The Hurricanes and Blues sit atop the Super Rugby Pacific ladder after six weeks, with the Kiwi sides each picking up their fourth wins of the season over the weekend.
As did the Brumbies and Reds, who sit in third and fourth respectively, while the Crusaders are fifth after their win over Moana Pasifika.
Read on as we review some of the key talking points from Round 6.
BRUMBIES, REDS HAVE SET THEIR SEASONS UP -- THEY MUST PUSH ON FOR HOME SEMIS
With four wins apiece through the first six weeks of the competition, one of, or preferably both the ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds must kick on and reach the final - for the good of Super Rugby Pacific.
That is not an Australia vs. New Zealand thing, far from it in fact. But after four seasons of all-New Zealand deciders, and not even a solitary home Australian semifinal, the competition is in dire need of a different narrative.
And the good news for competition officials - and by extension Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt - is that both the Reds and Brumbies have set their seasons up to do exactly that.
Their Round 6 wins came in contrasting fashions, though, with the Brumbies riding a stunning comeback to snatch victory from the Chiefs, while the Reds secured what may be a season-defining triumph in Fiji, their first ever, with a try-scoring shut-out of the Drua.
The Brumbies were largely insipid for 60 minutes in Canberra before halves Ryan Lonergan and Declan Meredith combined to drive them back into the contest, before Corey Toole's intercept sealed a memorable victory to celebrate James Slipper's record-breaking 203rd Super Rugby appearance in the best possible fashion.
While anything but glamorous, the Reds' 21-6 bonus-point win was all about graft, tinged with some classy touches from Harry McLaughlin-Philips, Harry Wilson, Seru Uru and Filipo Daugunu. John Bryant's game-high 22 tackles underscored his team's determination in energy-sapping conditions in Lautoka.
The fact that the Reds were able to win away from home without skipper Fraser McReight and Wallabies playmaker Carter Gordon, so too the in-form Joe Brial, reflects the depth the Reds have built in recent years under Les Kiss.
Being able to bring those players in fresh this weekend against the ladder-leading Hurricanes is a huge bonus, while Wallabies scrum-half Tate McDermott will also return later in the competition.
The Brumbies, too, have troops to come back with skipper Allan Alaalatoa and star fullback Tom Wright on the recovery trail from long-term injuries. Stephen Larkham's side has also beaten the three other semifinalists from last year, having knocked over the Crusaders, Blues and Chiefs.
With 4-1 and 4-2 records respectively, the Reds and Brumbies have set their seasons up through the opening third of the competition. Super Rugby Pacific needs them to kick on from here, particularly with the top six almost locked away already.
DIFFERENT YEAR, SAME OLD WARATAHS
The Waratahs' season is meanwhile fast slipping away, with NSW slipping to their third straight defeat in a game they could have had sewn up before halftime.
Credit to the Blues who were able to absorb a heap of first-half NSW pressure, but the focus should be squarely on the Waratahs who butchered multiple first-half chances with either poor handling or decision-making inside the five-metre line.
NSW were held up over the line on three separate occasions, while Jack Debreczeni, Sid Harvey and Harry Potter were all guilty of blowing near-certain five-pointers. Still, with a 20-8 lead early in the second half, this was the Waratahs' game to lose.
But they did not score a point for the final 36 minutes as the Blues turned a 12-point deficit into a 15-point lead, leaving Waratahs coach Dan McKellar rightfully apoplectic.
"Really disappointed. Really disappointed. Played a lot of good rugby. The first half we didn't take opportunities that we were presented, off the back of a lot of really, really good rugby. I thought our attack looked as good as it has looked [all year]," McKellar said post-match.
"I don't know the exact moment, but it was around 50 minutes, 12-point lead, piggy-backed them down the field, poor discipline; if you do that with the Blues they'll hurt you and I cannot believe we're sitting here talking about a 35-20 loss."
Perhaps most disappointingly, at least for a large chunk of 14,316 fans in attendance, was that this was almost a classic Waratahs performance. Those long-suffering NSW supporters will have seen such a showing countless times before.
McKellar was right when he said the Waratahs attack looked as good as it had all year. But that is only half the battle, if you don't get the ball down over the line then it is nothing but a complete waste.
And six weeks into this season, that's exactly what another NSW season appears to be: A complete waste.
MEREDITH'S TIMELY SHOWING AFTER SCHMIDT SHOUT-OUT
Could the Wallabies be about to throw yet another fly-half into their squad mix? Declan Meredith is certainly making a decent case for consideration, as he helped drive the Brumbies' comeback win over the Chiefs just 24 hours after Joe Schmidt had praised the "very commanding" way that he runs the team.
Meredith scored one try and set up another as the Brumbies galloped back into the contest, his combination with skipper Ryan Lonergan key in the unlikeliest of victories.
And it may be just that which gets Meredith into a Wallabies squad - his combination with Lonergan. The scrum-half is having the best Super Rugby season of his career and is making an almost undeniable claim for a start in the Nations Championship fixtures in July.
Certainly Carter Gordon looks to have his nose in front as the Wallabies' favoured No. 10, but there may be a situation later in the year, when Les Kiss takes over, that Australia could have two sets of halves partners in their matchday 23: Tate McDermott and Carter Gordon, Ryan Lonergan and Declan Meredith.
That would offer as much backline cohesion as the Wallabies have had in recent memory, with those combinations training day in, day out beside each other all year.
And Schmidt's glowing assessment of Meredith in the meantime should not be discounted.
ROIGARD, HURRICANES EXCELLING DESPITE THE DISRUPTION
Things are good in Hurricane-land, with Clark Laidlaw's side completely dismantling the Highlanders and hitting 50 points for the second time this season.
At the core of their 50-7 win in Dunedin was scrum-half Cam Roigard who is a certain All Black starter amid the switch of coaches to Dave Rennie.
Just how heavily Rennie leans on the Hurricanes' backline remains to be seen, but there is certainly a lot to like about the Jordie Barrett-Billy Proctor midfield combination, while winger Fihe Fineanganofo is also enjoying a season to remember. Ruben Love meanwhile impressed at No. 10, after being floated as an All Blacks fly-half option last year.
Boasting one of the best packs in the competition there is no reason why the Hurricanes can't challenge for the title this season. The recruitment of lock Warner Dearns has been a stroke of genius, with the Japanese lock creating all sorts of lineout havoc on the Highlanders' ball; his addition to an already stacked forward unit also vital in helping the Canes to the top of the ladder.
But it is Roigard's running game that the Hurricanes are built around, with the No. 9 such a threat around the fringes that opposition defences must commit numbers in around the ruck -- which the All Blacks halfback is still able to pick his way through - freeing up space elsewhere.
The Hurricanes' clash with the Reds on Saturday is the standout game of Round 7.