The New South Wales Waratahs and Crusaders meet Saturday in replay of last year's Super Rugby final that could exclude either team from this season's playoffs.
The Waratahs edged the Christchurch-based Crusaders 33-32 in Sydney last August to claim their first Super Rugby title and deny the Crusaders their eighth championship; their first since 2008 when they beat the Waratahs 20-12 in Christchurch.
A loss in the 15th round Saturday might be enough to prevent the Crusaders qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2001, while the Waratahs are clinging to the playoff zone in sixth place and need a win to strengthen their hold on that standing.
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said his players are keenly aware of the importance of Saturday's match and there is a grand final feeling in their preparation. The team has failed to achieve consistency of performance this season, though their 58-17 win over the Queensland Reds prior to last weekend's bye marked a significant form improvement.
"With the quality and calibre of the guys we've got, we have got some big game players there, so it's about time everyone stood up," Blackadder said.
The Crusaders have regular season matches remaining against the first-placed Hurricanes, the Auckland-based Blues and Australian conference leaders the ACT Brumbies, ensuring a difficult finish and making Saturday's match more important.
"We're only guaranteed four more weeks (of the regular season)," Blackadder said. "Collectively you have to look deep inside and believe that you can do it. It's about everyone stepping up right across the board, coaches, management and players."
Waratahs scrumhalf Nick Phipps said the Crusaders have shown many times in their history an ability to lift themselves in difficult circumstances. Qualifying for the playoffs was not beyond them.
"Wherever the Crusaders sit on the ladder with four games to go, I don't think it really matters to them," Phipps said. "They are a phenomenal team.
"They are quite easy to turn out the back end of the year with another 20 points. For us we have to go into this weekend with another grand final mentality, just like last year it's going to go down to the wire, no doubt.
Waratahs centre Adam Ashley-Cooper will likely face the Crusaders for the last time as he prepares to continue his rugby career in France. He said Saturday's game was unlikely to match last year's final — which the Waratahs won with a last-minute penalty — but would be intense and hard-fought.
"It might be hard to replicate a final like that in a round game, but this is still going to be very physical," he said. "It's still going to be a great contest."
The Pretoria-based Bulls face a difficult match against the Hamilton-based Chiefs Friday as they attempt to hold first place in the South African conference. They enter the match only a point ahead of the Cape Town-based Stormers, who are at home to the Melbourne Rebels.
The Wellington-based Hurricanes have a chance to clinch first place in the New Zealand conference and a playoffs berth when they face the Auckland-based Blues earlier Saturday. The Hurricanes went close to achieving both of those goals with last weekend's contentious 22-18 win over the Chiefs and can relieve late-season pressure with a win over the struggling Blues.
Coach Chris Boyd said the Hurricanes were eager to ensure a conference win and top-two finish which would guarantee a home semifinal.
"One of the New Zealand sides is going to have to finish four to six," he said. "We are in a position where we have to nail this off and get ourselves into a home semifinal position."
The Brumbies' two point lead over the Waratahs in the Australian conference will come under threat this weekend as they have a bye and the Waratahs face the Crusaders.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.