Super hot Saturday tipped down south

The pretence has ended. Rugby's undercard has been discharged to make way for the Main Event.

Arguments about any shift in Super sovereignty will be decided in Christchurch on Saturday, when 16 weeks of the revamped series end in an all-New Zealand final.

The Crusaders and Hurricanes emerged from a marathon schedule and mountains of theories to duel for the initial title in the expanded Super 14 series.

Master tactician Robbie Deans will pit his strategies against Colin Cooper, who was his coaching sidekick when the pair combined to supervise the squad to the Perfect Crusade in 2002.

The following season, Cooper accepted the position of Hurricanes head coach and on Friday he watched four seasons of endeavour ripen when the Canes reached their first Super final.

Twice in Cooper's reign, the Hurricanes have made the playoffs but drawn the Crusaders and been belted both times. They trekked south in 2003 and were beaten 39-16 and last year it was even worse as they surveyed a 47-7 defeat.

It was self-evident, captain Tana Umaga said at the time, that the Hurricanes had a great deal to do before they could challenge the Crusaders, effectively for the crown.

On Friday, the Hurricanes earned the right to resit that exam when they held out the initial semifinal challenge from the Waratahs. It was a near thing, with neither side delivering enough authority to guarantee a result until referee Jonathan Kaplan called a halt.

There was never any of that doubt at Jade Stadium on Saturday as the champions systematically unpicked the Bulls.

However, there is uncertainty about the fitness of halfback Andrew Ellis for the final after he damaged the medial ligament in his right knee on Saturday night.

His substitute Kevin Senio was also replaced because of a cut mouth but both he and hooker Corey Flynn are expected to recover from their injuries.

Crusaders coach Deans will undoubtedly talk loudly in public about this final being a stand-alone game, that history does not count, that the sides start the game even. It is a message he will aim at anyone who thinks a sixth Super title is inevitable.

It is a despatch Deans has to reinforce. However, the Crusaders always appear a grounded squad, a side able to deflect hype, hysteria and expectation with windscreen-wiper efficiency. Like former skipper Reuben Thorne, who will appear in his eighth final chasing his sixth title but will treat this final with the intense composure he does for every other game.

But like many of his teammates, Thorne can use his significant finals experience to cope with a week of escalating tension. It is a prized asset the Hurricanes do not carry.

Nor you feel, do they carry the mastery or all-round judgment the Crusaders have developed.

The Hurricanes have gamebreakers like Ma'a Nonu, Lome Fa'atau, Piri Weepu or Jerry Collins, they have shored up their defence and set piece. The Crusaders seem to carry that extra bit of class though.

If it is not Daniel Carter on fire it is Aaron Mauger, who was monstrously sharp on Saturday. If Richie McCaw is contained the running power of Mose Tuiali'i is allowed to flourish.

Then there is the detail about when to chase turnovers, how to counter-attack and settling on an array of tactics.

That amalgam has been an arsenal for most of the season.

The one real hiccup was the defeat by the Stormers, when they lost out to passion, power and emotion.

The Crusaders will not lack for all three on Saturday and nor will the Hurricanes.

However, only a chickenpox attack, which threatened to derail the Crusaders in last year's final, looks as though it will come between them and an inaugural Super 14 title.

Super 14 final
Crusaders v Hurricanes
Jade Stadium, 7.35pm Saturday