Underestimate them at your peril.

There was a common thread running through the three games I watched this weekend. Never underestimate your opponent.


Only the Blues managed to finish with a win after allowing the shambolic rebels to get within striking distance.


The Crusaders started an understrength side against a resurgent Highlanders team, a few key players were out through injury, but many were rested or came off the bench - too little too late, and they paid the ultimate price.


The Warratahs would have known they would have a contest on their hands against the form Australian side, the Reds, but may have relied on a 7 year winning streak to get them through, as they looked shocked when the final whistle blew with the Reds 4 points up.


Head clashes were again a feature this week, emphasising that players are going in too high, although with more and more players attempting to offload rather than take the ball to ground I reckon this will get worse before it gets better as defending sides try to shut this down, especially as Sonny Bill keeps breaking the advantage line and making headlines.


Owen Franks featured again this week, the head on the receiving end this time belonging to Tony Brown, but he got up and walked away - blood free. The same cannot be said for the 2 Highlanders who simultaneously went high on Sean Maitland. He broke through while the would-be tacklers headed off to the blood bin with claret streaming down their faces.


The Rebels v Blues game was the Danny Cipriani show, and not in a good way.


I've never heard a commentator repeatedly lay into a player as Justin Marshall did to the Melbounre first five. But he was right. They tried hiding him on the wing in defense - a great idea when the likes of Rene Ranger can, and did, run straight through him.


That was the first a a few costly defensive blunders by the former English international. Marshall said it best, "That's too easy Rebels, there's no question they're trying to hide him on the wing ... The next place is the changing room."


And again late in the game, with Cipriani lining up a tricky shot at goal  "He has not missed though, and hasn't looked like missing tonight," said fellow commentatorTony Johnson,  "Except tackles," quipped Justin Marshall.


The Blues didn't have it all their own way though. Steven Brett had an absolute clanger with the boot - Cipriani's goal kicking was at least on target, but he was scoring in 3s and giving away 5s.


The Blues took a page out of the soccer playbook and tried to set up a set piece using a wall - looked like a nice idea but they couldn't quiet pull it off.


Rebels prop Rodney Blake had some issues at scrum time, conceding multiple penalties which had Rod McQueen ringing the changes and switching Somerville to the other side of the scrum - handy having that versatility - which meant that he packed down against both All Black props, Tony Woodcock and Joe Afoa, in this 80 minute spell.


Things looked close in the last 10 minutes, but tries to Jarred Payne and the 'other' Braid (that would be Luke), wrapped it up.


The Crusaders took a big risk with the side they fielded against the highlanders. No Mcaw, Carter or Reid, and Williams, Maitland and Flynn on the bench. The issue was compounded by early injuries to Ellis and Thorn.


Things didn't go the highlanders way early on, Tony Brown pushed the kick off too far, captain Jamie Mcintosh conceded a penalty at the resulting scrum and Birquist slotted the first three points for the Crusaders.


Zac Guilford once again showed he has pace to burn, but Fruean had a quiet game without his usual partner in crime, SBW, in the midfield. The two never played together as, when Williams was injected off the bench, it was to replace Freuan.


The Highlanders did some fantastic, and - for a change - legal, work at the breakdown and push the Crusaders forwards off a number of mails securing great turn over ball. And Whitlock, George I think, it is a damn mission to keep track of all three on the field at once, conceded two very kickable penalties at breakdowns in the dying minutes to secure the Highlanders win.

The Reds v Warratahs was definitely a game of 2 halves.

All the Queenslanders points were courtesy of Quade Cooper, who had a good game with the boot and also scored their only try.

(He also ecided that anything Digby Ioane could do, he could do better with a showboating try celebraion which uincluded 2 backflips and must have made the conversion a little more challenging when taken on such shaky legs.)

The medicos were kept busy with Drew Mitchell stretchered off, an injury change to the ref, and Reds Ben daley meeting the pointy end of Warratah Ben Mowan's elbow - the stubborn prop actually tried to retake the field three times, but was told to sit back down.

The Reds scrum was in all sorts of trouble all night, but Genia somehow managed to consistently get good ball away from the back of the carnage.

The game was won in the 20 or so minutes late in the second half where the Warratahs practically set up camp in the Reds 22 but were unable to score.

Brilliant defence, brilliant discipline, brilliant result for the Reds.