A rejuvenated Canterbury Crusaders face Queensland Reds to kick off the Super Rugby playoffs on Friday, with the New Zealand side chasing an eighth title in nine years after a disastrous 2024.
The Christchurch-based Crusaders won seven straight titles under head coach Scott Robertson but endured a torrid season last year after he left to take charge of the All Blacks.
The Crusaders won only four games and failed to make the playoffs under new mentor Rob Penney.
A year on, the Crusaders finished in second place, giving them home advantage against the Reds as they seek a semi-finals berth.
The Crusaders have won 13 of their past 14 matches against the Reds, and three of four finals matches between the two teams.
When the sides met earlier this year in round four, the Crusaders won 43-19.
Waikato Chiefs finished top and they face the defending champions Auckland Blues in Hamilton on Saturday knowing -- win or lose -- they are guaranteed to make the semifinals.
As the number one ranked side, they have a guaranteed lifeline in a revamped finals system that sees the round's three winners, and the highest seeded loser progress to the final four.
The Chiefs were by far the best side during the regular season, winning matches by an average of more than 24 points per game.
Coach Clayton McMillan will leave the Chiefs after the final as he heads to Ireland to coach Munster.
The Chiefs are looking to recapture their glory days of 2012 and 2013 when they won back-to-back titles, having lost in the final three times since -- including last year to the Blues.
The Auckland side only just scraped into the playoffs on the final weekend and were well beaten by the Chiefs twice during the regular season.
The final play-off on Saturday sees Wellington Hurricanes travel to Canberra to face the third-seeded ACT Brumbies.
The Hurricanes are undefeated in their last six Super Rugby matches, coming from behind at half-time in three of those matches.
But the Brumbies have won three of the five previous playoff encounters between the sides.