Opinion - Turns out Tony Brown was right. Before leaving New Zealand at the end of Super Rugby Aotearoa to rejoin his old mate Jamie Joseph and the Japanese national team, the Highlanders coach took a swing at the upcoming Trans-Tasman competition by claiming that his side wouldn't be troubled by any of the Australian teams.
Blues loose forward Hoskins Sotutu is among form players during the Super Rugby season. Photo: Photosport
It seemed like a pretty ballsy call, even if he wasn't going to be around to bear the consequences of his words, but it hasn't mattered.
The Highlanders have swept aside all of their opposition in the past five weeks and are now into their first final since 2015.
Aaron Smith's Highlanders will contest their first final in six seasons. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Their opponents are the Blues, who have steadied themselves admirably since the garbage end of their Aotearoa campaign, thanks in part to a favourable draw but far more down to the fact that their key players are coming into their best form of the year so far.
That last part is probably helping Ian Foster relax a little bit as he starts to shape up his first All Black squad for the year.
Right now his big concerns are the loose forwards and midfield, so the fact that Dalton Papalii and Hoskins Sotutu are playing so well is going a long way to sorting that first bit out.
The two grew up together in Howick, where Papalii played league until his last year of primary school - a fateful decision that saw him scouted by St Kentigern College and offered a vital rugby scholarship.
Sotutu has the pedigree of being a second generation talent, although he's a fair bit bigger than his winger father Waisake.
Sam Cane's injury has opened up the possibility of a reshuffle in the loosies, and with Papalii able to play either side of the scrum this gives Foster the option of putting him in tandem with perhaps Luke Jacobson or Ardie Savea with Sotutu at number eight. Or Savea at eight.
Whichever way you look at it, the traditional area of strength for the All Blacks is looking very formidable indeed.
Blues loosie Dalton Papalii is among players who will make a formidable loose forward trio for the All Blacks. Photo: Photosport
Headaches in midfield
The midfield is a tricky one, though. For all the talk of Foster simply carrying on Steve Hansen's systems and processes, with the midfield there wasn't really a plan to continue.
It's been a bit of a revolving door, so Foster is free to pick on form rather than reputation. Will he be bold and give David Havili a crack after his best season of Super Rugby so far? Or Leicester Fainga'anuku?
Or stick with Anton Lienert-Brown and Rieko Ioane, who seemed to be his first choice last year. All of them are playing good football, but it seems more likely Fainga'anuku will get in as a winger if he's picked.
Crusader Leicester Fainga'anuku is a top prospect for the All Blacks. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2020
There has been plenty of legitimate chat about the failure of Super Rugby Trans Tasman to really deliver the sort of match ups we'd been used to in the previous competition, but it has managed to contrive a final at a stadium that can hold more people than anywhere else in the country.
It will be the first time Eden Park has hosted a Super Rugby decider since 2003. Since then the park has been almost entirely pulled down and rebuilt.
The Blues team that won that night contained names like Doug Howlett and Rupeni Caucaunibuca, and were captained by Xavier Rush. When asked about his memories of it after the Blues' win over the Force on Saturday night, Hoskins Sotutu could only laugh and say that he was so young he didn't even know what rugby was yet.
Given how well the Highlanders played against the Brumbies, it's highly likely this game will be a tense affair.
That may most likely be the last time we'll see one of those for a while given the All Blacks' schedule is pitting them against Tonga and Fiji next month. Long suffering Auckland fans should be showing up in numbers for this one.
