After three years of post-Covid meandering and New Zealand domination, Super Rugby has sprung back into life in 2025 with signs that the southern hemisphere provincial championship is once again a genuine competition.
After a torrent of tries and entertaining but close games over the first three rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, round four marked a real sea-change with three of the four New Zealand teams in action beaten.
That two of them went down to Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika, the Pacific islands teams brought in to add a wider geographic dimension to the competition after the loss of the South African sides, made the power shift even more marked.
The Chiefs, losing finalists for the last two years, were the early competition pacesetters with three wins from three but lost to the previously winless Fijian Drua in Lautoka.
The Chiefs are not the first team to wilt in the Fijian heat, which was compounded on Saturday by heavy rain, but visiting coach Clayton McMillan saw the loss as also very much a sign of the new times.
"If you look across the competition, it's really tight, small margins and small moments can have big consequences," he told reporters.
"I imagine as a spectator, it's great to see people watching Super Rugby, being keen to get along and support their team, and to see a competitive competition."
Moana's victory over the Hurricanes on Saturday was perhaps the biggest shock of the round and was achieved despite new captain Ardie Savea leaving the field before halftime with an injury.
"It does feel like there's been a shift," said Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw, whose side topped the standings after the regular season last year.
"Long may it continue, the last thing we want is a competition with runaway leaders. It's frustrating as hell for us tonight but fair play to Moana, they deserved their win."
BLUES NOW BEATABLE
The reigning champion Blues lost only twice on their way to the final last year, but on Friday were defeated for the third time this season as the Canberra-based Brumbies prevailed at Eden Park for the first time in 12 years.
The only team without a loss after four rounds finished bottom of the standings last year, the New South Wales Waratahs having rattled off three home wins accompanied by a bye week.
The Australian teams have all been stronger this year after the players from the defunct Melbourne Rebels found new homes, but new Waratahs coach Dan McKellar was not getting carried away.
"We won't be falling in love with ourselves after tonight, or the first three games," he told reporters after Saturday's win over the Perth-based Western Force.
"Anyone can beat anyone at the moment. But our challenge will come when we go away from home. Winning at home is nice, but winning away from home, they're the really special memories."