Let’s be honest, outside the Brumbies and Hurricanes quarterfinal in Canberra potentially being a belter, there’s a very real chance the others could be blow outs.
Both the Chiefs and Crusaders will be frothing at the gob to avenge their shock defeats to the Reds and Drua respectively, and will get their chance on Saturday.
What’s certain is neither Kiwi side will sit gun players, as they did during those upsets, and the Drua – so dangerous in the sapping conditions in Fiji – will already be shivering at the prospect of the bone-chilling single-digit temperature forecast in Christchurch come kickoff. The predicted temperature in Christhchurch on Saturday night will be a warm 7 degrees.
They won’t need told the Crusaders have won all 27 playoff games they’ve played in their home city since 1996, either.
As for the Chiefs, who rested a host of players and still trounced the Force in Perth at the weekend, and are the clear front-runners to win the title, they could make it a more than miserable trip to Hamilton for the Reds.
It’s not just the injury-ravaged Crusaders limping into the semi playoffs.
The Waratahs look set to be without captain Jake Gordon (concussion), prop Harry Johnson-Holmes and centre Izaia Perese for their trip to Eden Park, albeit against a Blues side that didn’t scare anyone after making hard work of the limited Highlanders to kickoff the final round.
The Brumbies are also set to be down on firepower when the Hurricanes visit Canberra in the final quarterfinal, given the fastest player in the competition – wing Corey Toole – and Nick Frost suffered worrying leg injuries against the Rebels in the final round.
All signs point to Chiefs-Hurricanes and Crusaders-Blues semifinals.
Quarterfinals
Friday, 7.05pm at Eden Park, Auckland: Blues v Waratahs
Saturday, 4.35pm at FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton: Chiefs v Reds
Saturday, 7.05pm at Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch: Crusaders v Fijian Drua
Saturday, 9.35pm at GIO Stadium, Canberra: Brumbies v Hurricanes.
Watch this site for all game predictions when the teams are announced later in the week.
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