So we now know three of the teams in the end-of-season play-offs, with Glasgow Warriors and Vodacom Bulls having joined Leinster Rugby in booking their spots.
But, with three rounds of matches to go, there are still 12 other teams in with a mathematical chance of securing one of the five vacant spots in the knock-out stage.
Leaders Leinster look odds-on to finish at the top of the table, which would enable them to stay at home right the way through to the final, as they are nine points clear.
They made it 14 wins out of 15 in the league and 20 out of 21 in all competitions with a 41-17 bonus point victory over Ulster Rugby at the Aviva Stadium.
It was a triumph which was notable for the real rarity of a second half hat-trick of tries from a replacement - prolific Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan.
Second-placed Glasgow were made to work hard by Zebre Parma out in Italy as they turned around a 6-0 half-time deficit to graft out a 14-6 win, which has guaranteed them a home quarter-final.
The Vodacom Bulls, in third spot, also faced a real test on the road before overcoming Munster 16-13 in Limerick, with super-sub Keagan Johannes landing the match-winning penalty eight minutes from time. Their veteran flanker Marcell Coetzee, who will turn 34 next month, was named Player of the Match after putting in no fewer than 31 tackles, as well as scoring their one try.
Fellow South Africans, the Hollywoodbets Sharks left it even later as they too won away from home to strengthen their grip on a top-four spot.
They snatched the spoils in the final play against Edinburgh Rugby with Springboks winger Makazole Mapimpi going over in the corner to secure an 18-17 victory at the Hive Stadium.
Arguably, the performance of the round came out in Johannesbur,g where Benetton Rugby ran in five tries to beat the Emirates Lions 42-31 and move up to fifth in the table.
Meanwhile, Cardiff Rugby and the DHL Stormers are the two teams to have forced their way into the top eight over the weekend.
Cardiff recorded a 36-19 bonus point victory over the Ospreys in their Judgement Day clash at the Principality Stadium to jump up to sixth, while the Stormers also claimed the maximum with a nail-biting 34-29 win over Connacht Rugby in Cape Town, where the visitors had a last-gasp try disallowed.
The Scarlets are sitting just outside the play-off zone, having fought back to beat Dragons RFC 31-23 in the second Judgement Day Welsh derby.
Things are still hugely congested in the middle section of the table, with just four points separating fifth and eleventh.
Match of the weekend - Edinburgh 17-18 Sharks
What a rip-roaring contest to welcome Eben Etzebeth back to the rugby field.
Making his first appearance since suffering a concussion in early December, the Springboks' second row skippered the Sharks to a dramatic last-gasp victory in the Scottish capital.
There were other games over the weekend with more tries and more points scored.
But in terms of intensity, physicality and feistiness, this compelling affair took some beating.
It also had a thrilling conclusion, with winger Makazole Mapimpi crossing for the match-winning try in the final play.
Giving his verdict, Etzebeth said: “It was a great game. It was two teams that were desperate. They want to finish in the top eight, and we are still trying to climb the table a bit.
“With this win, we are almost guaranteed a home quarter. We will take it game by game, try and build an innings and try and get some momentum going into the play-offs.”
Player of the weekend - Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers)
There were three hat-trick heroes to consider, but it’s Feinberg-Mngomezulu who gets the nod over Cardiff wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb and Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan.
The 23-year-old is viewed as one of the real rising stars of world rugby and showed just why with his masterclass in the Stormers’ 34-29 victory over Connacht in Cape Town.
Playing at fly-half, he went through the full range of his attacking repertoire with his three tries.
For his first, he tantalised the defence by holding the ball in one hand as he sliced through before scorching away to the line.
His second saw him pirouette out of a tackle and pull off a one-two with flanker Paul de Villiers to run in under the posts and he completed a 25-minute hat-trick by collecting his own chip over the top.
If that were not enough, he also delivered an audacious pass to set up Suleiman Hartzenburg’s try and landed four shots at goal for a 24-point haul.
He really is a special talent with the world at his feet.