However, this was the Crusaders' night, winning their third straight crown by a point, thanks to a try by Ron Cribb and five Andrew Mehrtens penalties.
9) 2015 - Highlanders 21 Hurricanes 14
The last two New Zealand franchises to win a title battled it out in Wellington, with the 'Canes heavy favourites, only for the Highlanders to upset the odds.
Tries from Elliott Dixon and Waisake Nahaolo, plus a late drop goal from Marty Banks, sealed a remarkable win for Jamie Joseph's side.
8) 2005 - Crusaders 35 Waratahs 25
A first-ever final for the Waratahs up against the Crusaders in their seventh, meaning an automatic mismatch in terms of experience. The Crusaders had lost the last two finals to the Blues and Brumbies, however, going into the 2005 showpiece.
Justin Marshall's final game same the Crusaders at their peak, a tight contest at the break with the Crusaders up 14-6, then blown wide open with three quick tries, meaning it was all over by 60 minutes, despite a late Waratahs surge.
7) 2003 - Blues 21 Crusaders 17
Inspired by "King Carlos" Spencer, the Blues pulled off a shock against the Crusaders, with tries from Dough Howlett and Daniel Braid laying the platform after the half-time interval.
Spencer kicked 11 points, with two scores from Crusaders hooker Mark Hammett proving to not be enough, as the Blues clinched a third title in eight years and their last to date.
6) 1996 - Blues 45 Sharks 21
Super Rugby's inaugural final witnessed Jonah Lomu and the Blues hammer the Sharks to clinch the title.
One of five try scorers for the Blues at Eden Park, with Andrew Blowers getting a double, the Auckland franchise - and Lomu, in particular - were outstanding against Gary Teichmann's Sharks.
5) 1998 - Crusaders 20 Blues 13
The Crusaders clinched their first title in truly extraordinary fashion.
With a minute left and the score tied at 13-13, Andrew Mehrtens puts in a speculative kick behind the Blues defence which, despite having three men back by their try-line, let the ball bounce.
The ball comes loose and James Kerr pounces, scoring the match-winning try and ending the Blues' bid for a hat-trick of Super Rugby titles.
4) 2011 - Reds 18 Crusaders 13
Marking the end of a run of three titles in four years by the dominant Bulls, with the Crusaders leading at half-time in Brisbane, after a Dan Carter try.
With the scores tied at 13-13, Will Genia then produced the score of his life - a mazy, breathtaking run from inside his own half in the 67th minute that produced what turned out to be the match-winning try.
In front of a packed-out Suncorp Stadium, this was Queensland's finest hour.
3) 2014 - Waratahs 33 Crusaders 32
Bernard Foley - nerves of steel, The Australia flyhalf capped a breakout year in Super Rugby by landing the Waratahs their first title.
This final had it all - a double from Adam Ashley-Cooper countered by scores from Matt Todd and Nemani Nadolo, before Foley stepped up with a penalty in the 79th minute.
Foley had landed six penalties and a conversion prior to his big moment from 45 metres out, with Richie McCaw penalised, but this kick was no given - a superb strike clinched the title.
2) 2007 - Bulls 20 Sharks 19
The first all-South African final and the game in which Bryan Habana announced his talent to the world.
Albert van den Berg's late try looked to have clinched a 19-13 win for the Sharks, but a missed conversion and then missed kick to touch from Francois Steyn proved to be hugely costly.
Building up pressure in the Sharks' 22, the ball was flung wide to Habana, who slipped a tackle, before applying the afterburners on a weaving run to score by the posts, with Derick Hougaard's conversion clinching the most dramatic of title wins.
The sight of Jaco van der Westhuyzen standing on the posts, wearing a "Jesus is King" t-shirt will haunt Sharks fans to this day. From here, the Bulls went on to win two more titles in three years.
1) 2004 - Brumbies 47 Crusaders 38
One of the greatest games of all time. In an astonishing first half, the Brumbies scored five tries in 19 minutes and they needed nearly every bit of that points buffer to keep out the resurgent Crusaders in the second half.
Mark Gerrand grabbed a hat-trick and the great Joe Roff a double, as well as kicking six conversions, with Jeremy Paul and Matt Giteau adding to the Brumbies try tally.
In a true mark of the Crusaders' undoubted quality, they also scored six tries, with Richie McCaw, Aaron Mauger, Brad Thorn and Dan Carter all on the scoresheet, but the fightback wasn't enough.
For many, this was the fixture that marked out Super Rugby as the most entertaining competition in the modern game.
