Excuse me. Sorry, could I just grab you for a sec? Yes, I know you're all extremely busy -- what with all that AFL minutiae to analyse, lists of Origin ‘legends' to compile and letters to write pointing out that the name of the game is football not soccer.

This won't take long.

Thanks.

Right, just quickly: please know I support your passion. I'm a league lover, an Aussie rules admirer and a soccer, er, football devotee. I adore cricket, despite the game's putrid corruption; am hooked on Major League Baseball (Cubbies, Cubbies ...) and follow the New York Jets even though they wear green.

Furthermore, I know there's nothing more important in the world than this weekend's round of games other than, possibly, Harry Kewell using his standing as a player to find his wife a role in a soap opera.

I understand the Boomers have a vitally important series against the Tall Blacks coming up which they'll have to win without Andrew Bogut (unless we all chip in for his insurance) and I'm making daily notes on the performances of every player in every team at the World Netball Championships in Singapore. Go Malawi, you good things.

I watched Wimbledon, albeit for no other reason than I was hoping one of those moneyed brats would have a big tantrum and I tune in to so much golf I've become numb to the stupid people who yell "get in the hole".

Yes, I truly understand what matters to us all, and with that in mind, may I humbly request -- regardless of your affiliations, preferences or unspeakable fetishes -- you turn your focus to the delightful city of Brisbane and a game of rugby this coming Saturday night.

Look, I know rugby union can be confusing, particularly for referees, but the Super 15 final between the Queensland Reds and the Canterbury Crusaders (they of Christchurch not Belmore, Mungoes) shapes as a rare occasion, featuring two wonderful teams that actually deserve to be in the decider and a bunch of world class players, several of whom we have not seen the likes of before.

I know it's hard to top the excitement generated by, say, the pre-match entertainment at the 2010 AFL Grand Final (come on, sing along: "Say You, Say Me") but the potential for this to be a barn burner is ripe.

Not only have the Crusaders and the Reds demolished the best of the rest of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa this season, they have both done it in extraordinary style and in the midst of tremendous off-field challenges.

The Crusaders dismantling of the Sharks in London in March and their savage destruction of the Stormers in Cape Town last week were jaw-dropping exhibitions.

The most successful franchise in Super Rugby with seven titles, they constantly amaze by being able to play every style of game required to achieve victory, and this season they did it in the midst of the tragedy of the Christchurch earthquake that claimed the lives of more than 180 members of their rugby mad community and destroyed their home ground.

The table-topping Reds, meanwhile, have taken spectators' breath away more than a few times this year as part of an unlikely ascent built on attacking brilliance and good defensive alignment and execution. To qualify for their first-ever Super decider, Ewen McKenzie's young side has matured remarkably over a short period.

The Queenslanders scraped along the bottom of the Super table for years and were tumbling towards bankruptcy until recently. Their home ground was underwater in the Brisbane floods and, like the Crusaders, injuries tested the depth of their squad towards the business end of the season.

But there is a great spark and spirit about the Reds that sports fans of any persuasion would recognize. They know their strengths and they have the good sense to play to them. And tellingly, they have recently developed the ability to adapt should everything not go their way.

A final is a different beast to a regular season game, yet such was the quality and intensity of the memorable thriller in May between the teams, won by Queensland courtesy of magnificent commitment and a questionable refereeing decision it is a worthy guide to how this potential cracker might play out.

The Crusaders forwards are, unquestionably, the best in the comp, probably the universe. In the scrums in the Brisbane encounter they mulched the Reds. Similarly, their obliteration of the Stormers last weekend was amazing.

And then there's Richie McCaw. The All Black flanker is worth two players on the field, nothing less. Questioning whether he ‘cheats' at the breakdown is a little like pondering whether FIFA's administration is crooked -- there's no real argument, but that's not going to stop it.

The Reds have to prevent McCaw from burrowing, smothering and bullying at the breakdown and must hold their own in the scrum in order to let playmaker Quade Cooper do his thang.

Of course the Crusaders have their own genius No. 10: arguably the most complete five eighth in the game, Dan Carter.

However with the luxury of a usually dominate forward pack -- and having a truck like Sonny Bill Williams on his hip -- Carter can have a quite day and still do enough.

Not so with the audacious Cooper. The Reds slip a whole level if he's not in command.

How about that try he set up for Ben Tapui against Blues last week? Starting near the sideline, 30 out from his own line, he jinks, swats Lachie Munro with a fend the Aucklander will never show his grandchildren: dummies, dummies again, sprints like a winger, goes into contact, frees an arm and with one hand throws a pass through traffic.

In that 10 second drive to the line for Tapuai's try Cooper played the game in the way every child in the world aspires to (unless they are the pug-ugly sons and daughters of tight forwards or future members of the British rugby press).

Another remarkable feature of both semi finals was the amount of telling attacking play both the Reds and the Crusaders were able to make from the little ball they had for long stretches of their respective matches.

For much of the time they had only about 35 per cent possession. The key was being patient and organised in defence before striking against the run of play and in counter attack.

If the Reds forwards don't get swept away by the Crusader tide in tight, then a moment or two of individual brilliance could provide the Queenslanders with their first Super title and win rugby a wave of converts -- or at least expose a few more sports fans to why the game occasionally touches the sky.