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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) –
Wallaby World Cup utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper tips the South African Northern Bulls to raise the Super 14 trophy on Saturday.

The Brumbies fullback-cum-wing-cum-centre offered his views to AFP on Friday as the climax of the southern hemisphere rugby union championship pits the Bulls against the New Zealand Waikato Chiefs.

A capacity 52,000 crowd will watch the floodlit match at Loftus Versfeld in the Highveld city of Pretoria and few rugby experts are betting against the Bulls winning the competition for the second time in three years.

“I expect the Bulls to win the final mainly because of home ground advantage and the altitude and body clock issues, the Chiefs have to encounter as well,” said Ashley-Cooper.

“It is a very intimidating atmosphere at Loftus. It's the intensity of the crowd, rugby is like a religion and they are very vocal and yell as much as they can, but they have a genuine respect for the other team.

“If there is one team that thrives with the crowd behind them, it is the Bulls. Nothing can beat the atmosphere at Loftus Versfeld,” said the star who has experienced the pain of losing there.

“We found that it takes until the second week on the Highveld to find your feet after you arrive there,” revealed the 2007 World Cup player.

However, Ashley-Cooper is not prepared to write off the Chiefs, who lost by only six points at Loftus last month when the teams clashed in the group phase of the competition.

“It's a terrific challenge for the Chiefs, but if there is one New Zealand side that can master it, then it is them. The Bulls win over Canterbury Crusaders impressed the heck out of me with the rugby they played.”

Ashley-Cooper was among many rugby fans left awe-struck by the South Africans as they overcame a sluggish start to transform a 13-point deficit into a 27-20 half-time advantage and closed out the Crusaders during the second half.

Centre Wynand Olivier missed the 36-23 destruction of defending champions Crusaders because of a hip injury and returns to his inside-centre position with Marius Delport dropping down to the replacements bench.

The Chiefs who are appearing in the final for the first time, also have a change at centre with Richard Kahui returning in place of Dwayne Sweeney, who moves to the left wing slot vacated by injured Sitiveni Sivivatu.

The final offers many cameos including a fly-half clash between Morne Steyn and Stephen Donald, the top two scorers in the competition this season with 172 and 134 points respectively.

“They are great directors of play. Donald has had a very impressive season, but Morne has a better kicking game. He is very accurate and sure to test the Chiefs' back three early.

“Mils Muliaina can kick, but he is not a great kicker and, like me, he is not your traditional fullback and I'm sure he will be put under the high ball,” predicted Ashley-Cooper.

Should the teams finish level at full-time and after 20 minutes extra time, the trophy will be shared which seems a real anti-climax after 94 matches spanning four months.

But Ashley-Cooper does not favour a European system of kicks-at-goal to separate teams, preferring to copy the rugby league code and introduce a golden-point sudden death.

“Kicks are like a penalty shoot-out in football and I'm not a fan of deciding a big match by artificial means. It should be decided on fitness and skill and not on kicks between the posts.”

Crusaders have dominated the 13-year championship, qualifying for nine finals and winning seven, with the other titles going to Auckland Blues (three), ACT Brumbies (two) and the Bulls.

Winning margins have varied with Brumbies outclassing Coastal Sharks 36-6 in the 2001 decider while the successes of the Crusaders in 2000 and the Bulls in 2007 were by a solitary point.

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