To use a well-versed cliche, we are into the business end of the season. It is Super 14's Round 10 and most games now will have 'crucial' or 'critical' as an adjective...

Such is the congestion on the standings that the defending champion Crusaders dropped from fifth to eighth during the last round while they sat on the sidelines with the bye.

A win this weekend could easily see them back in the top four.

In fact just five points separate ninth and second positions, with just two points between ninth and fifth.

The weekend's action get underway on Friday when the sixth-placed Blues, also just a win outside the top four, host the seventh-placed Highlanders in Auckland.

We then head across the Tasman Sea where the Brumbies (ninth) face the Bulls (third) in Canberra. It's a delectable treat of guile versus brute force.

That concludes Friday's action.

The opening match on Saturday has the Hurricanes, in fifth place, pitted against a very disappointing Stormers team (11th place and no more than a remote mathematical play-off prospect).

We look at the first three matches of the weekend!

Friday, April 17:

Blues v Highlanders
(Eden Park, Auckland - 19.35, 07.35 GMT)

Apart from the obvious, the Super 14 points on offer, this game has the added incentive of the teams contesting the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy.

Highlanders centre Jason Shoemark, a former Blues man who now enjoys life on the South Island, spoke not only of the significance of the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy, but also the challenge of playing in Auckland.

With four wins from their last five matches, the Highlanders have emerged as one of the tournament's surprise packages. But they also know the important of keeping that momentum going.

"Our fate is in our own hands in terms of making the top four, and it hasn't been that way for a few years now at this time of the season," Shoemark said.

"Whoever wins the game at Eden Park will lift themselves pretty close, or into the top four. It's a huge match for us and we're desperate to win."

On the flipside of the coin there is Blues flank Josh Blackie, an Otago and Highlanders veteran before heading to Japan and from there on to Auckland.

He will be facing off against the Highlanders for the first time since leaving Dunedin in 2007.

Blackie earned 56 caps for the Highlanders before moving to Japan to ply his trade with Kobe Steel for two seasons, but now back in Auckland where he grew up he is eagerly looking forward to taking on his old teammates.

He spoke of "desire" as being the key.

"I guess it will come down to whoever shows up on the night and wants to play some footy, they will be the ones that comes away with the points and it's going to be a cracker of a game," Blackie said.

The Highlanders might be on track for their highest Super Rugby placing since the most recent of the southern men's four semifinal appearances in 2002, but Eden Park has always been an unforgiving venue for the side.

The Highlanders have triumphed just once from seven previous assaults on the ground, with the sole success coming in 2002 when they got home 20-13.

The Blues have won nine and lost five from 14 previous matches with the Highlanders. Seven of their wins have been by margins in excess of 13 points, while four of the five defeats have been by less than 12 points.

Recent results:
2008: Blues won 40-15, Dunedin
2007: Blues won 28-9, Auckland
2006: Highlanders won 25-13, Dunedin
2005: Blues won 30-14, Dunedin
2004: Blues won 50-22, Auckland

iafrica.com Prediction: Nobody will deny that domestic derbies have a way of upsetting the odds. This one will be no different and while the Blues will be fancied to win, the Highlanders have the ability to cause an upset. However, we feel the Blues will edge this one - by 10 points or less.

Teams:

Blues: 15 Paul Williams, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Anthony Tuitavake, 12 Isaia Toeava, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Taniela Moa, 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Josh Blackie, 6 Chris Lowrey, 5 Anthony Boric, 4 Kurtis Haiu, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock/Tevita Mailau.
Replacements: 16 Tom McCartney, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Jay Williams, 19 Peter Saili, 20 Grayson Hart, 21 Michael Hobbs, 22 Rene Ranger.

Highlanders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Jason Shoemark, 12 Daniel Bowden, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Mathew Berquist, 9 Jimmy Cowan (captain), 8 George Naoupu, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Clint Newland, 2 David Hall, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Replacements: 16 Jason Rutledge, 17 Chris King, 18 Hayden Triggs, 19 Steven Setephano, 20 Sean Romans, 21 Johnny Leota, 22 Kendrick Lynn.

Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Vinny Munro (NZ), Ben Skeen (NZ)
TMO: Glenn Newmann (NZ)

Brumbies v Bulls
(Canberra Stadium - 19.40, 09.40 GMT)

Like most captains this week, Brumbies skipper Stephen Hoiles - still facing a late fitness before making his return after tearing medial ligaments in his knee last month - said the match was a must-win for his side's play-off prospects.

''Every game is going to be crucial from now,'' he said.

''It's a good challenge to our squad to see how we can approach it after another tough week.

''It doesn't get much better than playing the Bulls, who are one of the in-form teams in the competition at Canberra Stadium playing to keep our season alive.''

The Bulls returned the compliments in their build-up this week.

Stand-in captain Fourie du Preez - regular skipper Victor Matfield is by his wife's side for the birth of their second child - pointed to fullback Mark Gerrard as the key.

"They play a very good tactical game," Du Preez said, when asked about the Brumbies.

"[Mark] Gerard is a tactical master and they are one of the Australian teams where the scrumhalf does a lot of kicking - one of those teams where they can put the phases together, but can also play a very physical game."

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke had a slightly different take on the game, suggesting that the Bulls are not as predictable as most people would like to think.

"We have good decision makers on the field who can vary the tactics," Ludeke said, adding: "You don't know how the game will unfold, you don't what will work and what won't and if the game gets tactical, how do both teams react to it.

"It is just great to have such world class decision makers who can make those adjustments on the field.

"We have shown already this year that we can vary our are game plan and move away from the kicking game. They key is to know when to carry the ball in hand when there's space and when to put the ball behind them and put them under pressure with tactical kicking. The key is to be able to vary and have the decision makers who know when to do it."

The third-placed Bulls are into the fifth and final week of their Australasian tour and may fancy their chances of a farewell win, but they are going to have to create history to enjoy a successful finish.

Incredibly, after 13 years of Super Rugby, the men from the Highveld are still to experience the winning feeling in their final match of a tour.

The Bulls have picked up nine competition points so far on their travels, and won when last in Canberra. That was two years ago on a trip which saw them beat the Brumbies and Waratahs back-to-back.

There are two appearance milestones for the Brumbies coming up this weekend: George Smith plays his 116th game to sit alongside Stephen Larkham as the second most capped player for the franchise, while Stirling Mortlock clocks up 113 to move beyond Jeremy Paul with the fourth highest game tally on that list.

Mortlock also needs two points to become just the third player beyond 950 in Super Rugby. He is currently 11 points behind the 959 accumulated by countryman Matthew Burke, and 42 astern of Super Rugby's leading point-scorer - Kiwi marksman Andrew Mehrtens, who finished with 990.

This match will provide the culmination of another week of high emotion for the Brumbies, as they laid their fallen teammate Shawn Mackay to rest in Sydney on Wednesday.

Coach Andy Friend will be wary of the players hitting an inevitable flat patch as the mentally draining roller-coaster his side has been on since the tragic accident involving Mackay finally begins to level out.

Recent results:
2008: Bulls won 28-17, Pretoria
2007: Bulls won 19-7, Canberra
2006: Brumbies won 27-21, Pretoria
2005: Brumbies won 21-19, Canberra
2004: Bulls won 32-21, Pretoria

iafrica.com Prediction: It is always risky to gamble on a team when emotion comes into the picture and no doubt there will be plenty of emotion riding on this game - from the Brumbies that is. You can either fall flat, as the adrenaline rush is short-lived, or that early burst can blow the opposition away. We feel the Bulls may well weather the storm and edge clear in the end to win by about 10 points.

