It's a whole new ball game for Super Rugby Pacific this weekend, with ten of the 12 teams converging on Melbourne for the inaugural super round, during which five games will be played over three days at AAMI Park.
And sure, it's had a setback already, with a significant spike in positive COVID-19 cases in the Western Force squad this week forcing the postponement of their game against Moana Pasifika, which was to have been played on Friday night.
That's another blow for the competition's new boys from South Auckland, taking their tally of postponed games in their debut season to five, and coming less than a fortnight after they played the last of the rescheduled games to put their campaign back on track.
Nevertheless, the super round will carry on across the weekend and it promises to be exciting, with the Super W Grand Final between the Fijiana Drua and New South Wales women to kick off the second day of action.
"It is exciting with the super round, and having everyone here playing games," Melbourne Rebels backrower and captain Michael Wells told ABC Sport this week.
"It's a different thing for rugby to do, a different spectacle, so hopefully that fan engagement is there."
The Rebels started the season slowly through the first month, which included them being on the receiving end of the Fijian Drua's maiden Super Rugby win in round three. But their form has trended up since, beating the Drua on the return leg, accounting for the Force in Perth following their bye, and pushing the Queensland Reds all the way last weekend.
With their tails up, there's now not as much fear around the consistently brilliant Crusaders as there might have been about the 12-time champions at the start of the season, as the Australian teams all gear up to face New Zealand opposition for the first time this season.
"I think the great thing about rugby is because it's a contact sport, you've got any opportunity to rock up on the day, you execute well, you get your detail right, you've got a good plan, and you can beat anyone," Wells said.
"The Crusaders have been the litmus test, but everyone's human at the end of the day.
"They will bring a very strong challenge and if we rise to it, we've got a very strong chance. It's on us, and that's how we're treating it."
The super round has been well timed in Melbourne this weekend, with no AFL in the city until Sunday night, after the rugby weekend has concluded.
The Rebels face the Crusaders earlier in the afternoon, and head into the weekend recognising the opportunity they have to leave a lasting impression on people from the self-proclaimed sporting capital of the world who might be coming to the rugby for the first time.
"We want people to be leaving the ground with a pretty lasting memory of a good spectacle of rugby, to see how rugby's supposed to be played," Wells said.
"And particularly for the Melbourne community to see that there are guys who are genuinely out there fighting for the jersey, fighting for their state, who they represent — their families, friends, everything like that.
"We want people to be going home and thinking, 'I can respect that team,' or, 'I want to support that team because they show an identity that I can really engage with and want to be part of.'"
What has become more evident about the Rebels this season is their embrace of the "Burn City" identity loved by the Melbourne-born and/or raised players in the squad. The tag is featured on the Rebels' playing kit, and Wells says that, even as one of the interstate outsiders in the squad, it's been an easy concept to buy into.
"It's a combination of guys with a bit of a chip on their shoulder because they maybe weren't wanted elsewhere, and then guys who are genuinely proud to represent their heritage and where they've come from and where they've lived with their whole lives," he said.
"I think there's something about Melbourne that allows everyone from different backgrounds and different motivations to be themselves and search for their best path."
The super round provides Melbourne with the chance to see the best players on either side of the Tasman over the course of a weekend, and to show how well locally produced players can compete at this level.
And it is a chance to see how well rugby as a sport has progressed in Victoria.
"There are so many great individual players that have come out of Melbourne, and there's still so many more to be unearthed," Wells said, quick to mention the likes of Reds centre Hunter Paisami and Brumbies backrowers Rob Valetini and Pete Samu — all now Wallabies and all Melbourne boys who have blossomed since leaving home.
"It's actually exciting to see those young guys coming through who are Melbourne born and bred, and they've got no scars of the past or any baggage from heritage or what they're supposed to be. They're just themselves.
"And bringing that sort of excitement to our playing group is really refreshing."
Super Rugby Pacific inaugural super round at AAMI Park in Melbourne (all times AEST)
FRIDAY
Chiefs vs NSW Waratahs, 7:00
Moana Pasifika vs Western Force (postponed)
SATURDAY
(Super W Grand Final) Fijiana Drua vs NSW Waratahs, 2pm
Blues vs Fijian Drua, 5:05pm
Hurricanes vs Queensland Reds, 7:45pm
SUNDAY
Highlanders vs Brumbies, 2pm
Crusaders vs Melbourne Rebels, 4:30pm
