Highlanders fullback Ben Smith has raised more than a few eyebrows during the Super 15 rugby competition.

Blues halfback Chris Smylie will make his first Super 15 start this season in tomorrow's must-win meeting with the Highlanders.

Australian rugby sensation James O'Connor has quit the Force to join the Melbourne Rebels for the 2012 Super Rugby season.

Former All Blacks winger Caleb Ralph is a shock inclusion in the Reds' 23-man squad for Saturday's match against the Chiefs.

The Blues today made two injury-related changes to their starting side for their final regular season Super 15 match.

Stats guru Tracey Nelson crunches the numbers from the penultimate round of the Super 15.

The extra workload may be starting to catch up on injury prone Crusaders second five Sonny Bill Williams.

Eighty-seven days to go to the Rugby World Cup, and John Mitchell issues a blunt warning.

Work this out. The Blues have lost four on the bounce but believe they are getting their mojo back.

The All Black selectors must be looking on with concern as Sonny Bill Williams' first Super 15 campaign limps to a conclusion.

Blues winger Rene Ranger has been ruled out of the rest of the Super 15 season by a hamstring tear.

What a good week for New Zealand rugby, if you can ignore three-fifths of the New Zealand Super 15 sides.

A few players have forgotten how to behave.

Blues defeated but should take heart from performance that suggests not all is lost as season nears its climax.

Queensland substitute Dom Shipperley's 78th-minute try guided the Reds to a come from behind 24-21 Super Rugby victory over the Western Force at Perth's nib Stadium overnight.

The Highlanders dropped out of the race for a Super Rugby playoff spot tonight after being beaten 33-7 by the NSW Waratahs at Sydney Football Stadium.

The Crusaders have beaten the Blues 23-16 in a pulsating top-of-the-table clash at Alpine Energy Stadium in Timaru.

Honours are shared on an evening of low standards, spilled balls and sloppy handling.