Teams:

Brumbies squad: Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Mitchell Chapman, Huia Edmonds, Gene Fairbanks, Francis Fainifo, Mark Gerrard, Ben Hand, Stephen Hoiles, Joshua Holmes, Peter Kimlin, Christian Lealiifano, Salesi Ma'afu, Alfi Mafi, Stephen Moore, Stirling Mortlock, Patrick Phibbs, Julian Salvi, Guy Shepherdson, George Smith, Tyrone Smith, Sitaleki Timani, Henry Vanderglas.

Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JP Nel, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez (captain), 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Dewald Potgieter, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuun, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Engels, 17 Rayno Gerber, 18 Deon Stegmann, 19 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 20 Heinie Adams, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Jaco Pretorius.

Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Paul Marks (Australia), James Scholtens (Australia)
TMO: Steve Leszczynski (Australia)

Saturday, April 18:

Hurricanes v Stormers
(Westpac Stadium, Wellington - 17.30, 05.30 GMT)

At a time when Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper is considering resting some of his key players, the Stormers are searching for clues as to their failure to find any semblance of form this season.

It says a lot about the state of the Stormers that Cooper would consider gambling with his selections against a team that was one of the pre-season favourites.

Even if he does eventually go with his full-strength team - he is set to finalise the side only on Thursday - it is already a statement about the opposition that those thoughts had entered his mind.

Despite their win-loss record, the men from Cape Town have not lost by more than seven points this season and coach Rassie Erasmus has still managed to name a strong side, even after a string of injuries.

Lock Andries Bekker, fullback Percy Montgomery and flank Francois Louw will miss the match, while first-choice prop Brian Mujati and lock Adriaan Fondse are both doubtful.

Another significant pointer to the Stormers' slump this season is the fact that the Cape Town-based side won two matches on tour in each of its 2006 and 2007 trips, and then picked up a South African best-equalling three wins last term, but this season are none from three.

While the Stormers are not losing by much ? with last weekend's seven-point defeat in Canberra their biggest deficit to date from six defeats; they are simply not scoring enough tries to give themselves a chance of being successful.

The Stormers have only scored more than one try once in their last six matches, and that was on a day where the Lions stopped tackling, which allowed them to post eight at Newlands.

Take that afternoon out, and the Stormers have accumulated just nine tries in their other seven matches.

Yet the Hurricanes will need to be careful as they are one team that the Stormers seem to enjoy playing against away. The South Africans have beaten the Hurricanes away three times, in Wellington in 1999 and again in 2001, and at Palmerston North on their most recent visit two years ago.

While the eleventh-placed Stormers are no longer a factor in the semifinal equation, the Hurricanes most definitely are still alive after their dramatic two-try bombing of the Force in the last three minutes at Perth on Good Friday.

That result allowed the 'Canes to return to New Zealand with nine valuable points gained on their three-match tour, which has set them up nicely for the run of three consecutive home games which now follows.

Recent results:
2008: Stormers won 20-12, Cape Town
2007: Stormers won 30-17, Palmerston North
2006: Hurricanes won 23-19, Cape Town
2005: Hurricanes won 12-9, Palmerston North
2004: Hurricanes won 25-19, Cape Town

iafrica.com Prediction: It is very difficult to see how the Stormers can pick themselves up from the sorry mess they are in. Something is amiss in that team, something very serious is wrong. There is no harmony, despite all the protestations. Is it perhaps that certain players don't get along with others? That will at least explain why some individuals are making an effort and others are just ambling along. We simply can't see the Hurricanes losing this one - then again we said the same about the Sharks versus Cheetahs last week. The Hurricanes to win by about 20 points.

Teams:

Hurricanes: TBC

Stormers: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Wylie Human, 13 Gcobani Bobo, 12 Jean De Villiers (captain), 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Adriaan Fondse, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Brian Mujati/Wicus Blaauw, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 JD Moller.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Brok Harris, 18 AJ Venter, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Willem de Waal, 22 Dylan des Fountain.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch judges: Vinny Munro (NZ), Joey Salmans (SA)
TMO: Garratt Williamson (NZ)