It all revolves around timing. You can cough and splutter for weeks on end, but as long as you get it together at the right time of the year, boast a clean bill of health when it really matters, anything is possible.

After an eternity where the Waratahs have looked so off, so short of where they were 12 months ago there are at last signs they can successfully defend their title. In the past few weeks, the Waratahs' money men have started to get their act together, in particular their No 1 draw card Israel Folau, who is striding into semi-final territory after two of his best performances in recent time.

For most of the tournament. Folau has been dormant, either not used well by his insecure teammates or seemingly off colour. It is only in the last few weeks that the Test fullback has been back to his characteristic pugnacious self, wanting to be seen, wanting to make the critical midfield break, while also making all the important saves in the last line of defence. He is one of the few Australian players who has that ability to transform a game, as shown against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein with a three-try triumph, and the Reds on the weekend when he enlivened a match which was so tedious and mistake-ridden early on that it threatened to finish right up its own backside.

As well the workers have picked up their shovels again. Even though Jacques Potgieter has been nowhere near as devastating force as he was in 2014, he is at least again being sighted, smashing opponents at the breakdown, while there is no more diligent worker than their captain Dave Dennis, who is close to the form second-rower among the Australian provinces. And Will Skelton has reemerged from his suspension-inflicted break at exactly the right time.

The Waratahs have found form just in time for the finals © Getty Images

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While fly-half Bernard Foley must improve his consistency, as he has struggled all season to play two good games in a row, the Waratahs also showed they can live without Kurtley Beale, who missed the Reds match because of a quadriceps problem. Beale has been way off his game all season, too often appearing to be distracted, and Matt Carraro proved a far more reliable midfielder on the weekend. So if Beale remains on the sideline, it will not be the end of the world for the Waratahs.

Fortune must also be working in your favour. In the case of all six teams, which made the finals, luck is already going their way, because the most dangerous team in the whole competition won't be there.

The Crusaders missed out on the sixth final spot, due to the competition rule that each country must have at least one team in the finals. The Stormers finished one point behind the Crusaders, but go through as they topped a pretty average South African province.

The New Zealand conference was easily the strongest, and as shown by the Crusaders against the Brumbies on Saturday when they obliterated them in so many areas of the game, the Kiwis could have easily fielded four teams in the finals - all of which boasting a good chance of winning the title - and not be passengers. And Crusaders at finals time are the most impenetrable forces, especially with such experienced finals masters as Daniel Carter, Richie McCaw and Kieran Reid acting as the best of tour guides.

While the Crusaders were the victims of too many poor days early on in the tournament, they were also treated poorly. Their round 15 encounter against the Waratahs in Sydney could have ended up completely different if referee Marius van der Westhuizen had been harsher on Skelton and Tolu Latu after they dangerously dumped Sam Whitelock in a tackle. Latu received just ten minutes in the bin, which was far too lenient. Instead Latu should have been sent off, and Skelton at least sent to the sinbin. The SANZAR judiciary shortly after citing them and handing them substantial suspensions confirmed this. If the Crusaders had the luxury of an extra player for 65 minutes rather than just 10, a loss to the Waratahs could have transformed into a victory, which would have got them into the finals.

As for the Brumbies, for them to progress any further than next week's qualifying final against the Stormers they must show they have alternate ways to score - instead of relying almost exclusively from rolling mauls emanating from lineout victories close to the opposition line. Sure, the Brumbies are scoring plenty of tries using that process, but it is still such a gross waste of all the backline talent out sitting there just waiting for a chance to do something.