The rise and rise of Malakai Fekitoa has coincided with a corresponding fall in the midfield stocks at the Blues, his former franchise for whom he didn't play a competition game.

Nothing stirs South African rugby supporters as much as watching their men muscle up and crush their opponents.

If the Chiefs are looking to increase their physicality and reverse a growing hoodoo against Australian opposition, then recalling Liam Messam is a handy place to start.

The English Premiership academy system is rightly lauded for its success in promoting domestic talent.

I heard a funny thing the other day. A bloke on the wireless was talking about Super Rugby coaches.

His efforts against the Blues left little doubt that Damian McKenzie is a young man full of belief in his own abilities.

Three days on and updates about Daniel Carter's latest leg injury are fuzzy.

If you do any form of Super Rugby tipping competition, you'd have been best served to let a random-number generator do your picks during the opening round of the competition.

Forget the Brumbies v Crusaders classics, Wallaby test prop Scott Sio says his Super Rugby side have found a new transtasman grudge rival: the Chiefs.

A key cause of last year's inconsistent Chiefs campaign was the mid-season absence of Aaron Cruden.

With lock Patrick Tuipulotu on the brink of returning, John Kirwan's thoughts as he left Auckland yesterday for Sydney on the first leg of the Blues' journey to South Africa might have been how to....

Few things inspire confidence in a team like a first-five with a fully functioning computer for a brain.

It might not be a wise idea to be cautiously optimistic about the Blues' chances this year in the wake of a first round defeat, but they did enough for judgement to at least be reserved.

No surprise the Blues came second. Not against the Chiefs who have hovered around the top of the competition for the last few years while the Blues have puttered along in their own slurry.

Live updates of the Super Rugby encounter between the Blues and Chiefs at North Harbour Stadium.

This year we enter the 20th season of the tournament and you have to wonder whether rugby has pushed on and used those opening seasons as a springboard for real progress, writes Wyanne Gray.

Pain has been a constant companion for Blues loose forward Luke Braid for much of the past two seasons.

Dan Carter hobbled off injured as the Crusaders crashed to a 20-10 loss to the Rebels in Christchurch tonight.