OPINION: Sixty-test All Black Sam Cane proved his worth and then some in the Chiefs' 59-8 thrashing over the Rebels in Melbourne.
The loose forward didn't miss a tackle in the match and was as impressive as ever at the breakdown - quite remarkable for a guy who, just eight months ago, broke his neck.
The Chiefs now travel to Argentina, where they take on the Jaguares in the quarter-final, a crazy prospect for a team who was winless after the first five rounds.
These were the Kiwi players for this round of Super Rugby:
1. Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Blues): It feels strange to start the TOTW with a Blues player, given their capitulation against the Hurricanes, but the 21-year-old impressed in a rare starting opportunity. Solid at scrum time and a massive 18 tackles, with just one miss.
2. Dane Coles (Hurricanes): We've seen how good the All Blacks hooker has been with ball in hand this year, but this week, Coles showed plenty of defensive muscle and led a young team well from the front.
3. Angus Ta'avao (Chiefs): A huge performance that would've caught the attention of the ABs selectors. Destroyed his opposite in the scrum, a menace with ball in hand and a perfect tackling display.
Simply awesome.
4. Tom Franklin (Highlanders): A relentless display from one of the herd of Highlanders who are off to Japan next season. Lots of tough runs, heaps of tackles and rewarded with a try for his efforts.
5. Isaia Walker-Leawere (Hurricanes): There's nothing more fun than seeing a big man out in the open and the side-step that sat SBW on his bum led to his first Super Rugby try, which the 22-year-old from Gizzy won't forget.
6. Liam Squire (Highlanders): This performance summed up Squire's career - bullocking runs, bone-rattling tackles and the inevitable injury. Hopefully, his shoulder isn't too bad, because the ABs need him.
7. Sam Cane (Chiefs): It's no coincidence that the return of Cane has seen the Chiefs go to another level. He's the best player at the breakdown in NZ with a massive engine.
Seventeen tackles, 10 runs and will wear the ABs seven jersey at the World Cup.
8. Gareth Evans (Hurricanes): A tough call, with all four number eights performing well this week, but Evans gets the nod for his consistency across the 80 minutes. Impressive, given his recent comeback from a long injury lay-off.
9. Brad Weber (Chiefs): Here he is again, the people's champion and the form halfback of the competition. An impressive turn of speed, great running lines and superb awareness.
What more do you want, Steve?
10. Jack Debreczeni (Chiefs): Made his former team pay big time in Melbourne. A 17-point haul, with a try and three clean-breaks.
Has a great kicking game too.
11. Tevita Li (Highlanders): His stutter-step is one of the best going around. Explosive pace off the mark, which saw him score a try and set-up another.
Goes looking for work and we like that a lot in a winger.
12. Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs): The obsession with ALB continues. Started at centre, but quickly moved to second-five, where he once again delivered a world-class performance.
An offensive master class - 114m, four clean-breaks, eight defenders beaten, two offloads and a try.
13. Rob Thompson (Highlanders): With Ben Smith out, Thompson's become the Landers' go-to guy. Loves tucking the ball under his arm and breaking the advantage line.
Also forming a solid combo with Tei Walden on D.
14. Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs): Had an absolute field-day against the Rebels, scoring a hat-trick. Definitely has the Midas touch at the moment, everything he touches turns to gold.
15. Fletcher Smith (Hurricanes): Another unusual addition to the TOTW. Normally a first-five, the Nelson-born product made a big impact from the bench against the Blues, scooping up two chip-kicks and turning them into tries, which changed the outcome of the game.
John Day is a Newshub sports reporter.
