The 2016 Super Rugby season will resume this weekend, following a three-week break.
As part of the competition’s plan to promote the game, the Chiefs and Crusaders match will be taken to Suva, Fiji for kick off on Friday.
Coming off a bashing from the Waratahs in Round 14, the Waikato Chiefs will be looking to either maintain or push themselves further up the ladder, as they take on their strongest rival, and top contender for this year’s title, the Canterbury Crusaders.
Following the Crusaders win over the Blues in the previous round, they currently hold a three-point lead over the Chiefs at the top of the New Zealand Conference.
But with only two remaining round-robin matches, the stakes could hardly be higher. The winning team of this weekend’s clash will go a long way to securing home advantage for the playoffs, and as it is known all throughout – home advantage works wonders in New Zealand.
Following the three week international rugby festivities, the Crusaders should have eight of their All Blacks reps available: Keiran Read, Codie Taylor, Crockett, Joe Moody, Owen Franks, Luke Romano, Sam Whitelock, and Israel Dagg, while the Chiefs will have their seven ready, with Aaron Cruden expected to return after a neck injury during the All Blacks second test.
Round 15’s other matches include the Australian derby between the ACT Brumbies, who are fourth on the overall standings, against the Queensland Reds.
The Waratahs should have it easy against the Sunwolves on Ssaturday, the Blues face an in-form Hurricanes side, and the mighty Lions take on the Sharks in Johannesburg.
