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BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — The Queensland Reds and Canterbury Crusaders meet Saturday in the final match of a Super rugby season of record length; a five-month ordeal whose toll may be felt at September's World Cup.
The last pieces of a potentially great final slotted into place Thursday when both teams named their strongest available lineups, overcoming last-minute injuries to ensure the championship will be decided by the best players of the competition's two best teams.
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder, one match away from becoming the first man to win a Super rugby championship as a player and coach, ruled out talk of fatigue and said his team was ready to claim its eighth title.
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie, who lost to Canterbury in his only final as a player, bucked convention and claimed favoritism for his team due to Queensland's first-place finish and having only one loss at home.
Canterbury is favorite with bookmakers, based upon their history of seven titles from nine finals.
"I find it disappointing we're not favorites going into this game," McKenzie said. "We don't want to be the underdog going into a final. People want to grab the underdog status, we don't."
McKenzie acknowledged the Reds would have to be at their best to win but was confident their lack of finals experience would not be an impediment and that they would maintain the form which has brought them 14 wins from 17 games this season.
"You're playing against the most experienced team so you have to get everything right," he said. "We know for the previous game (against the Crusaders, won 17-16 by the Reds) they stressed us in certain situations and we created pressure on them. We shaded them in the end but there wasn't much in it.
"Being a final you have to make sure you get it right. They'll feel they're finding form and peaking."
Canterbury ended the regular season in third place but has since beaten the South Africa's Sharks and Stormers in playoff matches — the Stormers 29-10 in Cape Town — to reach the final.
The Crusaders have been forced to travel more than 100,000 kilometers (60,000) miles this season after losing their home ground at Christchurch to the earthquake on Feb. 22. They have clocked up more than 20,000 kilometers in the past two weeks, traveling to Cape Town then back to Brisbane.
"We've done a bit of traveling this year but we feel really fresh," Blackadder said. "Just looking at the guys at training today, they are physically fit and mentally strong so we are good to go. You start talking about feeling tired and travel factors and it's amazing how quickly and easily you start feeling tired."
Blackadder described as "sublime" the skills of Queensland flyhalf and playmaker Quade Cooper, who will engage in a personal duel Saturday with more seasoned Canterbury rival Dan Carter.
"Not just last week in the semifinal but all season, I take my hat off to Will Genia and Quade Cooper," Blackadder said. "Week in, week out, they haven't been rotated, they have fronted for the Reds and the team has played some brilliant rugby this year.
"Quade did things last week in that semifinal that were just unbelievable. He's certainly going to be a real handful for us."
Cooper's ability to unleash his brilliance in the stifling pressure of finals rugby may be a key to Saturday's match. The New Zealand-born No. 10 was confident of being able to play his natural game.
"I don't try and go away from it or play anything different to suit critics or other people wanting certain things. I just go out and do what I have to do for the team," Cooper said.
"It's exciting to some but, for us, it's just how we play. No changes will be made. That's how we've played all year.
"Our mindset is always to go out there and express ourselves and enjoy ourselves and come out to win. Where better to do it than in front of 50,000 people in a massive backyard?"
___
AP Sports Writer Steve McMorran contributed to this story from Wellington, New Zealand.
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The last pieces of a potentially great final slotted into place Thursday when both teams named their strongest available lineups, overcoming last-minute injuries to ensure the championship will be decided by the best players of the competition's two best teams.
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder, one match away from becoming the first man to win a Super rugby championship as a player and coach, ruled out talk of fatigue and said his team was ready to claim its eighth title.
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie, who lost to Canterbury in his only final as a player, bucked convention and claimed favoritism for his team due to Queensland's first-place finish and having only one loss at home.
Canterbury is favorite with bookmakers, based upon their history of seven titles from nine finals.
"I find it disappointing we're not favorites going into this game," McKenzie said. "We don't want to be the underdog going into a final. People want to grab the underdog status, we don't."
McKenzie acknowledged the Reds would have to be at their best to win but was confident their lack of finals experience would not be an impediment and that they would maintain the form which has brought them 14 wins from 17 games this season.
"You're playing against the most experienced team so you have to get everything right," he said. "We know for the previous game (against the Crusaders, won 17-16 by the Reds) they stressed us in certain situations and we created pressure on them. We shaded them in the end but there wasn't much in it.
"Being a final you have to make sure you get it right. They'll feel they're finding form and peaking."
Canterbury ended the regular season in third place but has since beaten the South Africa's Sharks and Stormers in playoff matches — the Stormers 29-10 in Cape Town — to reach the final.
The Crusaders have been forced to travel more than 100,000 kilometers (60,000) miles this season after losing their home ground at Christchurch to the earthquake on Feb. 22. They have clocked up more than 20,000 kilometers in the past two weeks, traveling to Cape Town then back to Brisbane.
"We've done a bit of traveling this year but we feel really fresh," Blackadder said. "Just looking at the guys at training today, they are physically fit and mentally strong so we are good to go. You start talking about feeling tired and travel factors and it's amazing how quickly and easily you start feeling tired."
Blackadder described as "sublime" the skills of Queensland flyhalf and playmaker Quade Cooper, who will engage in a personal duel Saturday with more seasoned Canterbury rival Dan Carter.
"Not just last week in the semifinal but all season, I take my hat off to Will Genia and Quade Cooper," Blackadder said. "Week in, week out, they haven't been rotated, they have fronted for the Reds and the team has played some brilliant rugby this year.
"Quade did things last week in that semifinal that were just unbelievable. He's certainly going to be a real handful for us."
Cooper's ability to unleash his brilliance in the stifling pressure of finals rugby may be a key to Saturday's match. The New Zealand-born No. 10 was confident of being able to play his natural game.
"I don't try and go away from it or play anything different to suit critics or other people wanting certain things. I just go out and do what I have to do for the team," Cooper said.
"It's exciting to some but, for us, it's just how we play. No changes will be made. That's how we've played all year.
"Our mindset is always to go out there and express ourselves and enjoy ourselves and come out to win. Where better to do it than in front of 50,000 people in a massive backyard?"
___
AP Sports Writer Steve McMorran contributed to this story from Wellington, New Zealand.
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