Road to the play-offs: Top eight confirmed

The 2017 season enters the penultimate round this weekend – with the Australian teams returning to action to join the South African teams in Round 16, following the conclusion of the June Test window.

The New Zealand teams will re-enter the competition for the last round next week, following the completion of the British and Irish Lions series in New Zealand.

The four conference winners are the Crusaders, Lions, Stormers and Brumbies.

The four wild card teams are the Hurricanes, Chiefs, Highlanders and Sharks.

However, the final positions and the quarterfinal seedings that determine who plays who are yet to be finalised.

This will come down to the wire and the final Round of Super Rugby.

Round 17 will see all 18 teams in action.

Round 16 will be important for the Brumbies and Stormers, who are fighting it out to determine who will finish as third and fourth seeds as conference winners.

The eventual third seed will play the sixth placed wild card, while the fourth seed will play the fifth placed wild card.

The Stormers host the Sunwolves in Cape Town, while on paper the Brumbies have a harder assignment playing away against the Reds in Brisbane.

The Lions are the only team that can catch the unbeaten Crusaders in the race for first place – but only if the Hurricanes beat the Crusaders in Round 17.

By the time the Lions' game against the Sharks kick off in Durban just after 17.00 (15.00 GMT) on July 15, they will know if the Crusaders had left open the back door.

To date across the 121 Super Rugby matches played this season we have seen an incredible 847 tries scored with the Hurricanes setting a new season record with 85.

Indeed Hurricanes backs Vince Aso and Ngani Laumape lead the individual statistics with 14 tries each.

Current quarterfinal standings

For the full standings, CLICK HERE!

For the remaining fixtures, CLICK HERE!