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Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town - The best possible finish for the Stormers on the overall Super Rugby table looks more and more likely to be second.
There is still plenty to do even to achieve that goal, of course, but Schalk Burger's most healthily-placed South African team, lying third, are going to have to hope for a seriously pronounced and untimely slump by the Reds in their remaining three ordinary-season matches if they are to sneak into pole position for the finals series.
Of course that is the most desirable real estate because it sets up the opportunity to progress to a guaranteed home final, but Sunday's nail-biting victory by the Queenslanders over the Crusaders in Brisbane has only entrenched the Reds' position at the helm.
They now head the standings on 58 points, by four from the Blues and six from the Stormers, which means the Capetonians are effectively more than a full haul of match-day points adrift of the steely Australians, who are bidding ever more compellingly for their maiden appearance in a Super Rugby final.
So unless the Reds lose at least two of their trio of remaining scheduled fixtures - Brumbies (home), Force (away) and Chiefs (away) - last season's runners-up in Soweto are probably going to have to target ending second.
That is still a sought-after slot, because it takes away the prospect of a dangerous "sudden death" extra match in the finals series - and a home final for the second-placed side would obviously still be possible if the first-placed finishers lose their semi-final.
The Stormers will have to leapfrog the Blues to get into second, but that is a more realistic scenario, as things stand, than elbowing out the Reds.
The Aucklanders have only New Zealand derbies ahead of them, and none of these fixtures can be taken for granted by them, especially with World Cup places increasingly at stake even if certain franchises are out of the playoffs reckoning.
Meanwhile the Stormers remain on tour in Australasia, but really should beat struggling newcomers the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday, before finally heading home for their own derbies against the Bulls and Cheetahs respectively.
They need to watch their backs, however, because the fourth-placed Crusaders are only three points shy of them, and with the handy knowledge that they have a "breather" weekend next - and the automatic four log points that means.
Then, presumably refreshed, they round off their campaign with only two lingering commitments: Blues at home in a high-stakes cracker and then the Hurricanes who have been more vulnerable than usual this season.
Remaining fixtures for current top four sides in descending order:
Reds: Brumbies (h), Force (a), Chiefs (a)
Blues: Chiefs (h), Crusaders (a), Highlanders (h)
Stormers: Rebels (a), Bulls (h), Cheetahs (a)
Crusaders: Bye, Blues (h), Hurricanes (a)
Cape Town - The best possible finish for the Stormers on the overall Super Rugby table looks more and more likely to be second.
There is still plenty to do even to achieve that goal, of course, but Schalk Burger's most healthily-placed South African team, lying third, are going to have to hope for a seriously pronounced and untimely slump by the Reds in their remaining three ordinary-season matches if they are to sneak into pole position for the finals series.
Of course that is the most desirable real estate because it sets up the opportunity to progress to a guaranteed home final, but Sunday's nail-biting victory by the Queenslanders over the Crusaders in Brisbane has only entrenched the Reds' position at the helm.
They now head the standings on 58 points, by four from the Blues and six from the Stormers, which means the Capetonians are effectively more than a full haul of match-day points adrift of the steely Australians, who are bidding ever more compellingly for their maiden appearance in a Super Rugby final.
So unless the Reds lose at least two of their trio of remaining scheduled fixtures - Brumbies (home), Force (away) and Chiefs (away) - last season's runners-up in Soweto are probably going to have to target ending second.
That is still a sought-after slot, because it takes away the prospect of a dangerous "sudden death" extra match in the finals series - and a home final for the second-placed side would obviously still be possible if the first-placed finishers lose their semi-final.
The Stormers will have to leapfrog the Blues to get into second, but that is a more realistic scenario, as things stand, than elbowing out the Reds.
The Aucklanders have only New Zealand derbies ahead of them, and none of these fixtures can be taken for granted by them, especially with World Cup places increasingly at stake even if certain franchises are out of the playoffs reckoning.
Meanwhile the Stormers remain on tour in Australasia, but really should beat struggling newcomers the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday, before finally heading home for their own derbies against the Bulls and Cheetahs respectively.
They need to watch their backs, however, because the fourth-placed Crusaders are only three points shy of them, and with the handy knowledge that they have a "breather" weekend next - and the automatic four log points that means.
Then, presumably refreshed, they round off their campaign with only two lingering commitments: Blues at home in a high-stakes cracker and then the Hurricanes who have been more vulnerable than usual this season.
Remaining fixtures for current top four sides in descending order:
Reds: Brumbies (h), Force (a), Chiefs (a)
Blues: Chiefs (h), Crusaders (a), Highlanders (h)
Stormers: Rebels (a), Bulls (h), Cheetahs (a)
Crusaders: Bye, Blues (h), Hurricanes (a)
