Finally the Chiefs actually look the part in rugby's Super 14 - so the annual fancy dress party has been put on hold.

New Zealand's perennially under-achieving team are two wins shy of an historic Super rugby title, something that doesn't completely surprise senior players Stephen Donald and Mils Muliaina.

The Chiefs, with a solitary semi-final appearance to dwell on since Super rugby started in 1996, made their customary slow campaign start, with losses to the Crusaders, NSW Waratahs and Sharks.

But since then only the Bulls in Pretoria have bettered them.

If they beat the Hurricanes in Friday night's all New Zealand semi-final at Waikato Stadium, the Chiefs may get the opportunity to avenge that defeat at Loftus Versfeld, although the Crusaders could yet save them from the arduous trek to Africa.

These twists, turns and uncertainty are a new phenomenon for Donald and his wide-eyed teammates.

"We're not used to this at this time of year. We're usually planning our fancy dress party," the five-eighth confessed as the Chiefs completed their preparations.

Muliaina, a Super 12 winner with the Blues in 2003, agreed.

"It was kind of weird coming in on Monday. We're usually preparing to review and get out of there.

Donald, looming as Dan Carter's replacement for the early stages of the All Blacks season, felt the squad's depth, maturity and ability to play to conditions got them to the semi-finals.

"I guess we're learning to be happy to win ugly," Donald said, in light of hard-fought regular season wins over the Hurricanes and Brumbies.

"In the past, we've probably been happier to lose flamboyantly so there has been a change in mindset."

Such newfound traits have been evident among the Chiefs during their dress rehearsal against the Hurricanes - a 16-8 win in Hamilton on May 9 - and last weekend's 10-7 shading off the Brumbies.

An 11-7 loss to the Waratahs in round two was the nadir of the Chiefs' season - a contest memorable for their disintegrating scrum and dysfunctional lineout.

A bonus-point win over the lowly Stormers in Cape Town three weeks ago represented the turning point.

"Once we won that one, we thought we'd turned a bit of a corner," Donald said.

Bookmakers can't split the teams.

The Chiefs may have their recent win over the Hurricanes to draw confidence from, but the Hurricanes have the better head-to-head record.

They also have more experience of playoffs rugby and have come out on the better side of the injury lottery this week, with doubt over lock Jeremy Thrush's elbow trumping the Chiefs' loss of centre Richard Kahui, halfback Brendon Leonard and prop Ben May.

Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper said his side learned a lot from their last-up loss to the Chiefs.

"We'll be a lot more prepared," he said.

The result was a blip in a stirring end to the season, with the Hurricanes averaging 43 points per game over the last five rounds if the Hamilton setback is removed.

Believing his players' focus to be the best it's been in his seven years at the helm, Cooper says the demons that have seen the Hurricanes fall short in five previous playoff visits are exorcised.

"Standing in front of them, there's a real determination," Cooper said.

"They're not just excited and happy to be here, there's a resolve that they want to do better.

"It's very pleasing as a coach to see that. I haven't seen that before."

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