Those Hurricanes may just have moved into pole position, though they trail the Crusaders, who have a game in hand, by one point.
But theirs was surely the most impressive victory of last weekend. The Rebels, whom they face on Friday night, are the real deal in the Australian conference, while the Lions hit the skids in the South African conference. We know not why.
1 Hurricanes (Second in NZC)
Two old boys of St Peter's College - Ben Lam and Vince Aso - were the star turns in the Hurricanes' 29-12 win over the Highlanders. Galvanised by TJ Perenara's 100th Super outing, the Hurricanes' set-piece held firm and they defused the high ball in expert fashion. Then it was left to the two finishers to show their wares, Aso in spectacular style.
2 Rebels (First in AC)
The Melbourne side's litmus test comes this Friday when they host the Hurricanes in the first Australasian clash of 2018. They dispatched the Sharks 46-14 and showed they have a useful halves pairing in Will Genia and Jack Debreczeni. Can they arrest the 26-0 Australian drought over NZ sides from 2017?
3 Chiefs (Third in NZC)
Damian McKenzie was not flawless in the 61-10 hiding of the Sunwolves, but he was brilliant, racking up 26 points. One section of the media chose to highlight his occasional mistake but he is from the glass half-empty brigade. The Chiefs, despite a clutch of injuries to their props and locks, looked solid at set-piece. Bring on the Highlanders.
4 Crusaders (First in NZC)
Back on track with a 33-14 defeat of the Bulls? What have we learned? Well, that George Bridge is immensely strong if he can strip forwards of the pill, and Codie Taylor can kick, pulling out a grubber. We also learned that the Crusaders do not mind a good lineout drive if the conditions suit. We already knew Jack Goodhue was shaping nicely as a possible All Blacks No 13.
5 Lions (First in SAC)
Malcolm Marx crossed for another double, but something went badly awry for the Lions in Buenos Aires. They lost 49-35 to the Jaguares, scoring five tries but leaking six. They have a week to sort it because the Crusaders will punish any loose play.
6 Highlanders (Fourth in NZC)
The Highlanders were the sole unbeaten team after five weeks. Now they are fourth in the NZ conference. Tough competition. They did not play that badly against the Hurricanes – Waisake Naholo again proving he is one of the most potent finishers in the game – but they did not take all their chances. Now they face the hungry Chiefs.
7 Stormers (Second in SAC)
It is still hard to get a good read on the 3-3 Stormers, but they did beat the surging Queensland Reds, who employed strongarm tactics, 25-19 in Cape Town. However, they will be annoyed they left the bonus point out on Newlands. They copped an injury to tryscoring halfback Dewaldt Duvenage.
8 Reds (Second in AC)
The Reds have the bye to regroup after their three-match winning streak was ended at Newlands. Now their forwards are under the spotlight for some heavy and possibly dangerous hits. Taniela Tupou was cited. Brad Thorn likes a robust pack, but can they rein in their aggression?
9 Waratahs (Third in AC)
Fresh off the bye week, the Waratahs will face another grudge clash with the Brumbies in Canberra.
10 Brumbies (Fourth in AC)
No movement after the bye, and they are leaving the Sunwolves to prop up the Australian conference table.
11 Blues (Fifth in NZC)
The Blues need a break, but not in the form of Sonny Bill Williams' wrist. Five points against the Sharks on Saturday night is non-negotiable.
12 Jaguares (Fifth in SAC)
This is what we wrote last week: 'We have no idea what to expect from the Jaguares when they host the Lions on Sunday, but they will need to show more of their attacking output from the Waratahs clash if they are to be competitive.'
They got that attacking output in spades, five competition points and 19 from Nicolas Sanchez. Now all they need is mental toughness to bring that consistency.
13 Bulls (Fourth in SAC)
The Bulls continue to blow gilt-edged opportunities early against the NZ teams. That is why they lost 33-14 to the Crusaders. They are, however, back home at their Loftus citadel.
14 Sharks (Third in SAC)
The Sharks are a disappointment, just one win from five, despite their third position in the SA conference. They were pounded 46-14 by the Rebels and I have a feeling the Blues will be angling for a similar scoreline on Saturday.
15 Sunwolves (Fifth in AC)
The Sunwolves' problems were exemplified when Fumiaki Tanaka copped a falcon from his own player in the 61-10 pasting by the Chiefs. There are good footballers in their squad, and it was heartening to see Michael Little at No 12. But, aside from two nice tries, they showed a porous defensive line that will hurt them time and again.
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