A tight race in Super Rugby might become tighter in round 6

Early season contenders Crusaders, Chiefs and ACT Brumbies return from ir first bye weeks to find landscape in Super Rugby substantially changed by defeat of previously unbeaten Stormers.

Before last weekend's fifth round, Stormers were clear tournament leaders and Crusaders, Chiefs and Brumbies, along with South Africa's Sharks, were in vanguard of chasing teams.

After Auckland-based Blues stopped Stormers' winning streak last weekend, sixth round begins with much more compressed championship standings. Cape Town-based Stormers have ir bye this weekend, which means table will likely become even more compact as chasing teams take opportunity to close in.

At this st Stormers and Durban-based Sharks have 4-1 records and are separated by a single point in African conference while Argentina's Jaguares, 3-2, are a furr point behind.

Only one point separates top four teams in New Zealand conference: Christchurch-based Crusaders (3-1) are on top with 14 points but Hurricanes and Chiefs, 3-1 after four games, and Blues, 3-2 after five, all have 13 points.

Brumbies (3-1) are alone in first place in Australian conference, five points clear of Melbourne Rebels who posted ir second win of season last weekend over New Zealand conference tailenders Highlanders.

In overall standings, only four points separates top-place Stormers from eighth-place Blues, n a gap has developed back to Rebels and Queensland Reds which both have difficult assignments this weekend. Reds face Crusaders in Christchurch and Rebels host Johannesburg-based Lions, who are 1-3 this season but among best travelers in Africa conference.

defending champion Crusaders will hope to come out of bye week with momentum y took into enforced break. y bounced back quickly from ir second-round loss to Hamilton-based Chiefs to post consecutive derby wins over Blues and Highlanders.

task for Reds looks a little less daunting than it might have been in past. Wins by Brumbies over Chiefs and Rebels over Highlanders this season have helped dispel pessimism Australian clubs may have been feeling about ir prospects against New Zealand sides.

Reds, who are in a rebuilding phase, are 1-4 this season and will go into Friday's match without backline general James O'Conr. But y believe y can rise to challenge against a Crusaders team which is unbeaten in 33 matches at home.

"Every game's a crunch game for us from this point forward having played five games and only won one," Reds assistant coach Peter Ryan said. "I'm probably thinking that y're thinking it's ar tch in ir belt in terms of a win for m. So if y are thinking that, n I'd like to go over re and get a win."

Brumbies face Japan's Sunwolves in Wollongong on Friday, a match shifted from Osaka and w part of a double-header in which New South Wales Waratahs will play Chiefs.

" Sunwolves are a really dangerous team and we're t reading (much) into ir recent results, y got a good win over Rebels at start of season and we're certainly expecting a tough game," Brumbies coach Dan McKellar said.

Blues return from ir unbeaten tour to South Africa to play Hurricanes in Wellington. Both teams have one-loss records but in order to continue ir form upswing Blues well have to overcome travel and a poor record in derby matches.

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