The Highlanders have built confidence, blooded some fine new players and generated a reasonable amount of momentum through the first three rounds of the season.
Warning: reference to suicide. The late Billy Guyton, whose career included playing for North Otago, Super Rugby sides and NZ Māori, had a brain injury likely to be connected with repeated head knocks.
Crusaders captain Scott Barrett has been ruled out for six weeks due to a fractured finger, sustained in the lead-up to the team's clash with the Fiji Drua last weekend.
Chiefs Manawa players Ruby Tui and Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu did not participate in the traditional pre-game haka at the weekend, but the Super Rugby club cannot say why.