasons.

Dan Carter hobbled off injured as the Crusaders crashed to a 20-10 loss to the Rebels in Christchurch tonight.

Join us here for tonight's live blog of the Crusaders taking on the Rebels in the 2015 Super Rugby opener at AMI Stadium.

Justin Marshall, in the first of his twice-weekly columns, casts his eyes over the strengths and weaknesses of the New Zealand franchises.

Hurricanes and All Black halfback TJ Perenara has set the standard for training ground tricks in Super Rugby with an amazing left-footed sideline conversion.

With Minnesota Vikings tight end Rhett Ellison visiting training this week, it's tempting to ponder how some of the Blues' best would handle a job swap.

Blues captain Jerome Kaino receives his new playing jersey from teenage patient Tyrone Banks at Starship children's hospital.

The Waratahs curbed years of mocking from their interstate rivals when they claimed last season's Super Rugby title.

The consistency that set the Chiefs apart during their title campaigns suddenly disappeared, the two-time defending champions winning their first three games but never enjoying another such streak.

Finished sixth - beaten in playoffs. Devoid of stars and coming off the back of a horror campaign in 2013, the Highlanders were the tournament's big surprise last year.

Super Rugby begins its 20th year tonight with maybe not even a quarter of the excitement and intrigue as it did in Palmerston North 1996.

More of the same, with the Blues repeating their 10th-place finish from 2013 to leave their record of 32 games played under John Kirwan's command for 13 wins and 19....

The four-year coaching reign of Mark Hammett came to an end as he led them to seventh place and they missed the playoffs.

Second, losing to the Waratahs in the Sydney final. Traditionally slow burners, the Crusaders slipped uncomfortably back into a familiar pattern.

There was a time when it seemed certain Hika Elliot's rugby career would end in tears.