It's time for the Hurricanes to make a move up the ladder. With two home games in the coming weeks, coach Mark Hammett's side must cash in at Westpac Stadium when the Blues and Reds go to Wellington.

The Crusaders clash with the Chiefs in Hamilton this weekend comes at the perfect time.

The Crusaders are already looking towards one of the toughest trips in Super Rugby - a long-haul flight home to face the Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend.

Piri Weepu is back training at the Blues after his stroke and heart operation and is expected to be available to play the Waratahs at Eden Park next week.

The next fortnight should provide a snapshot of the direction in which the Chiefs are trending.

A confused Israel Folau is frustrated and disappointed by the Australian Rugby Union's decision to prevent him playing in Perth on Saturday.

After struggling to get their attack going this season, the points came in an avalanche for the Crusaders this morning against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, the bonus point victory inspired by Colin Slade and helped by a Nemani Nadolo hat-trick.

It has become a constant theme that a lot of refereeing decisions being made in Super Rugby are fairly average, writes Richard Loe.

Last year's easy beats are anything but this season, as tonight's convincing victory over the Bulls under the Dunedin roof so clearly showed.

Two Super 15 titles are more than enough to suggest the Chiefs know what they are doing, writes Wynne Gray. We like what they are up to.

If the Chiefs can match their fast finishes with stronger starts then it will take a "special" team to upset the defending champions.

As part of his wide rugby brief, the former Aussie Rules player used his side's bye week to delay his journey home from Canberra to research training methods, ideas and sporting trends in his old code in Melbourne.

Malakai Fekitoa stayed firmly on the All Blacks' radar, providing the key attacking moments in the Highlanders win over the Bulls.

It's a victory for children of the 1970s. Brad Thorn and Victor Matfield lacing up the boots to go at it in a Super Rugby match tonight.

After strangling the Lions with their strict adherence to a kick-first game plan, the Crusaders are keen to meet fire with fire against the free-running Cheetahs, but assistant coach Aaron Mauger has called for a balanced, rather than a reckless, attack.

The Brumbies will throw a teenage part-time bar worker up against two Wallabies locks when they take on the Queensland Reds in Brisbane tonight.

Aaron Cruden's broken thumb has caused chaos for fantasy owners as Dream Team Fantasy Super Rugby enters its second chance phase.

The Waikato Draught will flow in the stands, a cacophony of cow bells will greet every opposition shot at goal, and the name of either Liam Messam or Aaron Cruden will be present in the starting XV.

Outgoing Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett said it was not the time to reminisce after announcing he would leave the franchise after this season

Coach Mark Hammett has announced he will not be seeking re-appointment after this season, writes Gregor Paul. The knives can be put away.

Mark Hammett clearly feels he's either taken the Hurricanes as far as he can or needs a change of scenery, says Herald rugby writer Patrick McKendry.

When the Chiefs first learned of Aaron Cruden's injury, the players' thoughts immediately turned to the first-five's ready-made replacement.