Wynne Gray: Crusaders' fate stark warning to combatants

Rugby fans be spoiled on Sunday morning, as the Super 14 final and the Lions tour of South Africa start within hours of each other.

In a curious twist of timing, the Lions will open their tour under rugby's revised laws, while the ensuing Super 14 showdown between the host Bulls and the Chiefs will be the last played under the ELVs.

Both touring teams arrive tomorrow in the Republic, where there is frothing anticipation over the Lions' first visit since 1997, and hope the Bulls can claim their second Super title.

The Lions open their tour in Rustenburg at the exotically named Royal Bafokeng Stadium, where the All Blacks played in 2006 but were beaten 21-20 in their only defeat that season.

Mils Muliaina played that day at centre but on Sunday will captain the Chiefs from fullback in their search for the Super series honours at the intimidating Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

Sitiveni Sivivatu also played in that All Black loss but the star of the Chiefs semifinal victory has reinjured his shoulder, which will remove him from rugby for anywhere between six weeks to six months, depending on treatment.

His absence is another blow to a Chiefs squad which has been stripped of Ben May, Brendon Leonard and Richard Kahui in recent weeks, though Kahui is in the squad for the final.

Flanker Richie McCaw captained the All Blacks to that rare loss in Rustenburg three years ago and was also in charge of the Crusaders' effort yesterday to defend their Super crown - which folded, eventually, against the might of the Bulls. The visitors sped away to a 20-7 lead in a vibrant, high-action semifinal, before they were run down, steamrollered and dropkicked out of the final.

As the momentum switched, the Crusaders were forced to make double the tackles of their rivals.

While the Bulls piled on 29 points, the Crusaders could collect only an Andy Ellis drop goal, as the Bulls swaggered to a 36-23 victory.

Even McCaw was subdued by the ferocity while his teammates battled away, but fell to the onslaught.

The Crusaders' inaccuracy also told. Their defence was exposed on the blind side, Thomas Waldrom was sinbinned while Pierre Spies punished a hopeful chip kick.

Suddenly the Bulls' deficit had been turned into a lead in 10 minutes, and they held that advantage for their victory through a tryless second half.

Now it is the Chiefs' turn to test their fortune at the Loftus stronghold, where the Bulls remain unbeaten this season. It seems a daunting record, but their biggest margin of victory has been 13 points against both the Crusaders and the Reds, while their other four victories were by single-digit margins.

While the Chiefs and Bulls will be working on ways to make best use of freekicks, tactical kicking and the pace encouraged by the ELVs, out west the Lions and the Highveld XV will be sifting through strategies based on more penalty kicks, lineouts and mauls. Perhaps most crucially, they'll be dealing with a law that allows the first player to the breakdown to have all the rights to the ball.

The Lions' visit will be special as many superb South African players have started and finished their careers since the last tour 12 years ago.

Until this weekend, the Chiefs were the only New Zealand side not to have competed for the Super rugby title.

Until Friday night, their only playoffs appearance since Super rugby's birth in 1996 had been five years ago when, as fourth qualifier, they were mashed in the semifinals by the eventual champion Brumbies.

Ian Foster was the coach, lineout adviser Keith Robinson played in that match and Sione Lauaki was in the squad but not involved in that semifinal. It is a new-look squad this season who are playing with a fresh conviction about their ability, a belief they can defy the odds this weekend.