Following last weekend’s rugby matches the NSW Waratahs appear all but certain to be hosts in at least week 1 of the Super Rugby finals, while the Brumbies are still in with a slight chance to make the 8. The Rebels are still in control of their own destiny, currently sitting in 8^th spot with 2 games to play.

The men from Canberra put in a very impressive performance against the Wellington Hurricanes to break their 13 game losing streak against New Zealand opposition, while the Waratahs stole the points after being outperformed by the Melbourne Rebels for most of the game in a clash for Australian conference leadership.

The Waratahs have by far the easiest run to the Super rugby finals from here, with home games against the struggling Sunwolves and the Brumbies to finish the regular season. They can be expected to top the Australian conference, given the four point lead they hold over the Rebels, and could easily sneak into second on the ladder as they are only 2 points behind South Africa’s Lions with an extra game still to play. This would give them a home semi-final as well, should they win in the first round.

The Rebels have away games against the Reds and Highlanders to finish the season. Both games will be winnable, but are possible banana skins. They are currently 8^th on the ladder, 3 points clear of the Sharks, and they need to win both games to be confident of a Super Rugby finals appearance. They will be confident against the Reds, who have a strong forward pack but poor backline, and are capable of defeating the Highlanders, who lost to the Waratahs earlier in the season.

The Brumbies are in 10^th and sit 6 points behind the Rebels. They also have 2 away games to finish the regular season, against the Chiefs and the Waratahs, and will need to win both (preferably with bonus points) to even be in with a chance of a Super Rugby finals appearance. They also need 2 out of the Jaguares, Rebels and Sharks to slip up and not win again.