KEY POINTS:
Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic coach Noeline Taurua was blissfully unaware the moment her side secured the transtasman minor premiership.
With the Magic in danger of being overthrown by the NSW Swifts at the top of the ANZ Championship table, it wasn't until after Monday night's late game between
the Sydney side and West Coast Fever that the final placings were known.
But Taurua did not watch the game and was happy to wait until yesterday morning to find out if her side would be travelling to Sydney this weekend or have home advantage against the Swifts.
Whether she had a home semifinal or not, Taurua reasoned she would be needing plenty of sleep this week to prepare her side for what is expected to be a tightly fought finals series.
"I was already looking at my eyelids by then," Taurua laughed when asked if she saw the game.
"I'll get the tapes today, so I'll be having a close look at it over the week."
It is surprising all the uncertainty didn't cause Taurua to have a sleepless night.
If Swifts had secured the home semi, it would have complicated things for the heavily pregnant Taurua. With her fifth child due tomorrow, there was a chance her baby could have been born in Australia.
Taurua, who said her previous children were all born a week to a week and a half late, is now hoping her new baby follows suit and the Magic win this weekend, which would give them a week off before the final.
It's an elaborate plan and one Taurua acknowledged she has little control over.
"It'd be all very nice if it happened that way," she said.
"We're just sort of sitting back and seeing what happens, I feel really good, but it just depends on Mother Nature."
"I've got really good support with the team and the management and also family so we've got plans and if things don't work out we'll just go in to plan B."
The winner of Sunday's major semifinal will earn direct passage in to the ANZ Championship final, while the loser will have an extra life, battling it out with the winner of Monday's sudden-death play-off between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens for the remaining place in the grand final.
Taurua said like her side, the Swifts will be eager to take the easy road into the final and will be a huge challenge for the Magic this weekend.
The Swifts come into the play-offs on the back of seven straight wins and Taurua believes they are the form team of the competition.
"They are the only team that have for the last seven weeks put out a consistent performance and that is huge - that's something that we haven't been able to do.
"I think for us it's too early to tout us as superstars just yet because we haven't been able to put together that consistent performance out."
The short turnaround could hurt the Swifts' preparation though, with the Sydney side losing the best part of two days to travel this week. They also have to pass through three time zones and have limited time on the ground before boarding a plane to Hamilton on Friday.
Taurua believes Sydney are a professional outfit and will be able to deal with the travel challenges.
