The Super 14 cards have fallen perfectly for the NSW Waratahs who enter the semi-finals with a massive opportunity to break their title drought.

Former Waratah Morgan Turinui and his Queensland coach Phil Mooney can both see NSW going all the way after securing a home play-off against the Sharks on Saturday night.

The Waratahs, playing uncompromising finals-style rugby, iced second spot after the regular season with a grinding 18-11 interstate victory over the Reds at Suncorp Stadium last night.

With the Sharks having to travel from Durban and the table-topping Crusaders vulnerable after a late-season fadeout, the Reds pair believe NSW are primed to send sacked coach Ewen McKenzie to France a winner.

The Crusaders will host the Wellington-based Hurricanes in the first semi-final in Christchurch but the competition favourites are searching for answers following a 26-14 loss to the lowly Highlanders.

The upset came after Robbie Deans' men pulled off unconvincing tight wins over the Reds, Sharks and Blues following their first defeat of the season to the Chiefs.

"This is a huge opportunity for the Waratahs to go out and win the comp," said Turinui, a member of the NSW side which lost the 2005 final to the Crusaders.

"[NSW] find themselves just two games from winning a championship that they are really confident of winning.

"They're match-fit and battle-hardened but the Crusaders do have that touch of class and that's your logical final.

"The NSW team will go there with important players who have experienced that and a coach that has experienced that.

"They're in a really good place."

Ironically, the last time an Australian outfit took the Super rugby title was in 2004 when the Brumbies triumphed after also sacking coach David Nucifora mid-season.

McKenzie admitted he was more confident than 2005, particularly after three weeks of high-stakes "finals football" against the Bulls, Stormers and Reds.

"I think we've got more skills and more options than we did in '05, hopefully we get the chance to use it, at the moment we're happy to have a home semi-final," he said.

"I think we play semi-final type football anyway, much to some people's disappointment."

The Waratahs' confidence was boosted by the Sharks' efforts to bounce back from a recent slump to nab third place with a slick 47-25 bonus-point win over the Chiefs, tipping the Hurricanes to fourth.

NSW have already played the 2007 finalists at the Sydney Football Stadium once this year, winning 25-10 only three weeks ago.

Delivering a backhanded compliment, a frustrated Mooney declared the Waratahs' style was made to measure for sudden-death play-offs.

"I say this in the nicest possible way, they don't play a lot of footy," Mooney said. "They kick, they pin you in your own half and then capitalise on your mistakes and they do it very effectively.

"The Waratahs have a very good forward pack, know their game style very well and defend well so they have the game that can win the competition, no doubt about that."

NSW skipper Phil Waugh recognised the home-ground advantage - where they are unbeaten this season - as crucial but warned better was needed for a maiden title.

"We're by no means happy with the way we are playing," Waugh said.

"I think we can play a lot better and will need to play a lot better to give this tournament a shake."

The Reds placed 12th and managed only one more win than their dreadful last-placed result in 2007 but the signs are far more promising than a year ago.

The toughest thing for Mooney will be continuing the improvement in the face of an exodus which includes key men Chris Latham, David Croft, Stephen Moore, Clinton Schifcofske and Rodney Blake.

Western Force's 29-22 comeback win over the Brumbies on Friday night ensured they finished as the second best Australian side in eighth position with 33 points, three more than the ninth-placed Brumbies.

The defending champion Bulls smashed the Cheetahs 60-20 but could place no higher than 10th while the last-placed Lions prevented the Stormers (fifth) from making the play-offs by denying them a four-try bonus-point in a 22-13 win.

AAP