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CAPE TOWN - About 100,000 South African rugby fans will pack into stadiums in Durban and Pretoria on Sunday (NZ time) in anticipation of the country's biggest party since the World Cup was won at home in 1995.
The Sharks host the Auckland Blues and the Bulls meet
holders Canterbury Crusaders in a unique double on Sunday after two South African teams earned home semi-finals in the 12th season of the southern hemisphere Super Rugby competition.
The Bulls produced a competition-record victory over the Queensland Reds, crushing them 92-3 when they required a win by 72 points, to leap-frog six-times champions Crusaders into second place.
The Sharks produced the victory they needed over the Stormers to finish top of the standings after a second successive defeat for the Crusaders.
"This weekend will go down in history as one of the most momentous periods the South African rugby fraternity has ever experienced," gushed South African Rugby Union (SARU) president Regan Hoskins in a media release.
"From the end of the last games last weekend, the celebratory air of optimism reverberated throughout the country, as all of us came to realise that we were beginning to live our dream."
The relative recent form of the teams has encouraged local pundits to predict an all-South African final and first South African winner.
"We know it's going to be a hell of a battle," assistant Crusaders coach Mark Hammett told Reuters of the match at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
"It's a pretty intimidating place, but it also has a great atmosphere and when you get to this level that's what you thrive on.
"We're expecting them to come at us with driving forward play, and their back play has improved throughout the season. They've become a danger with their width."
The Blues' preparations for their showdown at King's Park in Durban were interrupted to send home All Black lock Ali Williams for late night drinking sessions and defying team management.
The match is the fourth in succession away from home for the Blues during which time they have crossed the Indian Ocean three times, returning to South Africa after their final round match against the Western Force in Perth.
"It would have been nice to play in front of our home crowd, but this is semi-final football and this is where good teams rise to the occasion," said Blues captain Troy Flavell.
"My form has probably dropped off a little in the past few weeks, but it's a long competition and I don't think you can stay on top of your game for the whole thing. But I'll be looking for a big game on Saturday, definitely."
Sharks coach Dick Muir said: "We're excited, it's something we've worked really hard for, for a long time. This started in October, so it will be just reward for the people involved, as well as the entire squad that we can give something back to our supporters who have stuck with us through thick and thin."
- REUTERS