The Chiefs have nailed down their Super Rugby playoff spot - but the Highlanders will watch the final acts of the regular season anxiously, before they can celebrate.
Four NZ teams are now well placed to claim top-eight spots in the post-season, with one night of games remaining.
Heading into the weekend, the two-time defending champion Crusaders and Hurricanes were already confirmed, while the Highlanders and Chiefs also did their part on Friday, claiming big wins over the Waratahs and Rebels respectively.
The southerners overwhelmed their Australian rivals 49-12 in Invercargill to finish their schedule with six wins, three draws and seven losses.
Winger Shaun Stevenson scored three tries, as the Waikato-based franchise emerged 59-8 victors in Melbourne, securing a seven-win/two-draw/seven-loss season.
Those results currently have them well placed in the top eight - Chiefs in sixth, Highlanders seventh - but that scenario will change on Saturday night, when two South African derbies finally determine quarter-final match-ups.
The winners of Stormers v Sharks would move past the NZ teams, while a tight contest between the Bulls and Lions could see both advance from the schedule's final fixture.
By those calculations, the Chiefs are safe, but the Highlanders are on shaky ground, still needing at least one of those results to go their way.
Super Rugby Playoff Race
P W D L +/- Pts
Crusaders 16 11 3 2 240 58
Jaguares 15 10 0 5 67 46
Brumbies 15 9 0 6 51 43
Hurricanes 15 11 1 3 82 49
Bulls 15 7 2 6 20 36
Chiefs 16 7 2 7 -14 36
Highlanders 16 6 3 7 49 36
Lions 15 8 0 7 -56 35
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Stormers 15 7 1 7 -19 34
Sharks 15 6 1 8 5 33
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