Rugby: Crusaders bullish about semifinal

The Crusaders will play the Bulls for the second time in three weeks after the Stormers secured a home semifinal in Cape Town this morning (NZT). Photo / Getty Images

It's revenge time on multiple levels - and the Crusaders are relishing the prospect of Super 14 rugby's toughest challenge.

The seven-time champions face the defending champion Bulls in a stellar semifinal at Soweto on Sunday morning (3am NZT), the top-qualifying South Africans sure to start favourites as they seek a third title in four years.

They are also chasing a 19th successive home win although the soccer World Cup-enforced shift from their Loftus Versfeld fortress to the smaller Orlando Stadium in the sprawling township outside Johannesburg could remove some of the aura surrounding Victor Matfield's men.

In Pretoria, they have had the measure of the Crusaders in key matches in recent seasons. They dominated the 2007 semifinal there, powered away to win last year's semifinal 36-23 and scraped home 40-35 when the teams met just a week ago - courtesy of winger Francois Hougaard's controversial last-gasp try.

If anything, that match - in which the Bulls were stretched from pillar to post but refused to break - will hand the Crusaders a reason for confidence in their ninth successive visit to the semis.

As will momentum coming out of the final round of matches.

The Bulls caused a stir by opting to field their B team against the Stormers in Cape Town, having already secured the top spot.

Not surprisingly they were spanked 38-10, gifting the Stormers second place and hosting rights for the other semifinal against the Waratahs on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Crusaders produced their best rugby of the season, ending a three-match losing streak by overwhelming the Brumbies 40-22 in Christchurch.

They employed a high-tempo game sure to be rehashed again in Soweto against a Bulls side who will be well rested but possibly out of tune following their week off.

The style of their five-try win had Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder buzzing about the week ahead despite the rigours of a return flight across the Indian Ocean.

"The players can feel it too, there's a really good feeling in the side now and we're just getting stronger and stronger," he said.

"Now the guys are looking forward to it. They're determined to go back and have another crack."

Fullback Colin Slade, one of several players discovering their best form late in the campaign sensed they could topple the Bulls.

"Champion teams of the past have always peaked at the right end of the season and it's very pleasing to see we're heading in the right direction."

Two key aspects will be countering the lineout presence of Matfield and adapting to the refereeing of officious Australian Stu Dickinson, with the Crusaders having been whistled off the park in recent weeks.

The Hurricanes won't partake in the playoffs for just the third time in eight years under departing coach Colin Cooper after a lacklustre 32-16 loss to the Waratahs in Sydney.

The hosts were dominant in most forward facets and surprised by being the more sparkling out wide, with try-scoring doubles to winger Drew Mitchell and fullback Kurtley Beale sealing the fate of a side who had been unbeaten over the previous six rounds.

Hurricanes halfback Piri Weepu regretted a mid-season slump which ultimately lumped too much pressure on the players.

"We started off the way we wanted we but as soon as we got to South Africa we had a mishap. From then on it was try and fight our way back. We've played five great weeks of footy but it takes its toll," he said.

"I'm one of the guys that didn't have one of the best games but I still felt when we were 23 points down we could still claw our way back into it."

On a black night, Hurricanes hooker Andrew Hore departed early with a dislocated shoulder which will impact on his All Blacks involvement - potentially ruling him out for the year.

None of the weekend's other matches had any bearing on the semifinal makeup.

Competition entertainers the Reds ended a resurgent season in fifth place after holding off a Highlanders comeback to prevail 38-36 in Brisbane.

First five-eighth Quade Cooper was at his scintillating best for the Reds while the Highlanders can at least be satisfied with their turnaround after trailing 24-3 at the break, picking up two bonus points which lifted them one spot for a 12th place finish.

One place ahead of them were last year's runners-up the Chiefs, who ended a poor campaign with a 30-20 loss to the Blues in Auckland.

An exciting but error-ridden affair summed up the season for both sides, with the Blues ending level with the Bulls for the most tries scored - 47 - while moving one place past the Hurricanes for a seventh-place finish.

Other matches saw in-form South African sides the Sharks and Cheetahs notch wins, completing a clean sweep for the home teams in the final round.

The Sharks beat the Force 27-22 while the Cheetahs crushed the hapless Lions 59-10, leaving the losers the only team in the five-year history of the Super 14 to fail to win a game.

- NZPA