With six rounds to go before the Super 14 finals, Greg Growden provides his half-term report and tells who are the finals contenders and pretenders.

WARATAHS (1st)

(B)

The telephone calls from across the Tasman and the Republic began late on Saturday night with the same query: ”How are the Waratahs on top of the ladder?” A good question, as they have occasionally spluttered their way to victory. Luck has certainly been on their side, but good teams always rely on fortune, and this makes the Waratahs a reasonable chance of making the four. Tatafu Polota-Nau has been a prime reason for the Waratahs’ revival, while Berrick Barnes’s assured performance against the Cheetahs was the most important factor of Saturday night’s win. Having Barnes and Daniel Halangahu act as midfield generals is crucial to Barnes’s confidence. Still, it is imperative NSW finish either first or second on the ladder, as they need the home-ground advantage or will risk being blown away during the finals.

BULLS (2nd)

(A-)

My tip is a Bulls-Crusaders final, despite the Crusaders drawing with the Hurricanes at the weekend and the Bulls losing to the Blues. The men from Pretoria are tournament favourites as they have the players, convenient draw and the momentum. An impressive team is one that never appears intimidated. That was certainly the case when the Brumbies, Waratahs and Force threatened them in the early rounds. On the road, they have discovered their tactic of belting the ball down the field is not so effective. That happens when their home base is at altitude. But at Loftus, with Morne Steyn able to kick anything through the posts from 60 metres out, they are near unbeatable. If they finish first after the minor rounds, you might as well hand the Bulls the Super 14 trophy. It is all over.

CRUSADERS (3rd)

(B+)

No, they are not the mighty force of yore. But with Daniel Carter again controlling proceedings and Richie McCaw back from injury, it is all starting to come together, as the Waratahs should discover in Christchurch on Saturday. They are the most composed and consistent of the NZ provinces.

STORMERS (4th)

(B)

They have for so long been one of the great underachievers of the Super tournament but are slowly getting it together. They were always going to struggle against the Force at the weekend and their next three matches on the road will determine whether they make the finals for the first time since 2004. My feeling is that they will just miss out.

REDS (5th)

(A-)

The great improvers of the tournament, with Will Genia and Quade Cooper the most invigorating half combination running around. Ewen McKenzie has done a great job and the Reds have won countless fans. Whether they will make the finals is debatable. Sadly, they will probably just miss out.

CHIEFS: (6th)

(C-)

A creative, innovative team but should finish among the also-rans.

BRUMBIES (7th)

(C)

The Real Madrid of the Australian teams have been playing like they’ve been hitting the sangria. Often in a team full of stars, everyone looks for someone else to do the hard work.

BLUES (8th)

(B-)

They could easily surprise and make the finals. As shown against the Brumbies and Bulls, and for 30 minutes against the Waratahs, when the Blues stop messing around, they are the most exciting team in the competition. They are the best outside bets to make the finals.

HURRICANES (9th)

(D)

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.

SHARKS (10th)

(D)

Toothless until the last two rounds. There are too many teams in front of them.

HIGHLANDERS (11th)

(D)

Once again the under-achieving Otago franchise is just making up the numbers.

CHEETAHS (12th)

(D-)

Their dismal performances this season are as migraine-inducing as their dreadful jerseys.

FORCE (13th)

(D)

You have to feel sorry for them because their injury toll has been horrendous. And they have never given up, winning for the first time on Friday night. The Force deserve better.

LIONS (14th)

(F)

Thanks for coming.