South African teams have moaned for years about how the tyranny of distance has ruined their hopes of winning the Super 14.

They have relentlessly argued that New Zealand and Australia have an unfair advantage because they don't have to endure lengthy away tours, while they are forced to spend most of the tournament travelling to the other side of the world.

And the statistics confirm their complaints. Twelve of the thirteen tournaments have been won by the trans-Tasman contingent, with South Africa's solitary success occurring in 2007 when the Bulls beat the Sharks.

But for the second time in as many years, the jet-lag factor is working in their favour.

The Bulls are outright favourites to win the title, not just because of the power of their Springboks-stacked line-up but also due to the positive effects of playing their semi-final at home at altitude in Pretoria against an opposition, the Crusaders, who for so long were Super rugby's dominators but now lack the usual quality of a traditional Crusaders outfit.

Then there is the travel factor, with the Crusaders having to spend at least a day this week getting to Loftus Versfeld.

The Crusaders are led by All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw but the loss of five-eighth Daniel Carter has been immense. They have scrambled well but are nowhere near as solid a unit as they once were.

Nonetheless, the Crusaders' feat of making the finals shows they have found a creditable coaching successor to Robbie Deans in former All Blacks captain Todd Blackadder.

And Deans, who has moved on to the Wallabies, is still firmly in their corner. The New Zealand members of the media who attended Thursday's Wallabies squad announcement in Sydney soon cornered Deans and asked his thoughts on the finals series.

He responded to NZPA's query with: "The Crusaders will win and the Hurricanes will win, and then the Crusaders will win [the final] in Wellington."

A big call but it at least shows Deans's loyalty to his province has not dimmed. He was nowhere near as cryptic as the ever-bewildering Springboks coach Peter de Villiers.

"I give the Bulls a 75% chance of winning," de Villiers said.

If, as expected, the Bulls give their 100% and win 100% they will have the luxury of a home final, while the winner of tonight's semi-final between the Chiefs and Hurricanes would need to endure a frantic trip to the Republic to finish off the tournament.

Usually the home team has a big leg-up in a final but there are serious doubts over whether the Chiefs, without their accomplished halfback Brendon Leonard, will be able to handle the pressure of such a crucial event in Hamilton tonight.

The Chiefs have made the finals only once before, in 2004, while the Hurricanes have been there five times.

Then again, the Hurricanes are hardly a consistent unit, renowned for their weakness of falling away when the pressure is applied. But when the planets are aligned and they're in the mood, they often play the most enlightening brand of football.

The formula remains: "The Bulls will win and the Hurricanes will win, and then the Bulls will win [the final] in Pretoria."

Tyranny of distance.