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KEY POINTS:
Depending on your time zone, the results of tomorrow morning's rugby Super 14 semifinals will be either the end of the beginning of a South African renaissance or the beginning of the end of New Zealand's favouritism for the World Cup in October. Both scenarios are overstated.
Much is being read into two New Zealand sides who led the standings for much of the competition now stuttering into the home grounds of two South African sides who are alive with momentum and the "psychic energy" made famous by Sky commentator Murray Mexted.
While New Zealand's All Black reconditioning training has perversely produced backfiring and mistiming in the Super 14, South Africa's Bulls and Sharks are thriving from hard match play.
All things being equal, the home teams should both win overnight and create only the second final in Super rugby not to include a New Zealand franchise.
But don't bet on it. The New Zealand teams, the Crusaders and the Blues, will be galvanised by the novelty of finals games away from their home bases. Crusaders back Aaron Mauger even commented this week that the annual semi-final and final in Christchurch had seen fans take the Crusaders' matches a little for granted. Many of the All Blacks in both sides will remember, too, the curse of away semifinals at World Cups: the tag of New Zealand being "chokers" will not be one anyone wants to perpetuate this close to the global event in France.
Whether the final involves two South African teams, two New Zealand teams or one from each, we should not read too much into the outcome. The Super 14 is not a reliable measure for the international season to come. And this year, in particular, no one really wants to peak so early.
