The quarterfinal stage of any competition often delivers the most compelling spectacles. There's more matches at this juncture and, usually, more freedom, than a one-off final.
The knockout arena raises the stakes and performances, collective and individual, to evoke the best from these games of significance.
Super Rugby Pacific's playoffs should therefore, starting this weekend, showcase the pinnacle of southern hemisphere domestic rugby.
While that may prove true in some instances, a nagging soft underbelly threatens to erode all important integrity.
Australia's collective lack of success remains a continued frustration on both sides of the Tasman.
A genuine, bona fide Australian contender would change the complexion of Super Rugby overnight - and help monetise a seemingly indifferent rugby market, particularly if the Waratahs ever get their act together.
Instead, though, the landscape is all too familiar.
Everyone, barring the teams themselves, expects the Chiefs and Hurricanes to end the Reds and Brumbies campaigns this weekend to leave all New Zealand semifinals.
Given this year's form lines, and the fact no Australian team has won a finals match on New Zealand soil in history, how could you boldly predict any other results?
That's partly why the Crusaders and Blues quarterfinal sold out in 20 minutes - Christchurch's new roofed stadium is the other major factor.
Meanwhile, the league leading Hurricanes, with the best attack in the competition, will struggle to half fill their home quarterfinal against the Brumbies.
While Australia's struggles to disrupt the New Zealand-dominated status quo holds Super Rugby back so, too, are the Blues a lightning rod for the competition's imperfect juxtaposition.
Three years ago the Blues, in Vern Cotter's first season at the helm, broke their 21-year championship drought.
Cotter's direct, confrontational approach imposed a style that proved too effective and accurate to withstand.
As teams adapted in the years that followed, though, the Blues have regressed to the point they enter this year's playoffs after three straight losses and in a tailspin that appears impossible to stop.
To appease the respective broadcasters' desire for additional finals matches Super Rugby Pacific's playoffs system carries the quirk of rewarding the highest ranked losing quarterfinalist with a second life progression to the semifinals.
This year, the Blues could well benefit from that scenario. Should they lose to the Crusaders in Christchurch, and the Hurricanes and Chiefs win their respective matches as widely expected, the Blues will progress to the semifinals after four successive losses.
Rewarding such mediocrity should not be in elite sport's lexicon.
The simpler, cleaner format, should a top-six finals be required by broadcasters, is for teams ranked one and two to earn the first finals week off.
Once again, though, the broadcasters' hefty revenue, which admittedly props up the competition, wins out over putting the fan first.
Next year's finals series and, indeed, the overall competition format remains in a state of flux as last-ditch efforts continue to save Moana Pasifika.
As the New Zealand election approaches foreign affairs minister Winston Peters is seeking political points scoring by attempting to cajole the Samoan and Tongan governments to bail out Moana.
A Hawaii-based proposal is also touted to be in the works, with a Los Angeles-based tech multimillionaire with Pasifika heritage who attended Stanford University in California reportedly willing to bankroll the cash strapped franchise that is now in liquidation.
Whether either proposal or a combination is enough to ensure Moana's survival remains to be seen, though, with several hoops still to clear particularly surrounding additional travel costs associated with basing a team in Hawaii.
The timeline to save Moana is stressed, too, with Super Rugby powerbrokers intent on finalising next year's format and draw by August at the latest.
With Moana head coach Tana Umaga joining Dave Rennie's All Blacks coaching team - and captain Miracle Faiilagi (Japan) and breakout No 8 Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa (France) - among those to commit their futures elsewhere, concerns must be evident around the squad quality the team could assemble next year too.
If Moana is granted a late reprieve, however, it is highly unlikely to come from the NZ government with an outstanding $2.75 million loan from their inception yet to be repaid.
Moana's future will dictate whether Super Rugby continues as an 11-team competition - or whether another format change is required.
Ten teams, in theory at least, paves the way for a simpler draw with multiple bye weeks no longer mandatory.
Already, though, speculation of separate New Zealand and Australian conferences - to guarantee Australian presence deep into the finals - is worrying.
That format might keep Australian fans engaged longer but it will do nothing to enhance the competition's credibility.
Finals should be earned, not guaranteed.
Beyond Moana's delicate situation, Super Rugby must explore some form of draft model, such as each team leaving five roster spots open for a draft day, to drive interest and increase competitiveness.
A mid-season trade window is another avenue that would significantly heighten attention.
Sir John Kirwan, an increasingly polarising voice, has suggested ditching Super Rugby altogether but NZ Rugby boss Steve Lancaster dismissed any thoughts of supersizing New Zealand's provincial competition as fanciful.
With such instability swirling at a time when the competition climax nears, Super Rugby desperately needs its finals series to stand up and steal the spotlight.
We need to witness more high-quality contests such as the Crusaders' comeback victory over the Chiefs two weeks ago.
Three teams - the Hurricanes, Chiefs and defending champion Crusaders - are capable of claiming this year's crown.
Upsets to rock the largely predictable nature of this year's competition would not go astray.
But if this weekend goes to script, the Blues progressing to semifinals on the back of four losses would be symptomatic of a competition struggling to walk between two opposing worlds.