Give the Super Rugby trophy to the Waratahs now. Bookies in NZ are clinging to the notion that the Crusaders are on a roll, but Wynne Gray doubts that.

Mic Check versus the Silver Fox. The sub-plots in finals week are almost as interesting as the Big Show. The volatile Michael Cheika versus the understated Todd Blackadder.

In today's column I want to have an in-depth look at Nemani Nadolo and the way the Crusaders have improved him out of sight and vice versa.

The week of a grand final can be difficult to get right in terms of preparation, but for the Crusaders the experience of Richie McCaw and Kieran Read is shining through.

The Waratahs are concocting a plan to suffocate Daniel Carter in the Super Rugby showdown.

Wyatt Crockett's work-load is about to ramp up even more with a Super Rugby final then a starting role for the All Blacks in their world-record winning quest.

Dan Carter, refreshed after his break away from the game and energised by his performance against the Sharks and the opportunities of the week ahead, is promising more.

The semifinal was a really good win for the Crusaders; it was a great win for Todd Blackadder and his staff.

Todd Blackadder was asked how he thought he would feel if he got to lift the Super Rugby trophy as a coach.

The Crusaders juggernaut rolls on for another week, the Sharks dismantled piece by piece in Christchurch tonight by a team who look in clinical, and ominous, form.

Watch a replay of tonight's live blog of the Super Rugby semi-final between the Crusaders and the Sharks from AMi Stadium in Christchurch.

Corey Flynn's journey to tonight's semifinal, his 150th match for the Crusaders and a clash against Bismarck du Plessis, considered the best hooker in the world, has been a long and often painful one.

It's a very fine line between hero and zero. No one is more acutely aware of that than Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder.

You can attribute a large part of the Highlanders' demise last week to their struggles at scrum time against the Sharks.

Afew years ago there was a discussion at Crusaders' management and administration level about what would be considered a good season.

The Sharks swept the Highlanders before them in their qualifier by virtue of their powerful scrum but it is an area that the Crusaders, who possess their own heavy artillery, are likely to target in their semifinal.

Losing to the Sharks in pool play was so unlike the Crusaders, especially at home and with a man advantage after Jean Deysel was sent off early, they rarely got out of third gear.

It's been another confusing and often boring Super 15 season but Saturday night's semifinal clash in Christchurch should be well worth the wait, writes Chris Rattue.

Todd Blackadder would have made the short journey from his home to the Crusaders' training base yesterday to begin the analysis for his team's semifinal in Christchurch.

The return of Richie McCaw to the Crusaders for their semifinal next Saturday will present coach Todd Blackadder with a dilemma. Where to play him?

Title success has justifiably created a rod for the Crusader backs and they are judged by a higher standard, writes Brian Ashby.

The Crusaders' attack has probably been their Achilles heel this season, but they are looking a lot more balanced now and have an ominous momentum heading into the finals.

If experience counts for one iota in the Super 15 playoffs, the Crusaders will make inroads.

A good night's work led to a good night's kip for the Crusaders. They got their four-try victory and with it, the near certainty that the Sharks, who played overnight, couldn't knock them out of second place. It was a nice place for the Crusaders and nothing less than they deserved. Both teams are in the playoffs but only one looked like they should be. Only one looked like they have any hope of being a threat in the knock-out rounds.

A good night's work led to a good night's kip for the Crusaders. They got their four-try victory and with it, the near certainty that the Sharks, who played overnight, couldn't knock them out of second place.