The Super 12 is over, bring on the Super 2

By WYNNE GRAY

As much as the Chiefs breathed new life into the Super 12, the series would have lacked a stinging conclusion without the familiar finalists.

For the third time in the last five years, the Brumbies and Crusaders will square off for the title.

Their conflict in Canberra on Saturday seemed preordained when the Blues sagged in their title defence, and certainly when the Crusaders and Brumbies both claimed semifinal host advantages.

If their combat in the final became predictable, the outcome was anything but. On the evidence of Saturday's semifinals, the Brumbies looked a grade above the more mechanical Crusaders.

A similar theory was advanced four years ago and memories of that 2000 final in Canberra still chill the Brumbies.

They blitzed their round-robin opposition to be top qualifiers, sauntered to the final and then lost 20-19 to the Crusaders as Stirling Mortlock's radar and the nation's capital froze.

The Brumbies have won the Super 12 just once in four attempts, while the Crusaders have succeeded four times out of five. If anyone can upset the hosts it is the Crusaders, who have taken the title at Eden Park, Carisbrook and Canberra.

Mortlock will be missing again this week, the new captain sidelined by a knee injury with foundation loose forward Owen Finegan taking over the leadership.

Finegan has four other originals with him - Joe Roff, Stephen Larkham, George Gregan and David Giffin - with Roff, Giffin, perhaps Finegan and Jeremy Paul quitting the franchise at the end of this season.

The only Crusaders original is Justin Marshall, the halfback who returned from an injured hip to guide his side to their sixth final.

The sides have faced each other twice in the series final. Both times the Crusaders have triumphed.

This year the Brumbies have been unbeaten at home and Finegan believes they are about to shelve their finals hoodoo. If they tightened their defence, their clinical attack would give them the title.

"It's going to be close, it's going to be tight, but there's a feeling that we've been here too many times to come second," he said.

Even if the Brumbies win they will lose their coach David Nucifora.

In one of the more bizarre twists in this series, Nucifora fell to the whims of player-power when he was sacked by the Brumbies.

There is no indication for the Crusaders whether test lock Chris Jack will recover from concussion for the final. After being felled by a crude Jerry Collins tackle, Jack struggled with illness, concentration and headaches last week.

Cameron McIntyre, Ross Filipo and Richie McCaw will not train today because of minor injuries from the Crusaders' semifinal victory against the Stormers.

McIntyre never settled in the semifinal and it remains a mystery, unexplained by coach Robbie Deans, why he continues to ignore the experienced Andrew Mehrtens.

The TAB has made the Brumbies favourites at $1.50, while the Crusaders will pay $2.50 for a victory.

The Brumbies have scored 60 tries and conceded 31 this season while the Crusaders have scored 39 tries and conceded the same amount.

Crusaders v Brumbies

Super 12 record

1996: Brumbies 29 Crusaders 7 at Christchurch

1997: Brumbies 49 Crusaders 29 at Canberra

1998: Crusaders 38 Brumbies 26 at Timaru

1999: Crusaders 28 Brumbies 21 at Canberra

2000: Brumbies 17 Crusaders 12 at Christchurch

Crusaders 20 Brumbies 19 at Canberra (final)

2001: Brumbies 51 Crusaders 16 at Canberra

2002: Crusaders 33 Brumbies 32 at Christchurch


Crusaders 31 Brumbies 13 at Christchurch (final)

2003: Crusaders 28 Brumbies 21 at Canberra

2004: Crusaders 47 Brumbies 28 at Christchurch

Played: 11; Crusaders won 7, Brumbies 4.