The Super Rugby season came back with a bang on Friday night with the Australian and New Zealand sides resuming their campaigns after the international break.
And after results this weekend, the finish to Super Rugby is looking very intriguing indeed.
It is now the Waratahs who hold the advantage in the playoffs after their big win over their big rivals, the Brumbies on Saturday night as well as the loss of the Crusaders to the Hurricanes earlier that night.
The Waratahs play the Highlanders at home and their other big interstate rivals, the Reds in Brisbane to wrap up the regular season. A win in one of those games should will definitely seal their place in the playoffs and the Australian conference. Results elsewhere could also mean home advantage throughout the playoffs for the Sydney based team.
It would be quite a deserved result too given the amazing turnaround that the Waratahs have experienced under coach Michael Cheika in the last two seasons. It could also be a boon for Australian rugby union as they try to lift their profile in the country's most populous state and city.
Across the Tasman, a highly competitive New Zealand conference hasn't lost its sting, with the Blues right back in mathematical contention for the playoffs after a big, big win against the Force - their first away win in several years. John Kirwan would have been mighty proud of the performance of his charges in such a pressure game and away from home and the Blues can now look forward to taking on the wounded Crusaders and Chiefs, knowing that the pressure is on their opponents rather than themselves.
The Crusaders are still top of the New Zealand conference but might have blown the chance to gain home advantage throughout the playoffs - indeed, now they look set for a straight tussle with the Highlanders or Hurricanes for that New Zealand conference title depending on results next week.
On the other hand, the Chiefs must win their last two games and rely on the Brumbies, Force and Blues slipping up to sneak into the top 6 - they've got the Hurricanes at home and Blues away, sides they've beaten in previous seasons but with form not as good as it could be and loads of injuries, the Chiefs are no longer straightforward raging favourites to win those games.
The Brumbies' playoff chances are also hanging by a thread after the damaging loss to the Waratahs with an inconvenient bye to come but the Force's chances of making history are also slimming down after that loss to the Blues in Perth - they do face the Reds at home and then the Brumbies away and could still sneak in but it's really down to them to win, sitting outside the 6.
What about the South African sides? Well realistically only the Sharks are set for the playoffs. The Bulls and Stormers have an outside chance but do play each other when they get back so one of them will be ruled out. The Stormers could still play spoiler to their big coastal rivals - something that the Waratahs and Crusaders will hope they can do after they beat the Sharks before the break.
After that inconvenient break, it was easy to forget how good Super Rugby 2014 has been, but we've quickly been given a reminder of that and with the South African sides back next week, this will be a cracking race to the finish.
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