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Hougaard 27, Carter 12.

Does that result signal the end of an era for the Crusaders?

The question mark over Rob Deans' future, the departures of Aaron Mauger, Chris Jack, and Johnny Leo'o, and the huge improvement by the South African Super 14 teams this year all hint that the semi at Loftus Versfeld could be the end of nearly a decade of Crusader domination of Super rugby.

You can't stay at the top forever. The Crusaders have a structure every other franchise envied, and this season shows how much the others have learned from the perennial champions ? on and off the field.

A few weeks ago a Crusaders V Blues 2007 final seemed a certainty, but in the end the round robin had the closest finish it's ever had, and it was the Sharks and Bulls that had the momentum at the right time.

What a difference to a season just a few seconds can make, though. Had the Crusaders not turned the ball over after the hooter in Durban in March and lost a match they had in the bag, they'd have had a home semi-final, and, I think, we'd be looking at a quite different scenario for next weekend.

The atmosphere in Pretoria, communicable even on television, recalled the heady days in Christchurch during the Crusaders' first Super title successes. Red and Black fans have got blas? since then.

On the field, the titanic Bulls defence was a leaf out of the Crusaders books. The sky-blue wall never gave an inch. Reminded you of the Crusaders, didn't it?

And having closed the gap ? the gulf, in fact ? that used to separate the Crusaders and Blues on one hand, and the South Africans on the other ? the South Africans will be much better funded to stay at the top in Super rugby than the Crusaders.

It's always difficult playing in South Africa, but this year the five New Zealand teams managed just one win (the Crusaders in Bloemfontein) from 14 matches there.

While the Crusaders' season is over, the big question is what the Super 14 implications are for the All Blacks and the World Cup.

Resting the elite players certainly didn't help the Crusaders or Blues.

Most of the All Blacks have yet to show the form we know they are capable of, and reintegrating them caused both Deans and David Nucifora headaches with settled sides.

All that won't matter if the ABs peak at the right time later this year and we win the World Cup. Graham Henry will be vindicated for his big gamble. But at present it looks a rather big "if."