The Crusaders are brimming with confidence ahead of their Super14 Semi-final against the Bulls as they feel their high-octane gameplan of the past fortnight is enough to upset the Bulls.

The Crusaders were given Wednesday off after a light run on arrival in Johannesburg as they eye the table-topping Bulls at a sold out, 40,000-capacity Orlando Stadium in Soweto for a place in the final.

The seven time champions expect to name a full-strength strength team which means a largely unchanged team from the one that brushed the Brumbies aside in Christchurch.

Their only concern are minor ankle problems for pivot Dan Carter and prop Ben Franks but the medical staff are expecting both to train tomorrow and are not in doubt according to assistant coach Daryl Gibson.

"Both of them are expected to be right for the game."

Gibson said the Bulls had been the Crusaders' focus since their 35-40 defeat in Pretoria in round 13.

"There's a great deal of confidence around this side and a great deal of belief that we can win this game," Gibson said.

"The guys were very disappointed after the last game against the Bulls, they felt they'd done enough to win it."

"There was a real determination out of the Brumbies game that we wanted to head back and play the Bulls, given the previous result." he told NZPA.

The Crusaders and Bulls know each other well having met last year in the Semi-finals. In that match last year the Bulls won 36-23 and then dismantled the Chiefs in the final.

Gibson said that he and head coach Todd Blackadder can see no reason to try and be clever and change their tactics against the Victor Matfield-led Bulls who have named a full strength team for the Semi-final.

The Bulls will be without Gerhard van den Heever and Bakkies Botha as both were cited and suspended.

"We've tried not to over-think this game too much." he told NZPA.

"The Bulls are a very set team, they do certain things in certain parts of the field and they've got a very good lineout," Gibson said.

"They kick to exert pressure and we think they won't do anything drastically different. Both teams will go in with gameplans largely the same as the last two games. We certainly won't be changing a great deal.

"You saw the Stormers employ similar tactics against them. It's really suiting the style we want to play at the moment, we've got a lot of outside backs who want to get the ball in their hands and run.

"We've got a good front eight to exert pressure in the set piece. It's a formula that's worked well and it's one we'll continue to use."

Gibson said that the Crusaders had stuck with their usual South African routine after the game was shifted to Soweto from the Bulls' home fortress at Loftus Versfeld.

"It's fairly new for both teams playing in Soweto. We talked a few of the locals and they're finding it interesting that an Afrikaaner population is having to travel to Soweto.

"I think the general population find that reasonably funny."

The Bulls trained at Orlando yesterday but the Crusaders will only get their pre-match look at the ground on Friday.

The ground is expected to be perfect for the Crusaders' running game as it has been deemed fit to be a World Cup soccer training venue.

"Everyone tells us that the ground surface is very good, as are the facilities," Gibson said.

The Crusaders have also confirmed they will wear their traditional red and black strip, rather than their silver away strip, because there wouldn't be a clash with the Bulls' blue jersey.

When the Crusaders played in their silver outfits against three of the South African teams they lost all three.