As you know, the Crusaders have lost their last three matches in a row but we are probably in the best shape physically and mentally than we have been all season.

Friday night’s match against the Brumbies will be a massive occasion. If we win we are likely to be in the semi-final mix and if we win with a bonus point we are definitely in.

If ever we needed a big crowd to support us it is now. We need all our supporters to get to AMI Stadium on Friday night, kick-off 7.35pm, to cheer us on in the most vocal way possible.

Our best crowd of the season so far was about 23,000 for the round one victory over the Highlanders.

I would like to think that we will comfortably beat that with a crowd in the mid-20,000s against the Brumbies for such an important game.

The crowds have been very good at AMI Stadium this season – certainly they’ve easily been the best in New Zealand for the Rebel Sport Super 14 in 2010.

Our performances haven’t been good enough over the season but we achieved a lot of things in South Africa which will be of great benefit to us and have forced us out of our comfort zones.

The Force result in Perth hurt because it was a match we should have won but we were very flat. We improved a lot in the Stormers match in Cape Town – the intensity was first class, especially in the first half.

The Bulls defeat in Pretoria was obviously disappointing after playing so well and losing in the final seconds but I’ve never seen a more determined team in the changing rooms after a win or a loss as I did last Friday night.

Probably like the rest of the public we have been wondering why it has taken so long for the team to put in a performance like that but I believe we have turned the corner and we have every reason to look forward to this Friday night.

Everyone played very well and there is a buzz about this team. Everyone is fit and well too which is a great bonus at this time of season.

It’s a good thing we are playing the Brumbies because they are in with a chance of making the playoffs too so both teams should play positive, attacking rugby. As it’s winner take all, it should be a great spectacle.

There might have been a few people who watched the Bulls game and wondered about the strange colour of some of the players’ hair.

That was the result of a team kicking competition in Cape Town in the week after the Stormers game.

The losers had to dye their hair – most of the players went for permanent bleach but I have to confess that I was also among the losers and went for a less permanent option.

The colour was ‘fawny brown’ but only a temporary dye. I left half of it on my pillow the next morning and the rest rinsed off in the shower. Well, no one said it had to be permanent! It was a good bit of fun which is not unusual on trips away.

With your help we can have a bit more fun this season!