Gavin Rich

They were not the favoured South African team at the start of the competition, but as the business end of the Super 14 is reached, the Vodacom Bulls are making a mockery of the pre-season predictions by confirming what a special team they are.

In beating the Crusaders 36-23 in their semi-final at Lotus at the weekend, they effectively won their second consecutive knockout game. The previous week they had to beat the Sharks to ensure home ground advantage and avoid a potentially debilitating journey across the ocean.

On both occasions they showed their special character and championship quality by digging themselves out of difficult situations to win fairly comfortably. Although there was only one point in it in Durban, let’s not forget that the Ryan Kankowski try that made it so close in that game effectively came on the final whistle.

Before that the Bulls had been in a hole as they faced a ten-point deficit in a difficult away game in front of 48 000 mostly opposition fans, but they calmly dug their way out of trouble. The fans were on their side this past Saturday against the reigning champions, but when they were 20-7 down halfway through the first half, they were in big trouble.

Visions of an all New Zealand final must have been looming large for many South Africans, but the Bulls again showed their pedigree by scoring 24 points without reply, including some great tries scored from broken play, in the period just before half time.

When they led 27-20 at the break the momentum was all with the Bulls. But the Crusaders have not dominated the Super 14 for so many years by coincidence. They are too a champion team with special qualities, and for the next 20 minutes they showed the fighting spirit that enabled them to make the playoffs in a year where so much went wrong for them early on.

The altitude was always going to be a factor though, and when the Bulls were leading going into the final quarter, there was only going to be one winner. That was even more so with Morne Steyn in such outstanding form and looking so composed in the Bulls No 10 jersey.

The upshot is that the Chiefs have to fly to South Africa to play in their first final in this competition. The Bulls, having travelled away to win it in 2007, have the experience of having been there before and of knowing how to win the big one.

They also have home ground advantage and the knowledge that their game-plan was too much for the Chiefs at the same venue a few weeks ago. Then there is the altitude. The impact of the rarified highveld air can never be underestimated, particularly when the Bulls have such gifted kickers who can make the most of it.

The news from New Zealand is that Richard Kahui is probably going to be back in the side on Saturday. The centre will make a big difference to a midfield that was already potent in a close but richly deserved 14-10 win over the Hurricanes in Hamilton on Friday.

But the Chiefs have sustained a massive blow with the shoulder injury that has ruled wing Sitiveni Sivivatu both out of this game and also probably out of the All Black international season.

Sivivatu was a massive presence in the Hamilton semi, and it was he who started the counter-attack from inside his own half that eventually sent Mils Muliaina in for what was to prove the winning try shortly after half time. Sivivatu also figured as a support player and as the spark for several other Chiefs attacking movements.

By beating the Hurricanes, one of the form teams in recent weeks, for the second time within the space of a month, the Chiefs proved their right to be ranked alongside the Bulls as one of the top two teams in the Super 14. They will not be easy to beat, and the Bulls should be mindful of the fact that the last few times the Chiefs have come to Pretoria, the games have been close.

Two years ago it required a Bryan Habana try off the last move to get the Bulls home. It was a victory that played a big role in enabling the Bulls to go overseas on their tour with confidence, and in their eventual home ground advantage in the semis of that season’s competition.

It was also the killer blow that put the Chiefs out of contention in a year where they had a much better team than their final log position might indicate. The Chiefs have been waiting a long time to put the record straight, and will think it is fitting they get their chance against a team that has been their nemesis before.

However, the Bulls will be hoping that Wynand Olivier is fit to resume his role in the midfield, and even if he is not, they proved again at the weekend that they have one thing the other South African teams battle for - all-round depth. They just have so much confidence and momentum now that it is hard to see them stopped.

A win will mean the Bulls pick up their second Super 14 title, something only the Crusaders and the Blues have ever managed before them.