As a result, the Chiefs will host the Blues on Saturday in Hamilton, the Crusaders will host the Reds in Christchurch on Friday and the Brumbies will host the Hurricanes in Canberra on Saturday.
Statistics
Most points: Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) 171, Tom Lynagh (Reds) 104, Beauden Barrett (Blues) 98.
Most tries: Carlo Tizzano (Force) 13, Andy Muirhead (Brumbies), Leroy Carter (Chiefs), Corey Toole (Brumbies), Kyren Taumoefolau (Moana Pasifika) 9.
Most carries: Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa (Moana Pasifika) 205, Langi Gleeson (Waratahs) (182), Timoci Tavatavanawai (Highlanders) 176
Most clean breaks: Toole 22, Harry Potter (Force) 20, Ponipate Loganimasi (Drua) 19.
Most defenders beaten: Tavatavanawai 78, McKenzie 53, Tom Wright (Brumbies) , Potter 47.
Most lineouts won: Darcy Swain (Force) 79, Josh Canham (Reds) 71, Nick Frost (Brumbies) 64.
Most metres gained: Wright 1069, Mack Grealy (Force) 878, Potter 780.
Most offloads: Sevu Reece (Crusaders) 25, Tavatavanawai 18, Rivez Reihana (Crusaders), Potter 15.
Most tackles won: Fabian Holland (Highlanders), Du'Plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes) 203, Tizzano 198.
Highlanders 24 Chiefs 41
First five-eighths Damian McKenzie's 5th-minute chip-kick on halfway rewarded the Chiefs for their early possession dominance as the ball was secured by wing Etene Nanai-Seturo and passed to centre Daniel Rona. He was pulled in but had flanker Samipeni Finau inside to take his pass to score. Five minutes later, lock Tupou Vaa'i was at stand-off from a goal-line ruck to take the ball to drive over for his first try. Then, two minutes later, as the Highlanders looked to run the ball, a strong midfield tackle saw the ball rebound to Vaa'i, and he raced 45m to score his second. Finally, securing consistent ball, the Highlanders drove to the Chiefs' line for prop Ethan de Groot to score. Losing prop Reuben O'Neill to the sin-bin allowed the home team to mount a challenge a minute before the break, and co-captain Timoci Tavatavanawai cork-screwed over the line to score.
Forty-five seconds into the second half, the Chiefs negated the five-point margin with halfback Xavier Roe running off a maul to score. Heading into the final quarter, the Chiefs gave wing Manasa Mataele space on the left to run in another try. A scrum penalty 39m out allowed McKenzie to land a penalty goal, which proved handy as the Highlanders managed a late surge. Eight minutes were left when home centre Tanielu Tele'a slipped a grubber kick to the in-goal, where replacement Sam Gilbert scored. But Vaa'i capped the evening with a hat-trick try when a Gilbert goal-line dropout was short and not held by a team-mate, allowing Vaa'i to pick off the try.
Highlanders 24 (Ethan de Groot, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Sam Gilbert tries; Cameron Millar 2 con, pen; Gilbert con) Chiefs 41 (Tupou Vaa'i 3, Samipeni Finau, Manasa Mataele tries; Damian McKenzie 4 con, pen). HT: 14-19
Brumbies 31 Crusaders 33
Noah Hotham's dropping of the Brumbies' kick-off allowed the home team to drive from a scrum and see prop Feao Fotuaika score in the second minute. But the Crusaders responded from a goalmouth ruck that saw No8 Christian Lio-Willie score. After first five-eighths, Rivez Reihana kicked a penalty goal, the Crusaders forwards drove again at the line and flanker Ethan Blackadder scored after 13 minutes. Then, well-moved ball saw Brumbies centre Len Ikitau hit the ball at speed and race in for a try. One point in front, the Crusaders extended their lead from a goal-line drive that saw Hotham run the blind and backhand a pass for Reihana to score. Two minutes from the break, and under penalty advantage, wing Sevu Reece dropped a goal.
Reihana added an early penalty goal in the second half before the Brumbies mounted a ruck assault on the Crusaders' line for replacement prop Rhys van Nek to drive across in the 50th minute. Six minutes later, the Brumbies' back three of fullback Tom Wright and wings Corey Toole and Andy Muirhead combined to put the latter over for a try that allowed first five-eighths Noah Lolesio's conversion to level the scores. A penalty goal to Lolesio with seven minutes left lifted Brumbies' fans' hopes, but four minutes from the end, a Crusaders' lineout maul drove at the line for replacement hooker George Bell to run from the back to score the match-winner.
