Three Points
Okay, Crusaders, this really is it
Brett McKay
April 21, 2015
Hurricanes 24-29 Waratahs (Australia only)

Round 10 of Super Rugby saw the Hurricanes' unbeaten start to the season finally come to an end in Wellington, and three of the four Australian teams in the bottom six registered solid wins with the Waratahs and Reds gaining crucial spots on the overall ladder.

For the Melbourne Rebels, though they didn't shift from 11th spot overall, their win in Canberra did see them attach themselves to that group of four mid-table teams. The Rebels are now only a point off the Crusaders immediately above them, but also just a win off the Waratahs in seventh.

A win over the 'Tahs in Sydney this Saturday could even see the Rebels draw level in the Australian conference. Plenty to play for from here on, then.

Here were a few things that stood out in Round 10.

Chiefs push the Crusaders to the precipice

How many times this season can we do this again? The Crusaders have been up and down and back again in 10 rounds this season, and you get the feeling that there's still a few more twists and bumps in their season yet.

And because I had to look it up, the last time the Crusaders lost two homes games in a row was the first two rounds of 2004! (They also lost and drew consecutive home games early in the 2009 season.)

Friday night was just about the most un-Crusaders start to a game in a long time. They missed a lot of tackles early, and had issues with set piece, too. They were nothing like the side that stormed into the Final last season and came within 30 seconds of winning.

Crusaders 9-26 Chiefs (Australia only)
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Chiefs' winger James Lowe's try on half-time was exactly the sort of mistake-punishing try we expect of the Red and Blacks - they did it for fun against the Lions and Cheetahs a month ago - but here the Crusaders were, having to turn and chase themselves. At 18-6 at half-time, the Chiefs had this one well-covered.

So are the Crusaders done for 2015, or has this roller coaster still got a few bends yet on the run home?

Their seven remaining games are: Blues, Hurricanes (Away), Reds, Waratahs (A), Hurricanes, Blues (A), Brumbies (A).

If 11 wins is what is needed to really secure in the top six come finals time, the Crusaders must now win every game from here on. It's something you wouldn't have put past Crusaders teams of the past, even the recent past, but is this team at that level?

The loss the 'Canes had to have?

The Hurricanes were always bound to drop a game eventually in 2015, and there would be more than a few of the gold-and-black faithful who were frankly surprised it lasted as long as it did.

Mid-season losses for the front-running teams certainly aren't a bad thing; it provides the opportunity to recalibrate, refresh, and re-chart the course for the run home - spinnaker wind-full, ideally.

This time last year, the Sharks were out in front, and they had also posted seven wins and a loss. Eventual finalists, the Waratahs and Crusaders both occupied wildcard spots with five wins and three losses.

Interesting to note that after Round 10 last season, all the top six teams had played eight games, whereas in 2015, four of the top six have played nine games and thus have a bye on the run home.

The Hurricanes - and the Highlanders, for that matter - have had both byes already, and so have the advantage of an extra week of points available for accrual.

And with Aaron Cruden suffering a serious knee injury on Friday night against the Crusaders, the Chiefs' chances going forward will almost certainly come into question.

The Hurricanes really weren't that bad on Saturday afternoon; they faced a Waratahs who were hell-bent on redemption after a lacklustre performance the previous week. Yet for all the Waratahs' improvements - and they were significant - the 'Canes still only went down by a try. A try that almost certainly won't be a one-handed put-down next weekend!

Waratahs forward Wycliff Palu had his best game of the season in Round 10 © Getty Images
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Over the next two weekends, we'll see if that loss to the Waratahs has hurt the Hurricanes at all, when they face the Reds in Brisbane before hosting the Crusaders in Wellington.

I don't think it will at all. In fact, I think even with the Reds returning from the Republic full of confidence, there might not be a worse time to play the Hurricanes this year.

Phipps v Stirzaker suddenly of great importance

ESPN columnist Greg Growden wrote on Monday of the emergence of Melbourne Rebels' scrum-half Nic Stirzaker, and though my sideline view was sometimes obscured by the front edge of an umbrella and dumping rain, it was hard not to be impressed with his brilliant performance against the Brumbies on Saturday night.

It's easy to point to the strengths of his game, but for me, the little things are what makes him so promising. I'd make him captain for 2016 when Scott Higginbotham heads to Japan; he's already a natural leader of this team.

His vision around the base of the scrum and rucks is very good for a player with only 30-odd Super Rugby games under his belt, as the Brumbies defenders found out several times. And have you seen anyone else with follow through on a conversion charge-down attempt with the sort of commitment and enthusiasm as Stirzaker launched toward Christian Leali'ifano?

This all leads into what now shapes as a mouth-watering showdown in Sydney this weekend. It's almost ironic that the player who took over the Rebels No.9 when Nick Phipps headed back to Sydney is the player most like Phipps of all the Australian scrum-halves.

Phipps will be among the first picked, but a strong showing from Stirzaker in front of the Waratahs and Wallabies coach could lead to a new application of the 'RWC bolter' tag. And it'd be well-earned, too.

And if Stirzaker has a strong game, the Rebels are more than capable of springing the upset.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

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