Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said his Rebel Sport Super 14 final qualifying team was like a different side with a whole different level of intensity in its 33-22 semi-final win over the Hurricanes in Christchurch on Saturday night.

After the poor display against the Reds and the loss to the Highlanders, Crusaders fans were fearing the worst, that their farewell to successful coach Robbie Deans would be a week earlier than anticipated.

However, the Crusaders showed they have no peer when it comes to big match intensity and tore the Hurricanes apart, much more so than the final score suggests as the Hurricanes scored two tries in the last three minutes to give the scoreline a much needed touch of respectability.

McCaw said it was not too hard for the side to turn itself around.

"A lot of guys had been in this situation of play off footie before so we knew what was required," he said.

"But you get a bit nervous about whether it is going to happen and because of that you prepare well and there is just a bit of edge at training."

It was still necessary for the players to remind themselves that success just wasn't going to happen either.

Deans, who ends his association with the side after next week's final before taking on the Australian coaching position said playoffs football was different.

"You're conscious that there will be one team with nothing to do at the end of it," he said.

Deans said the Hurricanes had created some grief for teams and the Crusaders always knew there was going to be an extra level of intensity about the game.

"First and foremost you have got to be up for it physically and pretty well versed in what you think might be thrown at you so there is no surprises. And the guys, for the greater part, handled what was thrown at them," he said.

The side had been prepared as a result of the motivation within themselves.

"Motivation is not something you put in externally," he said.

McCaw said there had been a genuine desire to take the effort to the Hurricanes pack.

"If you allow their tight five to get on top of you, with the ball carriers they have got, Masoe, Collins, Nonu, they are pretty hard to stop. We realise that every time against them you have got to stop them there."

Deans said the Hurricanes had been defending well all season, and in the first season that was reflected as they absorbed a lot of pressure.

"What we asked of them in that first half took its toll, but there was a lot of mind games going on and with the bounce of the ball the chemistry can change quickly," he said.

Crusaders hooker Corey Flynn (pictured) will be with his team in mind and spirit, but not in body, after being ruled out of Saturday night’s Rebel Sport Super 14 final due to a fractured forearm.

The in-form front-ranker, who led the Crusaders during the first seven matches of last year’s programme, suffered his injury during the 12th minute of last night’s 33-22 semi-final win over the Hurricanes.

He sustained the knock affecting a tackle on Hosea Gear, after coming into contact with the Hurricanes’ winger’s shin.

Flynn underwent an operation today (Sunday) to stabilise the radius in his right arm and is expected to be out of action for up to three months.

Such has been the enormity of Flynn’s contribution to the Crusaders in recent years; the final will represent the first game that the 27-year-old has missed since April 23, 2005, ending a sequence of 47 consecutive appearances.

The dynamic player has appeared in every game across the last three seasons.

The semi-final was the 78th appearance of Flynn’s Crusaders career after he made his debut in 2002.

Hooker Ti’i Paulo, who replaced Flynn against the Hurricanes, will start in his absence.

An under-rated player, whose had to be patient in his Crusaders career due to the presence in the franchise of the likes of Flynn, Paulo earned the 19th cap of his Super rugby career against the Hurricanes.

Thirteen of those have come so far on the 13th Crusade. He has also scored three tries this term – against the Cheetahs, Lions and Blues.

Paulo debuted for the Crusaders against the Stormers in 2005.

Today’s Crusaders medical call revealed no additional battle damage as a result of last night’s physical encounter, which means that – Flynn aside – coaches Robbie Deans and Mark Hammett will have a full muster to call on as they begin preparations tomorrow for the team’s ninth Super rugby final.

Wider training group member Steve Fualau, who appeared for Tasman in the last Air New Zealand Cup, will come into the reckoning as the squad replacement for Flynn. Fualau has performed strongly for his Christchurch club Linwood in the CBS championship in recent weeks.

The Crusaders’ match day 22 for the match against the NSW Waratahs, in what represents a replay of the last Super 12 final in 2005, will be announced on Thursday.

In 2005, the Crusaders beat the Waratahs 35-25 in that year’s tournament decider.

Fullback Leon MacDonald, winger Scott Hamilton, centres Casey Laulala and Caleb Ralph, first-five-eighths Daniel Carter, No 8 Mose Tuiali’i, flankers Richard McCaw and Reuben Thorne, lock Ross Filipo and prop Greg Somerville remain on the playing staff with the team from the Crusaders’ class of ’05.

Team P W D L BP PTS
Crusaders 13 11 0 2 8 52
Waratahs 13 9 1 3 5 43
Sharks 13 9 1 3 4 42
Hurricanes 13 8 1 4 7 41
Stormers 13 8 1 4 7 41
Blues 13 8 0 5 8 40
Chiefs 13 7 0 6 6 34
Force 13 7 0 6 5 33
Brumbies 13 6 0 7 6 30
Bulls 13 6 0 7 4 28
Highlanders 13 3 0 10 7 19
Reds 13 3 1 9 3 17
Cheetahs 13 1 0 12 9 13
Lions 13 2 1 10 2 12