Weight of history against Brumbies, Blues in Super Rugby semis

SYDNEY : The ACT Brumbies and Auckland Blues will have the weight of history against them as well as the Waikato Chiefs and Canterbury Crusaders when they bid for a spot in the Super Rugby Pacific final this weekend.

The Canberra-based Brumbies will have to do what no Australian team has done in nearly three decades of Super Rugby and win a playoff in New Zealand when they take on the Waikato Chiefs in Hamilton in Saturday's second semi-final.

The Blues have at least beaten the Crusaders at their Christchurch fortress as recently as last year but on Friday they will have to become the first team to do so in 29 playoff matches going back to 1998.

The first semi-final is a rematch of last year's final, when the Crusaders made light of the Blues' regular season dominance to win 21-7 at Eden Park and claim a 13th title in all versions of Super Rugby.

The path to a 14th title, and seventh in a row, has been rutted with injuries but coach Scott Robertson was backing his 23-man squad to do the Crusaders tradition proud on Friday.

"I think any Crusaders team that is named will rise up to the occasion," Robertson, in his final Super Rugby campaign before he takes over the All Blacks, told reporters.

The Blues will undoubtedly be relieved not to be facing All Blacks forwards Sam Whitelock, Cullen Grace and Ethan Blackadder in the heavyweight clash between New Zealand's biggest teams.

The visitors welcome winger Caleb Clarke back to a side studded with All Blacks, and coach Leon McDonald said his players were in no way "spooked" to be playing at Christchurch Stadium.

"Mystique? Yeah, they've got an amazing record but we definitely feel we can compete across the field and back ourselves there," he said.

The Chiefs were almost as dominant