An historic sweep of all five New Zealand teams beckons for the ACT Brumbies as Super Round looms as the "shot in the arm" the code needs on both sides of the Tasman.
But an uncharacteristic loss at home to the Fijian Drua has muted Stephen Larkham's men ahead of the trip across the Tasman ahead of the five-game, three-day Anzac showpiece to open Christchurch's One NZ Stadium.
Watch every second of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season live and on demand via Stan Sport.
Victory over the top-of-table Hurricanes on Saturday would see the Brumbies (5-4) become the first Australian Super Rugby outfit to beat all five New Zealand sides in the regular season.
But a shock loss to the Drua in Canberra on Saturday, as well as earlier this season in Fiji, plus home losses to the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds have left them vulnerable.
"It's an important week, an important game ... to set up our season," Brumbies winger Corey Toole said.
"It (a Kiwi sweep) would be quite special; no one's ever done it.
"I see it in the media a little bit, but now we've got to focus on ourselves, get our own backyard sorted, before we look at beating all the New Zealand teams." The Crusaders will be out to avoid an unwanted record when the defending champions kick off action at their new stadium on Friday against the Waratahs.
An upset loss to the Western Force on Saturday has left them 0-3 against Australian sides this season and just two points ahead of the seventh-placed Waratahs, who have a game in hand.
Waratahs and Wallabies star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is a potential returnee from his lengthy hamstring injury layoff.
The Queensland Reds, who had a bye last week, will play the Blues on Saturday, their first meeting since Vern Cotter was announced as Les Kiss's replacement for next season.
Blues lock and All Blacks star Patrick Tuipulotu lit the fuse in the preseason, admitting his shock at Cotter's rare trans-Tasman coaching move and the fierce rivalry of the two sides.
"We're all good mates, but on the field we just hate each other. That's what it feels like," he said.
On Sunday, Moana Pasifika, seeking fresh investment to stay afloat beyond this season, face the Highlanders while the in-form Drua complete proceedings against the second-placed Chiefs.
The code's Super Round has been rebirthed, after a year off, following three lacklustre editions in Melbourne.
And there is a genuine buzz, with the 30,000-seat roofed stadium expected to be sold out all weekend in another symbol of the city's long rebuild since the deadly 2011 earthquake.
"It's probably what the competition needs, to be honest, is Super Round," Waratahs coach Dan McKellar said.
"I'm hearing it's an unbelievable stadium ... it's the sort of shot in the arm that the comp needs."
He said Suaalii was "close" after training well last week.
"We need to be patient and make sure he's ready, because the last thing we want to do is expose him before he's not right and than all of a sudden we're seeing another couple of months (on the sidelines)," he said.
* FRIDAY - Crusaders v Waratahs - sixth v seventh - Crusaders looking to avoid losses to all four Australian teams.
* SATURDAY - Hurricanes v Brumbies - first v fourth - Brumbies eyeing historic sweep of Kiwi opponents.
* SATURDAY - Blues v Reds - third v fifth - Reds to face Vern Cotter for first time since Blues coach announced as man to replace Les Kiss at Ballymore.
