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Canberra - It's the South African connection that Andy Friend thinks will win the Bulls the 2010 Super 14 title.
Regardless of the motives behind their ploy to rest 14 starting players against the Stormers, Brumbies coach Friend has backed the Bulls to collect two consecutive championships.
The Bulls lost their last regular-season game to the Stormers 38-10 on Saturday. But they still finished on top of the ladder with the Stormers taking second spot and the Waratahs and Crusaders rounding out the top four.
The Crusaders who knocked the Brumbies out of the race last Friday play the Bulls in the first versus fourth semi-final while the Stormers (second) and Waratahs (third) clash in the other semi-final in Cape Town.
And with both games in South Africa, a disappointed Friend said the extra travel would help the Bulls romp to back-to-back wins.
"I think the Crusaders will give the Bulls a good run and the Waratahs will do the same to the Stormers," Friend said.
"But that travel is going to have an influence on who wins the competition and the results, unfortunately.
"As much as I would like to be wrong, I think it's going to be an all South African grand final and if I was a betting man I'd say the Bulls would win that because they've been the form side of the competition."
The Brumbies finished the season in sixth place after they lost 40-22 to the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Instead of boarding a plane to play the Bulls, Friend and his coaching staff will begin a post-season review, including which off-contract players will return to the capital and which players will be moved on.
During the next month they will work to finalise a roster for the 2011 Super 15 that they hope will enable them to force their way into the finals for the first time since 2004.
But for now, all the star-studded Brumbies line-up can do is sit and watch.
The Bulls made the controversial decision to rest the bulk of their stars for their match with the Stormers.
It all-but guaranteed both semi-finals would be played in South Africa despite six teams including the Brumbies still holding hopes of securing a top-two finish.
The Bulls lost just three games during the season and had recorded three wins in a row before being beaten by the Stormers.
"I think that loss will definitely take some momentum away from the Bulls," Friend said.
"But the fact that the Crusaders, who in two weeks have travelled from South Africa to New Zealand and then back again, it's a big, big ask.
"The Crusaders are a quality side, they're tough.
"But any momentum the Bulls would have lost, the additional travel will cancel all the factors out and the Bulls will win."
Regardless of the motives behind their ploy to rest 14 starting players against the Stormers, Brumbies coach Friend has backed the Bulls to collect two consecutive championships.
The Bulls lost their last regular-season game to the Stormers 38-10 on Saturday. But they still finished on top of the ladder with the Stormers taking second spot and the Waratahs and Crusaders rounding out the top four.
The Crusaders who knocked the Brumbies out of the race last Friday play the Bulls in the first versus fourth semi-final while the Stormers (second) and Waratahs (third) clash in the other semi-final in Cape Town.
And with both games in South Africa, a disappointed Friend said the extra travel would help the Bulls romp to back-to-back wins.
"I think the Crusaders will give the Bulls a good run and the Waratahs will do the same to the Stormers," Friend said.
"But that travel is going to have an influence on who wins the competition and the results, unfortunately.
"As much as I would like to be wrong, I think it's going to be an all South African grand final and if I was a betting man I'd say the Bulls would win that because they've been the form side of the competition."
The Brumbies finished the season in sixth place after they lost 40-22 to the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Instead of boarding a plane to play the Bulls, Friend and his coaching staff will begin a post-season review, including which off-contract players will return to the capital and which players will be moved on.
During the next month they will work to finalise a roster for the 2011 Super 15 that they hope will enable them to force their way into the finals for the first time since 2004.
But for now, all the star-studded Brumbies line-up can do is sit and watch.
The Bulls made the controversial decision to rest the bulk of their stars for their match with the Stormers.
It all-but guaranteed both semi-finals would be played in South Africa despite six teams including the Brumbies still holding hopes of securing a top-two finish.
The Bulls lost just three games during the season and had recorded three wins in a row before being beaten by the Stormers.
"I think that loss will definitely take some momentum away from the Bulls," Friend said.
"But the fact that the Crusaders, who in two weeks have travelled from South Africa to New Zealand and then back again, it's a big, big ask.
"The Crusaders are a quality side, they're tough.
"But any momentum the Bulls would have lost, the additional travel will cancel all the factors out and the Bulls will win."
