Two contrasting semi-finals saw the two form teams of this years competition advance to the final in what will be a clash of the titans.

Chiefs (14) v Horrorcanes (10)
As predicted, this game was relatively even. Both teams play a similiar brand of rugby, but on this occassion I thought the Chiefs showed greated belief in their ability, and were the more aggressive team. They mixed this with smart rugby and kept he Horrorcanes pinned in their half. In greasy conditions this proved to be the right tactic as mistakes would inevitably come. This allowed the Chiefs to be able to turn these mistakes into vital points and get ahead on the scoreboard.

This proved decisive as the Horrorcanes became desperate with 10-15 minutes remaining and looked the more threatening. However playing catch up rugby in these sorts of conditions ultimately proved their undoing as they simply couldn’t produce enough brilliance for a match winning try.

The Chiefs now travel to Pretoria, with a few injury concerns. They can be guaranteed a hostile reception and remain the one team that can potentially beat the Bulls with their strong backline and match winners accross the park.

Bulls (36) v Crusaders (23)
The game of the year so far. It shows the benefits of playing rugby during the day, in good conditions where the ball can be given some air.

The Crusaders started off particularly well, aided by ref Bryce Lawrence. The first scrum in Bulls territory saw a wheel and turnover, before Steenkamp was unfiarly penalised. This put the Crusaders 3-0 ahead. The Bulls temporarily drew back with some beautiful running from Habana who cruised through a gap to put the Bulls back ahead.

Then we saw some dodgy reffing, and the Crusaders taking full toll.
I question whether there was a forward pass as Whitelock scored in the corner, and then a terrible piece of
reffing saw Derrick Kuun penalised for being offside at the ruck. At this stage I was wondering if Bryce Lawrence was going to end up winning it for the Crusaders. They then got a lucky break as Kieran Read scored from an up and under, and the Bulls were 20-7 behind. A break from Whitelock could have really knocked the Bulls, but a fantastic piece tackle from Zane Kirchner really changed the momentum of the match.

At this stage the Bulls were really not imposing themselves, and up stepped Kirchner, Du Preez, Spies and Steyn. This Bulls team deserves to be the champions because they display courage, commitment and the mindset of champions. They took the game by the scruff of the necks and in 10 minutes scored 20 points. They were absolutely magnificent as Stegmann and Kirchner combined to put Ndungane away in the corner. Steyn kept the momentum going with some inspired drop kicking and then the runaway Bull Spies went on a bullocking run straight down the middle of Loftus Versfeld in one of the most memorable runs of the decade! At this stage the Crusaders were defintely saved by the bell as halftime arrived.

As is the Bulls way, once we get in front we simply play the percentages and grind the opposition out of the game. An Andy Ellis drop goal reduced the deficit before Steyn kicked a drop from in front, and then the dropkick of the year from almost halfway. With a 13 point lead, the Bulls were never going to lose. The Bulls brought on Chiliboy, Danie Rousouw and Pedrie Wannenburg and boy did they make a difference. I thought Wannenburg was awesome, getting over the gainline, and really tested the Crusaders defence which was just hanging on for dear life.

The professionalism and accuracy of the Bulls was evident as they wound down the clock and simply did not allow the Crusaders any ball in the final 5 minutes.

This Bulls team showed just how much pride they have in the blue jersey, how mentally they are the best team in South Africa and do not fear losing like most other SA teams. This was most evident in the second half when Steyn was back near his goal line, instead of the safety first option, he showed tremendous confidence in his ability to step and pass before they booted the ball upfield.

The Bulls have shown when it’s time for a hero to step up, each individual puts his hand up to produce something special. I thought Pretorius and Delport did their jobs magnificently, although we will definitely welcome back Olivier for the final. For the final it’s going to take more moments of brilliance to bring the trophy back home to Pretoria! Go Bulle Go!