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After the first weekend of finals action, the die has finally been cast: the Queensland Reds will play the Auckland Blues in their Super Rugby preliminary final.
The Reds had already qualified for the preliminary final a week ago, having finished the regular season as the table-topping minor premiers.
Along with this giving them direct entry into the preliminary final and a highly sought after week off, it also gave them home ground advantage against the lowest ranked winner of this past weekends elimination finals.
Both elimination finals were held in New Zealand; the Canterbury Crusaders were hosting the Sharks, and the Auckland Blues were hosting the New South Wales Waratahs.
So with their date with destiny set but their opponents still unknown, all Queensland eyes were locked firmly on the action across the ditch.
After the battles wound up and the dust had settled, two victors eventually emerged. The Crusaders comfortably accounted for the Sharks, and booked themselves a tough preliminary final assignment against the Stormers in Cape Town.
And in a somewhat scrappy affair, the lower ranked Blues were able to overcome an injury plagued Waratahs outfit and set up a meeting with the Reds in Brisbane.
So what does this mean for the Reds chances? In many ways, this is the best scenario they could have hoped for.
Apart from allowing the Reds to avoid a high-risk clash with their arch-enemies the Waratahs (who always grow an extra leg for the traditional grudge match), it allows them to meet what could be considered the weakest of the remaining teams.
Of all the teams that made it through to this years finals series, the Auckland based outfit are by far the most fickle.
In what seems to be something of a long-standing tradition, the Blues are as cold as often as they are hot, consistently managing to mix the brilliant with the inept to create a unique cocktail of unpredictable fragility.
For the early part of the season they were simply outstanding, defeating all and sundry with carefree ease. However, it is this very carefree attitude that can be their undoing, as witnessed in the latter half of the season where a few key losses quickly snowballed into a disastrous free-fall down the ladder.
It was on the back on this poor form that they met the Waratahs, and there was nothing in this most recent performance to indicate they’d get over this slump anytime soon.
While the Waratahs played with an admirable amount of grit and determination, their skill and execution levels were so poor as to virtually gift the Blues numerous scoring opportunities.
In fact, were it not for the considerable poise, persistence and polish of the exceptional Kurtley Beale, the Waratahs could have gone down by a cricket score.
But the Blues lacked the clinical skills required to finish off their opponents. They are a team simply oozing with raw talent, but don’t seem to have the confidence and maturity required to put it on show with any level of consistency.
It was a hesitant, sloppy performance, and one that will give Reds fans plenty of hope.
For the Reds, the game plan is simple: stay calm and stick to your strengths. This means aggression at the breakdown, velocity around the park, and finesse with the ball. The impending return of Beau Robinson to the squad is vital to this being properly applied.
The Queensland pack has become an entirely different beast with him out there, with his direct, hard-nosed play giving the Reds a much needed abrasive edge. Just as important is to not play the Blues into form.
The Reds need to be on their game and aggressive right form the outset; anything less can give the talented Aucklanders a sniff and can reignite the slumbering beast.
In their only other meeting this season, the Reds defeated the Blues in front of a raucous Brisbane crowd by a score of 37 -31.
It was a match that featured an incredible level of skill and attacking prowess, and if this can be replicated in a finals atmosphere we should be in for a cracker of a match. Reds by eight.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.