Brumbies 31 (Feao Fotuaika, Len Ikitau, Rhys van Nek, Andy Muirhead tries; Noah Lolesio 4 con, pen) Crusaders 33 (Christian Lio-Willie, Ethan Blackadder, Rivez Reihana, George Bell tries; Reihana 2 con, pen; Sevu Reece dropped goal). HT: 14-25
Blues 46 Waratahs 6
Unleashing their attacking talent for the first time all season, the Blues scored a record-breaking winning margin over a lacklustre Waratahs outfit at Eden Park. Centre Rieko Ioane, who will miss next season's Super Rugby Pacific while on a Leinster sabbatical, scored a hat-trick of tries to join wing Doug Howlett with a share of the franchise's highest try-scoring record of 55. Wing Mark Tele'a, in his final home game for the side, scored two tries, and departing five-eighths, Mark Plummer kicked the final penalty goal of the game. Three tries in nine minutes, either side of halftime, killed off any chance for the Waratahs, who had no answer to the rigid Blues' defence, the most consistent part of their campaign, especially in their 22m area.
First five-eighths Beauden Barrett showed a healthier understanding of the slippery nature of the hard surface after rain throughout the day to work a master class in kicking variation. By comparison, the Waratahs were flagrant in their failure to apply pressure through their kicking by too often kicking directly to touch or lacking accuracy in their attempted ball placement. Their lack of variation in attack gave them no chance to upset the Blues' who achieved a playoff place due to their bonus point win.
Blues 46 (Rieko Ioane 3, Mark Tele'a 2, Corey Evans, Ricky Riccitelli tries; Beauden Barrett 4 con; Mark Plummer pen) Waratahs 6 (Jack Bowen 2 pen). HT: 24-6
Hurricanes 64 Moana Pasifika 12
There were no miracles at SKY Stadium in Wellington for Moana Pasifika. They did score first through an intercept that allowed No8 Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa to score. But that merely brought the Hurricanes back to reality, and they looked to their power game upfront to see hooker Jacob Devery score from a lineout maul. Returning No8 Devon Flanders demonstrated why he had been missed when making a chip kick to gain a favourable bounce to score, and halfback Cam Roigard got a return intercept to run in a try from 40m. Signs of wear in the Moana Pasifika resolve began to show when home second five-eighths Peter Umaga-Jensen ran onto the ball at speed to pierce a gap and then worked his way through several defenders to score an outstanding individual try.
That continued when he scored a second to open the second half scoring with another try. Flanker and captain Ardie Savea did pull a try back for Moana Pasifika. But the toll of their 7-85 loss to the Chiefs a week earlier was too wide a handicap to overcome, and it was the Hurricanes who secured fourth place with a display that hinted at a potential to upset, especially given the return of injured players at the key part of the season.
Hurricanes 64 (Jacob Devery, Devon Flanders, Cam Roigard, Peter Umaga-Jensen 2, Raymond Tuputupu, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Billy Proctor, Ereatara Enari, Tjay Clarke tries; Ruben Love 7 con) Moana Pasifika 12 (Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa, Ardie Savea tries; Patrick Pellegrini con). HT: 28-7
Reds 52 Drua 7
Reds wing Lachie Anderson turned it on for home fans in Brisbane, posting a hat-trick of tries in the first quarter and then adding a fourth just before halftime to become the third Australian behind Joe Roff (1996) and Drew Mitchell (2010) to score four tries in a Super Rugby game. It was a classy display of finishing for a side that ran wild with its dangerous three-quarters, taking full advantage of a Drua side that had two players sin-binned and which was given a lesson in breakdown play where it conceded 17 turnovers to 10, which allowed the Reds to make 10 clean breaks to two.
Up 33-0 at halftime, there was no comeback from the Drua, and the Reds celebrated their fifth placing with a dominant display ahead of their meeting with the Crusaders in Christchurch in the qualifying finals on Friday.
Reds 52 (Lachie Anderson 4, Josh Canham, Josh Flook, Filipo Daugunu, Joe Brial tries; Tom Lynagh 5 con; Ryan Smith con) Drua 7 (Haereiti Hetet try; Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula con). HT: 33-0