Week Ten in the Super 14 was strange in that there were five blowouts in the six matches but somehow that didn't diminish the entertainment value of the incredible rugby being played. I guess what made the round different from earlier ones where the scorelines were similarly disparate was the quality of the effort from both the winners and the
losers. That can only mean one thing - the intensity brought on by the battle for playoff spots is getting ready to explode in some amazing contests over the next month!
The weekend kicked off with the Blues and Cheetahs in Auckland on Friday night. The Cheetahs needed a win to stay in the race and the Blues were trying to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the chasing pack. Even though they thoroughly dominated the match, the one thing the Blues didn't accomplish was a bonus point for scoring four tries - which may come back to haunt them at the end of the campaign when semifinal places are determined.
Next up was the Highlanders and the Chiefs in Queenstown. Both these sides were fighting to maintain legitimate playoff hope and it was the Chiefs who emerged victorious. This was the most fiercely contested match of the round and featured a bunch of thrilling tries.
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