The injury-hit Melbourne Rebels will be sweating on a batch of fitness tests later this week as coach Tony McGahan faces the prospect

Friday night's Super Rugby clash between the Chiefs and Crusaders in Suva, Fiji, has been praised as an enormous success, with future games already in the mix.

All the action from the top of the table clash between the Chiefs and Crusaders from Suva in Fiji.

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder might have endured a difficult evening after watching his previously table-topping side lose their place.

Given the historical reluctance to play big matches in the Pacific Islands, Friday's Super Rugby match in Suva is welcome progress.

Stephen Donald will start the Chiefs' top-of-the-table clash with the Crusaders in Suva on Friday night.

The Chiefs and Crusaders are both likely to manage the workload of their All Blacks stars for their clash in Suva.

A number of All Blacks return to their Super Rugby teams battered a bruised ahead of this week's returning round.

COMMENT: The selection of Scott Robertson to replace Todd Blackadder as Crusaders head coach from next year will have come as a huge blow to the team's assistant Tabai Matson.

Jimmy Tupou and Alex Hodgman will join the Blues on two-year deals.

A police escort can clear traffic but, as the Crusaders have found this week, it also attracts attention.

COMMENT: Watching the Blues play the Crusaders at Eden Park on Saturday, the character and promise within Tana Umaga's team was obvious.

The Blues, according to coach Tana Umaga, were tired this week.

The Blues are too far into their redevelopment to be enthused by brave defeats. They can't really shrug off losses any more as all being part of the learning curve.

In holding on to beat the Force in Perth, the Blues won two matches on their South African road trip for the first time in eight years.

The Waratahs had little response to a Crusaders team determined to right the wrongs of their loss in Dunedin.

WATCH: A truly heavyweight contest - in all senses - finished with the Highlanders beating the Crusaders to join their southern cousins at the top of the table.

COMMENT: It is surely obvious that the lineout drive is increasingly at odds with the kind of contest that the game is intended to promote, writes Bryan Gould.

COMMENT: The form of the Crusaders is good news for the franchise, not least of all aspiring coaches Dave Hewitt and Tabai Matson.

Nemani Nadolo has been suspended for four weeks for his lifting tackle on Brumbies halfback Tomas Cubelli.

A day after the Chiefs made a statement by beating the Hurricanes, the Crusaders have made one of their own.