http://www.rugby365.com/news/758165.htm

The Crusaders have opened up a handy seven-point lead at the top of the Super 14 standings and are in pole position in the race for play-off places, after a weekend which has seen five teams officially eliminated.

The Reds, Bulls, Highlanders, Cheetahs and Lions are the teams who can no longer collect enough points to sneak into the top four - although it must be said that the Brumbies, Blues and Western Force are reliant on an extraordinary number of mishaps by teams ahead of them to make the top four.

The six-time champion Crusaders look a likely bet for a home semifinal, following their nail-biting 26-22 win over fierce New Zealand rivals the Blues at the weekend.

However, while the Crusaders were strengthening their case for the title, the Sharks slumped to their second consecutive loss (at the hands of the Waratahs) and dropped from second to joint third, with the Chiefs.

They are just one point ahead of the Hurricanes and Stormers with three rounds left to play.

And a visit to Christchurch this week to face the Crusaders means the challenge of 2007 finalists, the Sharks, is looking very shaky - defeat could see them plunge out of the top four in what is a very tightly contested race.

The Waratahs surged into second place with their thumping 25-10 victory over the Sharks, crowning the night with a four-try bonus point for their fifth straight victory. But they are not safe either.

Just five points separate the teams in positions two to six on the standings - Waratahs (36 points), Sharks (32), Chiefs (32), Hurricanes (31) and Stormers (31).

Those are the teams expected to challenge for the right to join the runaway leaders, the Crusaders, in the play-offs next month.

We look at each team's prospects with three weeks of league action remaining!

Crusaders:
Current position: 1st
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 6th
Remaining matches:
02 May: v Sharks, home
10 May: v Reds, away
17 May: v Highlanders, home

Waratahs:
Current position: 2nd
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 9th
Remaining matches:
03 May: v Bulls, away
10 May: v Stormers, away
17 May: v Reds, away

Sharks:
Current position: 3rd
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 9th
Remaining matches:
02 May: v Crusaders, away
10 May: v Cheetahs, home
17 May: v Chiefs, home

Chiefs:
Current position: 4th
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 9th
Remaining matches:
02 May: v Force, away
10 May: v Lions, away
17 May: v Sharks, away

Hurricanes:
Current position: 5th
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 10th
Remaining matches:
03 May: v Lions, home
09 May: v Force, home
16 May: v Blues, away

Stormers:
Current position: 6th
Best possible finish: 1st
Worst possible finish: 10th
Remaining matches:
03 May: v Brumbies, home
10 May: v Waratahs, home
17 May: v Lions, away

Brumbies:
Current position: 7th
Best possible finish: 2nd
Worst possible finish: 11th
Remaining matches:
03 May: v Stormers, away
09 May: v Bulls, away
16 May: v Force, away

Blues:
Current position: 8th
Best possible finish: 2nd
Worst possible finish: 12th
Remaining matches:
03 May: v Reds, away
10 May: v Highlanders, away
16 May: v Hurricanes, home

Force:
Current position: 9th
Best possible finish: 2nd
Worst possible finish: 13th
Remaining matches:
02 May: v Chiefs, home
09 May: v Hurricanes, away
16 May: v Brumbies, home

Reds:
Current position: 10th
Best possible finish: 7th
Worst possible finish: 14th
Remaining matches:
03 May: v Blues, home
10 May: v Crusaders, home
17 May: v Waratahs, home

Bulls:
Current position: 11th
Best possible finish: 7th
Worst possible finish: 14th
Remaining matches:
03 May: v Waratahs, home
09 May: v Brumbies, home
17 May: v Cheetahs, away

Highlanders:
Current position: 12th
Best possible finish: 8th
Worst possible finish: 14th
Remaining matches:
02 May: v Cheetahs, away
10 May: v Blues, home
17 May: v Crusaders, away

Cheetahs:
Current position: 13th
Best possible finish: 8th
Worst possible finish: 14th
Remaining matches:
02 May: v Highlanders, home
10 May: v Sharks, away
17 May: v Bulls, home

Lions:
Current position: 14th
Best possible finish: 10th
Worst possible finish: 14th
Remaining matches:
03 May: v Hurricanes, away
10 May: v Chiefs, home
17 May: v Stormers, home