Bulls banking on brains for Mission Impossible

The Bulls hope having the right mental approach will give them a boost as they prepare for rugby's Mission Impossible: beating the Crusaders in their Super 14 semifinal on Saturday night.

In six Super rugby semifinals in Christchurch, the Crusaders are yet to lose. It is a record which merely enhances Jade Stadium as the strongest fortress in the competition.

"Nearly 99 per cent of our preparation will be about the players' mental attitude, because that will be decisive," backline coach Mike Bayly said.

Denying Crusaders first five-eighth Daniel Carter quality ball would be a key to the Bulls' plans, skills coach John McFarland said.

"If we get them on the back foot in the lineouts and the scrums, it will put pressure on Carter, as well as Aaron Mauger [second five-eighth]. It will make it difficult for them to dictate the match."

Buoyed by their remarkable 43-10 win over the Stormers in Cape Town last Sunday to pinch the final semifinal place, the Bulls arrived late on Monday night with a spring in their step.

The Crusaders' crushing 35-17 win in Pretoria on May 6 is in the back of their minds, but the Bulls, aiming to be the first South African franchise to win the title in 11 years of trying, have nothing to lose.


A glance at the record books does nothing for the Bulls' cause.

They have only won once in Christchurch, in the inaugural Super 12 competition in 1996, when the Crusaders finished bottom. The Bulls, known as Northern Transvaal, won 34-18, but since then it's been one-way traffic.

The Bulls have lost both semifinals appearances - 48-11 to the Blues in 1996 and 23-13 to the Waratahs last year.

Yesterday, they trained at the Belfast Rugby Club grounds on the outskirts of Christchurch.

Both teams are due to be named tomorrow.

Controversial Australian referee Stuart Dickinson will control the game, and South African Jonathan Kaplan will control the other semifinal between the Hurricanes and the Waratahs in Wellington on Friday.

Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper rates his key forward Jason Eaton a near-certainty to play despite sitting out training with an injured ankle yesterday. The rangy All Blacks lock, one of the form forwards of the season, threw a scare through the camp when he limped off during the 19-14 win over the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday.

He looked anything but a certainty to play as he only walked slow laps of the training ground yesterday, but Cooper was more than hopeful.

"I'd rate him 95 per cent," the coach said.

"We'll try to name the team [today] and at 95 per cent we're pretty confident."

Eaton has been a reliable ballwinner for the Hurricanes in the lineouts, a facet Cooper rated the Waratahs' main strength, and his workrate and speed around the field have been first class.

The positive report on Eaton was matched by that for fellow lock Paul Tito and first five-eighths David Holwell, meaning a full-strength side should be named.

Tito has been sidelined for two weeks with an ankle injury and Holwell missed the Waratahs match with an infected knee, but both trained fully yesterday.

The Hurricanes were in buoyant mood yesterday as they eyed their first home semifinal in Super rugby before a likely full house of 34,500 at Westpac Stadium.

Veteran Tana Umaga admitted the Hurricanes would struggle if they produced a repeat of Saturday's performance in Sydney.

"We want to make sure we can attack for 80 minutes and have some ball. Even though we did it last week, it'd be tough to do it back to back," the former All Blacks captain said.

The Waratahs have never won in Wellington but the city felt like a haven for coach Ewen McKenzie yesterday.

After the furore of Wendell Sailor's positive drugs test, McKenzie hoped the focus could finally switch to the game ahead.

- Staff reporter, NZPA

The visitors

Bulls v Crusaders in New Zealand
Played 5 won 1 (as Northern Transvaal) lost 4

Waratahs v Hurricanes in New Zealand
Played 5 lost 5