The week's biggest matches to watch on Rugby Pass

Two quarter-finals. Four semi-finals. Things are heating up at the business end of the northern hemisphere’s big three domestic seasons.

Super Rugby: Crusaders vs Chiefs (Friday, May 19, 3:35 pm HKT)

We’re off to Fiji for the first game of the Super Rugby round, and it’s shaping as a cracking fixture between the 1 and 2 placed sides in the New Zealand conference. The Chiefs have been flying under the radar for the last couple of months and they’re fresh off a bye for this one. The Crusaders, on the other hand, are going straight from the frying pan into the fire after their bruising win over the Hurricanes last week. The Chiefs won a good game 23-13 when these sides met in Fiji last year – they could be worth a cheeky flutter to repeat that result on Friday night.

Pro 12: Leinster vs Scarlets (Saturday, May 20, 2:40am HKT)

Anyone looking at the last time these two sides met in Dublin may be tempted to bet the year’s rent money on a home win. That may be a mistake. Because, after that 45-9 embarrassment in early March, the Welsh visitors picked up 24 points out of a possible 25 to finish the season, and scored tries at a rate of one per point. The home side will be favourites for the win at the RDS this weekend – but don’t expect the nothing-to-lose Scarlets to give up the race to the Aviva without a serious fight.

Top 14: Toulon vs Castres Olympique (Saturday, May 20, 3am HKT)

Fourth entertains fifth in the first ‘barrage’ – aka quarterfinal – of the Top 14 knockout phase, with a semi-final encounter next weekend against league leaders La Rochelle at an already sold-out Stade Velodrome in Marseille the prize for the winner. As seasons go, this has ranked on the forgettable end of the spectrum for Toulon. But home advantage means they start as favourites against a dogged Castres outfit, who will need to pull out something very special to win at Stade Mayol.

Premiership: Exeter Chiefs vs Saracens (Saturday, May 20, 9:30pm HKT)

The free-scoring Chiefs entertain the newly crowned European champions at Sandy Park in what looks an awful lot like the game of the weekend. At stake, a place in next weekend’s final at Twickenham and a shot at the visitors’ title. Having become only the fourth side in rugby history to win back-to-back European titles, defending Premiership champions Sarries now have a back-to-back double in their sights. But Exeter come into this game on the back of a record-breaking winning streak. Truth be told, it would be a brave punter who bet against either side, here.

[rugbypass-ad-banner id=”1473306980″]

Top 14: Montpellier vs Racing 92 (Saturday, May 20, 11pm HKT)

Not so long ago, Montpellier fair mullered Racing at the Altrad. The eight-try, 54-3 humbling came in a league encounter that was rearranged during the troubled week of the failed merger between Racing and Stade Francais. It’s a memory the defending Top 14 champions – who only secured their play-off place with a comeback win at home against Bordeaux on the final weekend of the regular season – will want to erase. And a knockout game win would be the perfect antidote. There’s just the small matter of Montpellier’s brutal, direct and XXXL team between them and a semi-final against Clermont in Marseille.

Premiership: Wasps vs Leicester Tigers (Sunday, May 21, 12:15am HKT)

You want tries? This match is almost guaranteed to have lots of them. Wasps have run-in an average of four a game en route to top spot in the league at the end of the regular season. But they have also conceded an average of about three a game.

Pro 12: Munster vs Ospreys (Sunday, May 21, 1:10am HKT)

The final match of the northern hemisphere’s opening knockout weekend, on paper at least, appears to be a mission impossible for Welsh outfit Ospreys at Fortress Thomond. The hosts have lost just three Pro 12 matches all season – and none of them have been at home. And recent post-season history is against the Swansea side. They lost their two meetings against the Red Army this season, and their last Pro12 semi-final appearance was a 21-18 defeat. Against Munster. In southwest Ireland. Still, to steal their hosts’ motto: to the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible.