With one round to go before Super Rugby breaks for the June test window, two Australian sides are in the running for a top eight finals spot. The NSW Waratahs are edging the Aussie conference with six wins and a draw from their 12 games to leave them in third spot on the overall ladder. But just a point behind them are the Melbourne Rebels, whose 50% win record sees them squeezing into 8th place.

The Brumbies have boosted their backrow stocks for 2019 with the announcement that Crusaders flanker Pete Samu is moving to Canberra, a move that will also put him firmly on the radar of Wallabies coach Michael Cheika.

The hoodoo is over, NSW Waratahs’ 41-12 win over the Highlanders in Sydney on Saturday night broke a 40-game winless streak for Australian sides against New Zealand opposition. But the rugby gods gave them a helping hand, a red card for Highlanders winger Tevita Nabura just 15 minutes into the contest opening the door for a victory that still wasn’t without it’s nervous moments.

The Waratahs came away from Christchurch empty-handed yet again at the weekend, falling 31-29 to the Crusaders having incredibly led 29-0 after half an hour. Tries to Cam Clark, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Israel Folau and Curtis Rona looked to have put them in the box seat for a first win on Canterbury soil since 2004. But a controversial try from prop Joe Moody got the hosts back in the game, and the reigning champions went on to record the biggest comeback in Super Rugby history to squeeze home.

The Melbourne Rebels have announced that flanker Richard Hardwick has signed a new two-year contract to remain in Victoria until the end of 2020.