The city has been abuzz this past week - since they beat the Sharks in the semi-final last Saturday - with what can only be described as a carnival atmosphere. But the most expressive and significant event this week has been the decision by locals to christen the stadium the "House of Orange".

It is obvious this city is primed for success. After all, the orange-and-white-clad Cheetahs are the defending Currie Cup champions and this week they are at home.

Or as US singer, songwriter Bob Dylan once said: "A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do."

The Cheetahs wanted to host a Currie Cup Final this year and they will do that on Saturday. They have succeeded in their first goal. They beat off the challenge of seven other teams, including the Bulls, in this regard.

But on Saturday they hope to achieve another goal - retaining the Currie Cup title for the first time in the history of the union.

The Bulls obviously also hope to be a success on Saturday, hoping to reclaim the title as Currie Cup champions - a crown they held for three years before the Cheetahs took it away last year.

And with these two teams meeting in the Final for the third successive year, after having finished joint top of the standings (the Cheetahs earned first place on points difference), it is obvious there is very little to choose between these two outfits.

So how will they be separated on Saturday? What will be the decisive factor?
 
Rugby is played with an oval ball and in finals the bounce of the ball, figuratively and literally, can turn the game on its head.
 
But it is more likely that individual brilliance will be the decisive factor at Vodacom Park on Saturday.

Last year it was Under-21 star Meyer Bosman, who ran onto an awkwardly bouncing ball to score the winning try in a 29-25 win for the Cheetahs. Yes, one score (a try) in the dying minutes separated the teams.

Don't expect it to be much different on Saturday.

While both teams are known for their structured play, it will still be that one, defining moment that will turn the game on its head.

Both teams have their game-breakers, those individuals who can seize the moment.

We can probably list both team sheets and say they are all game-breakers.

However, the two teams can also be split into two distinct groups - players who are likely to be steady and calm, and those effervescent individuals who seem to be involved in everything.

For the Cheetahs the "steady" men are Bevin Fortuin, Willem de Waal, Michael Claassens, Barend Pieterse and Jannie du Plessis. Their energizers are Philip Burger, JW Jonker, Kabamba Floors and Ollie le Roux.

The Bulls who fall into the steady category are Johan Roets, Akona Ndungane, Derick Hougaard, Danie Rossouw and Gary Botha. Their sparkling stars are Pierre Spies and Derick Kuün. The loss of Wynand Olivier, to injury, has robbed the Bulls of one of their most creative stars.

The sparklers are likely to have less of an effect this week than had in recent weeks. This is, after all, the Final.

Bulls coach Pote Human was banking on a structured Final, where conservative tactics are the order of the day.

In their last encounter, won 41-31 by the Bulls in Pretoria, the home side outscored their rivals by six tries to five in a thrilling encounter.

But as Finals go, teams almost always tend to take the safety first option.

"I think they'll keep it tight in the first half and use [fly-half] Willem de Waal's boot a lot," Human suggested - a tactic his team is also likely to follow with the educated boot of Derick Hougaard on their side.

However, the effectiveness of any tactics - conservative or expansive - is totally dependent on the quality of the possession a team gets.

The key in finals is the performance of the tight forwards.

And in this regard both teams are just as well equipped as they are in the backlines.

There are many other sideshows that can be thrown into the mix - the fact that the Bulls have already beaten the Cheetahs twice in the Currie Cup year (three times if you include the Super 14, which would make it two Bulls victories in Bloemfontein) or Cheetahs coach Rassie Erasmus' disco light and card show on top of the grand stand roof.

Coaches and players will also talk of discipline, not giving away penalties, taking your limited chances, etc.

But in the end it comes down to desire. Who wants it most? Who is prepared to go the extra yard.

Players to watch:

For the Cheetahs: It is a Final and the key players in these games are in the spine of the team - hooker, lock, No.8, scrum-half, fly-half and fullback. But the real danger men for the Cheetahs are on the wing, Philip Burger, and at flank, Kabamba Floors. If the spine is strong, as it should be, these stars can shine.

For the Blue Bulls: There is no doubt that the spotlight will be on No.8 Pierre Spies - not just because of his recent form, but because of the expectation of something special from a star in the making. Also keep an eye on Derick Hougaard at fly-half and Derick Kuün on the flank.

Head-to-head: Without doubt the battle at No.8, where Ryno van der Merwe (Cheetahs) will challenge Pierre Spies (Blue Bulls) in the ball-carrying stakes. And then look at Willem de Waal (Cheetahs) versus Derick Hougaard (Blue Bulls) in the battle of the boot.

Prediction: This could easily be one of the best finals in decades. These are two teams brimful of talent, but also well balanced outfits. Allround there is very little to choose between the two and the points difference is unlikely to reach double figures. But because we have to make a call, we'll go for the Blue Bulls to sneak it. The Bulls by less than 10 points.
Legendsbet.co.za prediction: The Blue Bulls to win by three points.

Teams:

Vodacom Cheetahs: 15 Bevin Fortuin, 14 Phillip Burger, 13 JW Jonker, 12 Hendrik Meyer, 11 Gavin Passens, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Ryno van der Merwe, 7 Darron Nell, 6 Kabamba Floors, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Rory Duncan, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Richardt Strauss, 1 Ollie le Roux (captain).
Replacements: 16 Jaco du Toit, 17 Wian du Preez, 18 Bian Vermaak, 19 Heinrich Brüssouw, 20 Falie Oelschig, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Gaffie du Toit

Vodacom Blue Bulls: 15 Johan Roets, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JP Nel, 12 Dries Scholtz, 11 Marius Delport, 10 Derick Hougaard, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Derick Kuün, 6 Pedrie Wannenburg, 5 Francois van Schouwenburg, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Rayno Gerber, 2 Gary Botha (captain), 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Danie Thiart, 18 Hottie Louw, 19 Hilton Lobberts, 20 Neil Powell, 21 Morné Steyn, 22 Stefan Basson.

Date: Saturday, 14 October
Venue: Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 16.30 (14.30 GMT)
Conditions: Partly cloudy and warm. High 29°C, low 10°C
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Touch judges: Marius Jonker (KwaZulu Natal), JC Fortuin (Western Province)
Touch judges 4 & 5: Pro Legoete (Golden Lions), Louis Mzomba (Western Province)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (Boland)
Assessor: Dennis Immelman (Western Province)
Timekeeper: Gabriel Pappas (Golden Lions)

By Jan de Koning