With only six rounds of regular-season action remaining, it's crunch time for every single team in the United Rugby Championship. While the competition is still in its early years, there has been no shortage of history. And this season is the tightest yet.
Fifteen of the 16 teams can still qualify for the play-offs, and only eight points separate the fifth and 15th-placed teams.
In the South African contingent, the eighth-placed Lions will kick off the weekend on Friday when they face sixth-placed Cardiff in Wales. On Saturday, SA Shield winners, the Sharks, in fourth place, will host the 15th-placed Zebre Parma at Kings Park. Loftus Versfeld will play host to a blockbuster, with the Bulls taking on log-leaders Leinster. The Bulls are in third position going into the clash. The Stormers, who are sitting in 12th spot on the standings, will bring down the curtain on SA-flavoured action when they run out at Llanelli against Scarlet's, in 10th position.
As the race to the play-offs shifts into a higher gear, we look at how things stand for the SA sides going into this weekend.
Cardiff vs Lions (Friday, 21:35, Cardiff)
Every team will be desperate for a different reason. For Cardiff, it's the matter of restoring some pride that will be driving them.
The Welsh team have lost five of their six games in all competitions this year. They drew the remaining one.
The departure of coach Matt Sherratt to the national set-up certainly didn't help their cause, and the group will be eager to get back to winning ways at home, where they have registered only three wins.
The Lions, meanwhile, will also aim to bounce back from defeat.
With just two points standing between the sides, the mission for the weekend is the same: holding onto their top-eight spots and climbing up the ladder.
Sharks vs Zebre (Saturday, 14:45pm, Durban)
This is one the Sharks should take convincingly.
The hosts have been unbeatable at home this season and it's hard to see the Italians, nine log points behind them, breaking their flow in Durban.
Apart from the confidence built from their home-ground record, the Sharks also recorded a morale-boosting win over the Lions a fortnight ago.
The fact that they won the SA Shield is testament to the season they've had so far. But, as any team should know, complacency is a killer, especially against a side who are experiencing one of their best seasons in recent years. This season, Zebre have overcome Munster, Ospreys, Edinburgh, and the Dragons.
Bulls vs Leinster (Saturday, 17:00, Pretoria)
This one should be gripping given Leinster's powerhouse status and the Bulls' log position.
The hosts will be out on a mission to end the Irish giants' unbeaten run and close the gap on the points table. If they secure a win, they can overtake Glasgow (should they lose against Munster on a Friday), and given that the team from Dublin will be without their Test stars, the Bulls shouldn't aim for anything less.
Jake White's side have emerged from some tough times and will be wary of the threat Leinster poses. It will have to be a clinical performance from the Bulls; Leinster are the leading defensive team in the URC and can easily punish any untidiness.
Producing an 80-minute performance will also be key for the Bulls - who have struggled to go for a full game at times this season.
Stormers vs Scarlets (Saturday, 17:00, Llanelli)
Both teams have won five of their 12 matches, but the Stormers are also facing the challenge of playing away.
It has been a problematic area for the Cape side, who have only managed one win in four games on tour this season.
Both sides are locked on 28 points, and a victory for either team could see them shoot into the top eight.
The Stormers have received a lethal injection of X-factor, with Damian Willemse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Suleiman Hartzenberg returning to the squad.
The Stormers now have more than just Warrick Gelant to work his magic among those donning double digits, which comes in handy given Scarlets' running threat.
But it's not just John Dobson's side who boast reinforcement - Scarlets have also welcomed back their international outside backs from Six Nations duty.
All in all, it should be an exciting one.
