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Super 14 teams gear up for high-stakes last round

The Canterbury Crusaders, riled by a "soft" tag, lead the Super 14 field this weekend into a high-stakes final round before the playoffs with six teams still in contention for the last four.

The "soft" jibe was fired by Waikato Chiefs skipper Jono Gibbes ahead of their crucial showdown today, which the fifth-placed Chiefs must win to keep their hopes alive.

It is the first of two local derbies -- second-placed Coastal Sharks face the Western Stormers in Cape Town -- that headline the round in which New Zealand and South Africa are poised to have two sides each in the semis.

The Auckland Blues and Northern Bulls, who are also in the mix, rest their season on match-ups with the Western Force and Queensland Reds.

Should either of the two Australian sides pull off an upset, then it would propel the sixth placed ACT Brumbies into the top four, provided they can beat the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin.

It will be a tough task for the Chiefs to overturn the Crusaders, the defending Super 14 champions who haven't lost at home for 26 games.

But Gibbes has tried to unsettle the competition leaders with the accusation that they made "soft" attempts to quell the Brumbies in last week's 6-15 loss.

The return of All Blacks lock Chris Jack from hamstring problems will reinforce the Crusaders pack, but the side will be without flyhalf Dan Carter who has a shoulder injury.

The Sharks, currently in second place, only need a win against the lowly Stormers to ensure a home semi-final, but there is also the possibility that a loss could abruptly end their season.

"We, however, aren't in the semi-finals yet and with all the teams having a game to play a lot can still happen," said captain John Smit.

Four weeks ago the Blues looked on track to lead the competition into the play-offs but three consecutive defeats since has pushed them to third and a loss could put them out of the race.

In yet another shake up, coach David Nucifora has relegated Keven Mealamu to the bench, meaning prop Tony Woodcock is the only one of four Blues in the All Blacks reconditioning squad to make the starting 15.

Of the top four contenders the Northern Bulls, equal on points to the Blues, have the easiest final round, at home to bottom of the table Queensland Reds.

Lying two points outside the top four are the ACT Brumbies who front the Highlanders in Dunedin.

Other matches see the Wellington Hurricanes at home to the New South Wales Waratahs, while the Lions play the Cheetahs in Johannesburg.
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