Buildup to the Super 14 final

Birthday boy

If there's any goodwill floating about at Jade Stadium tomorrow night, watch out for the odd backslap and handshake delivered the way of Hurricanes backline hero Tana Umaga.

The grand old man of New Zealand rugby is poised for a special birthday celebration at the match.

For all the success he's had in his career, Umaga, like all his Hurricanes teammates, has never won a Super rugby title.

He'll have turned 33 when he wakes up tomorrow and what better way to mark the occasion?

Then again, the Crusaders aren't exactly known for their charitable acts at this time of the season.

Thorne in side all these years

Reuben Thorne could be forgiven for thinking he's been here before. Because he has. Seven times.

Thorne was on hand when the Crusaders reached, and won, their first Super rugby final, against the Blues at Eden Park in 1998.

He's helped lift the trophy four other times, and been a beaten finalist two other times.

No other player can match his success in the competition, although Umaga has been round longer, being a survivor of the first Super rugby game, between the Hurricanes and Blues and Palmerston North in 1996.

Mystery man

The big question for everyone watching from outside Christchurch is: who is Steven Brett?

During the week, the Crusaders camp intimated they were considering not picking a halfback for the bench, with Andy Ellis invalided out and Kevin Senio the only specialist No 9. And so they did, with Dan Carter the backup if Senio doesn't make it to the finish.

And as for Brett, he's a 20-year-old first five-eighth or fullback, born in Waiouru, whose favourite actress is Angelina Jolie and who, if he were Helen Clark, so to speak, would rub out all taxes. A man of good taste then.

Carter did 10 minutes at halfback in the Bulls semifinal. Still it'll be fun if he squares off with combative Piri Weepu tomorrow night.

Keep a grip on your discipline

Will Neemia Tialata and McCaw give each other a grin and a wink before proceedings start tomorrow night?

Remember the last time they met, in the round-robin match at Wellington's Cake Tin, beefy Tialata tried to strangle McCaw's effectiveness in rather direct fashion at the bottom of a ruck.

Tialata was lucky to escape the rugby police but be certain it won't have been forgotten by the red and blacks tomorrow.

The Hurricanes will need to find more efficient ways of handling McCaw than Tialata employed if they want to nail a first Super rugby title.

Richie at rucks

Just a thought, but keep an eye on Richie McCaw when the Crusaders are going forward.

Count how often McCaw turns up at the rucks when his team are on attack.

He's there when the defensive work is needed, snaffling opposition ball like no other No 7 in the game.

But watch to see who recycles the ball when the Crusaders are in possession.

This is not to suggest McCaw doesn't do his share of hard labour, far from it.

But it's a system which works superbly for the defending champions, and perhaps it's a point the Hurricanes have noted.