Saturday 15 June 2019 23:10, UK
The culmination of the weekend's Super Rugby action brought confirmation of this year's quarter-final ties, all live on Sky Sports Action.
The Bulls and Sharks completed the line-up for Super Rugby's playoffs in contrasting style on Saturday as the regular season concluded with two games in South Africa.
The Sharks needed a last-gasp try to edge hosts Stormers 12-9 in a dramatic finish in Cape Town and will face the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday June 22.
The Bulls, despite conceding a try to the visiting Lions after 16 seconds, put together one of their best performances of the campaign to beat their neighbours 48-27 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria and book a Saturday June 22 meeting at the Hurricanes.
Two-time defending champions Crusaders will get the weekend's playoffs underway at home to fellow New Zealanders Highlanders on Friday June 21, while the Jaguares of Argentina make their first post-season appearance at home to the Chiefs late on the same day.
The Bulls finished second in the South African Conference as they outscored the Lions by seven tries to two in a surprisingly expansive game, but they have a huge task ahead of them in the New Zealand capital.
The Hurricanes will head into the playoffs brimming with confidence themselves after a rousing win in their final round match earlier on Saturday.
A second-string side came back from a 19-point half-time deficit to grind down the Blues 29-24 at Wellington Regional Stadium and will return to their home ground next week for the quarter-finals.
It will be the same mood for Australian Conference winners Brumbies who cruised to a 40-27 win over the Queensland Reds on a cold night at Canberra Stadium, notching up six tries to secure their sixth successive win ahead of their own home quarter-final.
Their meeting with the enigmatic Sharks will be the first time they have faced them this season.
The Sharks were on their way out of the competition, 9-5 down at Newlands, when Lukhanyo Amn scored after the hooter had sounded.
