The ACT Brumbies' Super 12 rugby semifinal against the Waikato Chiefs romorrow has a farewell aspect for coach David Nucifora and a number of leading players.
Fullback Joe Roff, who stands ready to equal Christian Cullen's record of 56 Super 12 tries, and halfback George Gregan are among Brumbies players whose futures beyond this season are uncertain.
Their possible departure may heighten the Brumbies' incentive at Canberra on Saturday to end those players' careers, and Nucifora's coaching reign, on a winning note.
While the Brumbies have been the most successful of Australia's Super 12 franchises, they have only one finals win from four appearances and an personally acknowledged history of failure to overcome.
Their opponents, the Chiefs, are also attempting to live down a history of underachievement. Their eight wins in the regular season were a franchise record and Saturday's semifinal appearance will be their first in the competition's nine-year history.
The Canterbury Crusaders, who meet South Africa's Stormers at Christchurch earlier Saturday in the other semifinal, have won the competition four times, were beaten finalists last year and are appearing in a Super 12 playoff match for the 11th time.
History and season records favor the Brumbies to meet the Crusaders in next weekend's final, as they met in 2000 when the Crusaders won 20-19 and 2002 when the Crusaders prevailed 31-13.
Nucifora is already of a casualty of the season, sacked midseason and reportedly at the request of senior players. He finds himself in an ironic position as the coach of the most consistent team in this year's tight competition: the first Super 12 coach to be sacked while possibly winning a championship.
Roff has strongly suggested his Super 12 career -- comprising 84 appearances since 1996 -- is near its end.
"It is something I'm wrestling with at the moment," he said.
``You don't want to finish up while you are still enjoying it and have something to offer. But I don't want to be kicked out the door kicking and screaming.''
Gregan is more likely to continue but there are other long-serving Brumbies, among them loose forward Owen Finegan, for whom retirement is approaching.
The Chiefs and Brumbies met a week ago in the last round of the regular season. The Brumbies won 15-12, but a bonus point carried the Chiefs into the playoffs.
The Chiefs found no way through the Brumbies defense in that match but have since said they learned from the experience.
Finegan has warned the Brumbies were far from their best in that match and will be defensively stronger in Canberra.
"Being in so many finals as a team we realize we've let ourselves down a little bit by not going all the way," said Finegan. "There's a real feeling this year that we can go all the way."
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