Nine into four, doesn’t go

And then there were nine! Yes, the race for Super 14 play-off places has officially been reduced to just nine.

Jan De Koning of Rugby 365 does the honours in trying to figure out how it will all end.

Obviously there are the haves – the top four who have it in their own hands – and the have-nots (the other five) who need the odd result to go their way.

But we are in for a scintillating final fortnight, as the top teams will play each other at least once in the last two rounds.

The table-topping Hurricanes play the second-placed Chiefs in Hamilton this coming Saturday.

And next week the fourth-placed Sharks host the Bulls (currently at No.3) in Durban.

The Waratahs, in fifth place, play the Sharks this coming weekend.

The Crusaders, at No.6, have seemingly the easiest run-in – playing the Reds (13th) and Blues (8th).

Needless to say, a few teams are still going to knock each out of the race in the last two weeks of league action and – once again – it will go down to the wire, the last week of league action on May 15 and 16.

In fact it will almost certainly come down to the very last league match of the season, when the Sharks host the Bulls in Durban on May 16, to sort out the final places.

So, let’s take a look at what’s in stall for each of the 14 teams!

Hurricanes:
Current position: 1st
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 9th
Remaining matches:
May 9: v Chiefs, Hamilton
May 16: v Reds, Brisbane

Chiefs:
Current position: 2nd
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 9th
Remaining matches:
May 9: v Hurricanes, Hamilton
May 15: v Brumbies, Hamilton

Bulls:
Current position: 3rd
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 9th
Remaining matches:
May 9: v Cheetahs, Pretoria
May 16: v Sharks, Durban

Sharks:
Current position: 4th
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 9th
Remaining matches:
May 9: v Waratahs, Durban
May 16: v Bulls, Durban

Waratahs:
Current position: 5th
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 9th
Remaining matches:
May 9: v Sharks, Durban
May 15: v Lions, Johannesburg

Crusaders:
Current position: 6th
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 10th
Remaining matches:
May 8: v Reds, Christchurch
May 16: v Blues, Auckland

Brumbies:
Current position: 7th
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 10th
Remaining matches:
May 9: v Blues, Canberra
May 15: v Chiefs, Hamilton

Blues:
Current position: 8th
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 10th
Remaining matches:
May 9: v Brumbies, Canberra
May 16: v Crusaders, Auckland

Western Force:
Current position: 9th
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 10th
Remaining matches:
May 9: v Stormers, Cape Town
May 16: v Highlanders, Perth

Highlanders:
Current position: 10th
Best possible finish: 5th
Worst possible finish: 13th
Remaining matches:
May 8: v Lions, Johannesburg
May 16: v Force, Perth

Stormers:
Current position: 11th
Best possible finish: 10th
Worst possible finish: 14th
Remaining matches:
May 9: v Force, Cape Town
May 16: v Cheetahs, Bloemfontein

Lions:
Current position: 12th
Best possible finish: 10th
Worst possible finish: 14th
Remaining matches:
May 8: v Highlanders, Johannesburg
May 15: v Waratahs, Johannesburg

Reds:
Current position: 13th
Best possible finish: 10th
Worst possible finish: 14th
Remaining matches:
May 8: v Crusaders, Christchurch
May 16: v Hurricanes, Brisbane

Cheetahs:
Current position: 14
Best possible finish: 11th
Worst possible finish: 14th
Remaining matches:
May 9: v Bulls, Pretoria
May 16: v Stormers, Bloemfontein