The six-time defending champion Crusaders are on their quest, and in the latter stages of the competition, they have a proven ability to peg sides back.
It is the second of three potential games between the sides. The Chiefs took the first on Crusaders' soil, and the Christchurch-based side now has to face the music in a Culture Round blockbuster in Hamilton.
Having won all four games, they have played against New Zealand sides in 2023, the Chiefs have confined opponents to an average of 12 points per game.
The Chiefs at home have long been a tough nut for the Crusaders to crack, with only four wins in seven attempts. But the Crusaders, in their last 15 games away against New Zealand sides, have won 14, and the only loss was against the Chiefs (25-26) in 2021.
In 23 games against the Crusaders at home since the inception of Super Rugby, the Chiefs have won 11, while in 45 games overall, the Crusaders head the wins 27-18.
Defence has been a cornerstone of the Chiefs' season.
They have missed the fewest tackles of all sides, 16.3 per cent, compared to the Crusaders' 24.6, which is eighth across the competition.
The Chiefs have the best tackle percentage at 88.7, while the Crusaders are fourth at 84.9. In addition, the Chiefs have conceded fewer turnovers at 12.1 for fifth best, while the Crusaders are eighth at 12.9.
The sides are the two most frequent kickers from hand, the Chiefs first on 26.8 per game and the Crusaders 25.
The best performed in linebreaks are the Chiefs, whose 7.5 per game is third across the competition, while the 5.1 for the Crusaders is 10th.
The Crusaders are fourth-highest in carry metres with 808 and the Chiefs fifth with 797.5.
The Crusaders rank fourth in the competition for fewest penalties conceded at 10.3 per game, while the Chiefs are ninth at 11.4. In addition, the Crusaders have used that discipline to top the goal-kicking percentages at 83.7 compared to the Chiefs' 67.9, the second lowest in the competition.
Scrums between the sides should be a feature of the set-piece struggle. The Crusaders have the highest scrum success at 98.2 per cent, with the Chiefs second at 96.9.
Rucks are also close, with the Crusaders third on 95.6 and the Chiefs fourth on 95.4.
Both have had lineout issues. The Chiefs' success rate of 85.6 is ninth in the competition, while the Crusaders are operating at 83.2, which is 11th.
Chiefs' first five-eighths Damian McKenzie is the highest points scorer in the competition with 86 points while his Crusaders rival Richie Mo'unga has 82. Still, Mo'unga has the best success rate at 87.2 per cent, while McKenzie is operating at only 66.
Chiefs wing-fullback Shaun Stevenson heads the try-scoring list with eight tries, while wing Leicester Fainga'anuku is the best-performed Crusaders scorer with five tries.
Culture round kicks off on Friday night when the Hurricanes host the ACT Brumbies at Sky Stadium in Wellington. The Hurricanes will be out for revenge on the Brumbies who knocked them out in the quarterfinals last year. Get your TICKETS HERE.
After going down to the Western Force last week, the Highlanders have called in the reinforcements for their clash against the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium. Tune into the action LIVE on Sky Sport from 9.35pm on Friday night.
Saturday is a massive day with four games on the agenda. The action kicks off in the heat of Lautoka when the Fijian Drua host the Blues at Churchill Park at 2.05pm. The Fijian Drua have already knocked over the Crusaders at home and will be looking to add another high-profile scalp to their tally.
At 4.35pm, Moana Pasifika host the Melbourne Rebels at Mt Smart Stadium. The Rebels are the bottom-placed Australian team and offer Moana Pasifika a chance at their first win in 2023. Get your TICKETS HERE to see if the home-side can get up and give their playoff chances a lifeline.
It’s a Hamilton blockbuster at 7.05pm when the unbeaten Chiefs host the defending champion Crusaders at FMG Stadium Waikato. Get your TICKETS HERE.
The final match of Culture Round sees the Queensland Reds host the Western Force at Suncorp Stadium at 9.35pm NZT. A win for the Force would see the team from the West take the unlikely spot as the second-ranked Australian team behind the ACT Brumbies. Watch each and every game LIVE on Sky Sport.