The inaugural Super 14 rugby championship will culminate in an all-New Zealand final unless the Bulls can pull off a colossal upset and beat the Crusaders in the second semifinal here tonight.
Three of the 10 Super 12 finals involved two New Zealand sides and another is in the offing
after the Hurricanes pipped the New South Wales Waratahs 16-14 in the opening semi at Wellington last night.
Most pundits aren't tipping such a close affair at Jade Stadium tonight, with history and form pointing to a comfortable Crusaders win, which would see them host the Hurricanes in next week's final.
However, imposing Bulls lock Bakkies Botha hoped the Crusaders believed the hype and said his team were determined to be known as more than a "semifinal rugby team" after losing out at the stage to the Waratahs last year.
"When the Bulls qualified for the semifinals last year, our season ended on a happy note. We broke a long drought (dating back to 1996) that made the defeat at the hands of the Waratahs easier to accept.
"Now that we've again reached the semis, it just isn't good enough to say that we're one of the four best teams in the series.
"You can only measure how good you are if you play against the best. The Crusaders have been the best team in the series for the past five seasons and if we beat them, no one can say that we were lucky to qualify for the semis."
Coach Heyneke Meyer admitted there would be a markedly different approach to this semifinal.
"Last year we just went out to enjoy ourselves," Meyer said.
"This week I told the guys that it isn't enough just to enjoy ourselves - we must go out there to win. Last year in Sydney we didn't take our opportunities and lost concentration for one moment that really cost us."
A Bulls boilover tonight would see them travel to Wellington for the final on Saturday next week.
Crusaders coach Robbie Deans said it was dangerous for his players to take confidence from their dominant 35-17 win when the teams met at Pretoria two weeks ago, because often the team that loses learns most from such games.
And recent history showed that travel and home advantage aren't the factors they were through much of the Super 12.
"There are no guarantees, we either get up and thrive in this contest or it's the end of the season," Deans said.
"We'll bring elements of (the Pretoria win) without a doubt. But we're conscious the Bulls will consider that and will consider how they're going to get into the game and counter what we bring.
"Whoever can get their foot in the door will be looking to go right through."
Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said the Bulls would be considerably more committed opponents than at Pretoria and that his side couldn't just bring the same patterns.
"The things that worked well last time, the Bulls will be well aware of.
"We have to make sure we come up with some different ideas that aren't just the same old. But rugby's a fairly simple game. Just looking after the ball and making the right choices is a big part of it."
McCaw will hope he and his fellow-loose forwards can have the same impact as the Wellington trio of Jerry Collins, Chris Masoe and Rodney So'oialo did last night.
If so, the Crusaders backs should again display the gulf in skill that was evident at Pretoria.
Centre Casey Laulala noted that flying Bulls winger Bryan Habana didn't play in that much, robbing the Bulls of one of their key strike weapons.
"They've got Habana back and he's going to be a threat," Laulala said.
"He seems to come out of the line a bit and go for the intercept so we just have to cut that down and give a lot of voice to the inside guys."
- NZPA
The inaugural Super 14 rugby championship will culminate in an all-New Zealand final unless the Bulls can pull off a colossal upset and beat the Crusaders in the second semifinal here tonight.
Three of the 10 Super 12 finals involved two New Zealand sides and another is in the offing
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