Highlanders
This year's Highlanders look far more like the team of 2011 and 2012 than the one of 2013. Not a team full of superstars, but certainly one that plays with plenty of passion and purpose and has some nice pieces. They should be competitive in most of their games and it will not be a surprise if they remain in the hunt for a playoff place for a lot of the season - although actually getting there may be a bridge too far.
Their forward pack looks far more energetic than last year's and is proving far more aggressive too. The front row of Kane Hames, Liam Coltman and Chris King has to be the most underrated in the competition - all are very mobile and make lots of tackles.
There is plenty of depth in the locks, with a good mix of physicality and lineout jumpers, while the loose forwards are operating faster than they were a year ago and the return of Nasi Manu has added some much needed directness.
In the backs there is some new young firepower to mix with the established guns in Ben and Aaron Smith, making them all the more threatening.
The biggest issue facing this team is their habit of starting strong and then fading in the second half. If they can sort this out they will be a tough team to beat. They clearly have the pieces, and it is just a case of fitting them together.
Crusaders
The Crusaders' first three games have been very un-Crusader like. It's not that dropping games early is unlike them - it's more the way they are dropping them. They are simply making too many mistakes that Crusaders teams of years gone by would not have been making.
Against the Chiefs they dominated the first half but were unable to turn this into points, while against the Blues a couple of missed tackles proved costly.
Their back line looks to be moving too laterally and is missing some spark and creativity through the midfield. Too often the ball is too slow, and they are letting the defences set up before unleashing, making it hard to make any real inroads.
Defensively they have been exposed out wide a few too many times, which has prompted a handful of players being used in the outside backs.
Up front they have been solid but not dominant by any means, and given they have an All Black forward pack at their disposal, you would expect them to be on top of most teams.
They did well to claim their first win against the Stormers on Saturday night, wearing down their opposition in a brutal match which saw them apply pressure all game and then convert this to points with a strong finish.
Do not write them off though - the Crusaders have won this competition before after losing their first three games. They still have to be favourites to claim a playoffs spot, but they need to get their act together sooner rather than later.
Hurricanes
With no wins from three games, the Hurricanes have had the worst start of the five New Zealand teams. That said, they have also had the hardest start and on the plus side they have gotten their South African trip out of the way and played three of the tougher teams in the competition.
It is not uncommon for a New Zealand side to lose both of their games in the Republic, while the first game usually sees them fade in the second half, which happened against the Brumbies on Friday night. Therefore while three losses to start is certainly not ideal, it is not quite as bad as it may look.
They pushed the Stormers close in Cape Town and had all the ball for the first 30 minutes against the Brumbies in Wellington, but on both occasions they failed to close the games out. Too often they would drop ball in good attacking positions, or miss first-up tackles, allowing the opposition to get go-forward and make breaks.
Much has been made of the selections, particularly that of Jack Lam and Adam Hill ahead of Ardie Savea. It is certainly an interesting move, given Savea has excelled at ITM Cup level with his speed around the field and ball skills coupled with his strong defensive capabilities.
While it is okay for a coach to select who they think is the best option, when the team is not performing and someone like Savea is not included in the starting line-up, questions are going to be asked.
Moving Jack Lam to the blindside and slotting in Savea on the openside may be a good option, as Lam provides plenty of physicality and hits as hard as anyone, while Savea is fast around the field and can act as a ball runner too.
There is plenty of firepower in this team and they will still be a tough matchup, but like the Crusaders, they need to get their act together sooner than later.
Chiefs
The teams that look to be the strongest this year are the ones that defend well and it is for this reason that the Chiefs will be right up there again.
They have a great attitude defending close-in, getting up fast on the opposition and throwing themselves aggressively at the ball runner. Their line is always well-organised and consequently has proved tough to breach, with the only tries they have conceded coming from a rolling maul and an opportunistic run through the middle of a lineout.
They have plenty going for them on attack too, with flair in the backs and strong ball runners in the forwards.
Aaron Cruden continues to look more and more comfortable running the show at first five-eighth, with an improved kicking game and the ability to put his players into gaps. Their back three are dangerous on the counter, with Tim Nanai-Williams in particular having wreaked havoc in the first two weeks. The likes of Robbie Fruean and Bundee Aki are game breakers on their day too.
But it is their defence that makes them the team to beat in the New Zealand conference.
Blues
It has been a mixed start for the Blues, with a good win over the Crusaders sandwiched between a couple of average performances against the Highlanders and Bulls.
When their forward pack is going forward and giving their backs front-foot ball, they are capable of playing some good rugby. They have a lot of dangerous runners who will cause any defence problems should they get the opportunity to unleash.
But as often happens with the Blues, there have been times where they have not had the ball to work with and have been non-factors, such as in the first half in Dunedin. This is where their forward pack must step up and bring their physical game.
Jerome Kaino should help here when he returns after their South African trip and will be key if he can find the form that saw him become arguably the best player at Rugby World Cup 2011.
Like the Highlanders last year, the Blues have struggled with injuries to a handful of key players, further showing that having older All Blacks in your team is not necessarily a good thing. How well these players come back into the picture could be telling, but even without them the Blues have enough pieces to cause most teams some problems.
