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.