Passions still aflame for semis

Hurricanes Jerry Collins (second right) and Piri Weepu (bottom) tackle Waratahs' Tatafu Polota-Nau, in Sydney on Saturday. Picture / Reuters

Wendell Sailor will be missing and there will be debate about which Waratahs side turns up against the Hurricanes for the initial Super 14 semifinal in Wellington on Friday.

In Christchurch, the champion Crusaders will get through a couple of training and recovery sessions before their Bulls opponents arrive for Saturday's semi.

If controversy and tension were your passions, then the tumultuous final qualifying round had it all.

Sanzar officials, travel agents and broadcasters would have been in a spin though, forced to wait until the last match to make their arrangements as the Bulls confirmed their playoff spot.

In the washup, the same four sides who contested last year's playoffs return for another crack in this inaugural Super 14 series.

The finishing order altered though, with the last-round stumbles and the Crusaders and Hurricanes ended up with hosting rights and $600,000 jackpots for their franchises.

Both the Hurricanes and Bulls were reduced to 14 men for a quarter of their games but pulled through, and the Crusaders sloshed home. The Waratahs were the only losing semifinalists.

After the Brumbies couldn't find the point to qualify, the Sharks and Bulls came into the equation.

Seasoned Sharks forward A.J. Venter texted his coach Dick Muir with the message: "Pack your bags. We'll take responsibility for the points this afternoon."

The Sharks did before the Bulls overtook them with their thrilling victory yesterday against the Stormers.

If that was not dramatic enough, there was the news two hours before the kickoff in Sydney that Waratahs wing Sailor had returned a positive sample to a drugs test.

Sailor adorned the cover of the match programme but he was reported to be lying low in Queensland while the Tahs sank to their third loss in their last five games.

The rejigged backline spluttered and while the pack applied the blowtorch enough to force sinbinnings for professional fouls, the Waratahs lost the plot.

Captain Chris Whitaker then deputy Phil Waugh shunned an array of goalkicks in favour of set-piece moves to create tries and came away empty. They lost the game, the A$1m projected profit for hosting a semifinal and momentum for the rematch this Friday.

The Hurricanes conceded penalties at a rate which caused them apoplectic outrage when Richie McCaw committed similar sins against them.

Meanwhile the top qualifying Crusaders will have a return battle with the Bulls, a side they slaughtered 35-17 when they met in Pretoria 10 days ago.

Crusaders coach Robbie Deans rested captain Richie McCaw for that game in what he later said was a gamble to freshen him for the semis.

The coaching staff also believe South African sides target McCaw, so cut his workload this season against sides from the Republic. There will be no such concession this weekend.

SEMIFINALS
Friday: Hurricanes v Waratahs, Westpac Stadium, 7.35pm
Saturday: Crusaders v Bulls, Jade Stadium, 7.35pm