Five points safely in the bag and yet the Chiefs left Melbourne with questions unanswered about their defence and a sense of confusion about the TMO rulings.

The pain of another close Super Rugby loss has been eased for the Rebels by the re-signing of athletic Wallaby back-rower Scott Higginbotham to the end of 2015.

Project Ben is still going and the odds of success - of turning Ben Tameifuna into a world-class hybrid front-rower - have risen.

The Highlanders will have slept well last night despite, finally, winning their first game of the season after eight consecutive losses.

After racking up eight straight losses this season it is time for the Highlanders to move on, start afresh, and blaze some new trails.

Shortly after Dan Carter expressed his delight at returning to the Crusaders' starting line-up against the Brumbies, he mentioned how once again the men from Canberra are the team to beat, just as they were at the start of his career.

Younger All Black prospects will get their chance at several training camps this month. But when that group is cropped for the June test series against France, all the established All Blacks will be picked to restate their international credentials.

Controversial Wallaby back Kurtley Beale made a stirring return to Super 15 action as the Chiefs defence of their Super 15 crown kept moving forward in an unconvincing fashion in Melbourne last night.

The Blues held on for a gritty 18-17 win over the Stormers at North Harbour Stadium tonight.

In a post-GFC world most of us are working to a budget. If you're using the same philosophy for your Fantasy team you might want to consider the following backs.

Richard Kahui's career hangs in the balance after yet another shoulder injury, which has left him "incredibly disappointed and frustrated", says Chiefs coach Dave Rennie.

If there is a God - he hasn't heard of Richard Kahui, or maybe he has and has taken a rather spiteful view of the Chiefs midfielder, writes Gregor Paul.

After Brodie Retallick's stunning first Super Rugby season which resulted in an All Blacks call-up, second time around was always going to be bit of a challenge.

Wallabies star Kurtley Beale has returned from his disciplinary suspension and resumed training with Super 15 strugglers the Rebels.

You'd be hard pressed finding two more contrasting five-eighths than the Brumbies' Matt Toomua and Queensland's Quade Cooper.

The Hurricanes face a pivotal fortnight on the South African high veldt of Pretoria and Bloemfontein which will likely define their Super Rugby season.

The tangible return for the Blues in Brisbane was one competition point. The intangible may be the belief they need to dig in at the top end of the table and be a surprise play-off package.

The bulging casualty ward is perhaps the place to start when it comes to trying to understand the lack of conviction from New Zealand's Super Rugby franchises.