When Jerome Kaino signed with the Blues last year, there was a bit of hands on hips stuff from the conditioning staff, cheeks puffed out, heads shaking in anticipation of the re-conditioning job that awaited.

I'm a farmer and if those two referees (Briant and Pastrana) were livestock, I'd have them castrated so we couldn't breed from them, writes Richard Loe.

The Blues thrilled and spilled their way to a 40-30 win over the Cheetahs at Eden Park tonight.

Join us here for our live blog of tonight's Super Rugby clash between the Blues and the Cheetahs from Eden Park.

Reds coach Richard Graham wants recalled centre Ben Tapuai to be more assertive to give the Lions' unfancied backline headaches at Johannes-burg's Ellis Park this weekend.

The cold reality of professional rugby is starting to bite at the Blues, and in particular, Benji Marshall.

As predictable as their results have been this season, the Chiefs' backline selections have been much more uncertain.

The Highlanders held on to beat the Hurricanes 35-31 in last night's Super Rugby match in Dunedin.

Watch a replay of tonight's live blog of the Super Rugby showdown between the Highlanders and the Hurricanes from Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

Justin Marshall breaks down the issues with scrums and how the new rules are blunting the attacking capabilities of backlines.

If you want to experience the real joy of Super Rugby perhaps it's time to look beyond the national jersey.

Tomato sauce is a staple of many people's diet.

Having established himself as the Blues' first-choice first-five and one of the best goalkickers in the competition, Simon Hickey will tomorrow catch a ride to Eden Park from the Greenlane home he shares with his parents.

After spending the start of the season playing the "hopeless" role of spectator, Sam Cane is almost back in a position with which he's far more proficient.

Jerome Kaino, on the brink of a return to the Blues, has challenged himself to reach the standards he set at the last World Cup when he was a major part of the All Blacks' success.

You'd struggle to find a more relaxed bloke than Marty Banks. Very little seems to worry the Hurricanes utility but that carefree nature has arguably been a hindrance to his rugby career.

The Chiefs' attack is warming to its work and last season's top scorers are unlikely to be disrupted by a loss of key personnel.

The time for the selection tinkering at the Blues is over, says coach Sir John Kirwan.

Referees boss Lyndon Bray has admitted match officials got it wrong in both of the Blues' recent defeats in South Africa.

The feeling of positivity around the Blues after their victory over the Crusaders has all but evaporated in the aftermath of their South African tour.

They both spent big to attract high-profile fullbacks, both have coaches still needing to prove themselves and together they've accumulated one win between them in 2014.

Watching the latest Super Rugby round offered a graph stretching from exhilarating to turgid. The problem was they were successive matches.