Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph feels like his team has fooled the rugby community.
The Otago-based side powered their way into next weekend's Super Rugby final against the Hurricanes in Wellington with a five-tries-to-one 35-17 upset of the defending champion Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday night.
The NSW side had 13 internationals in their run-on team compared to the Highlanders' three and Michael Cheika's hard-nosed Sydneysiders were expected by many to remain on track for back-to-back titles.
Eighty-minutes after the Highlanders' pack, who have no internationals, played their Test-laden counterparts off the park, it was deja vu for Joseph.
"You can't say the same story every week," said the Highlanders coach whose side came into match after beating the star-studded Chiefs.
"It's surprising for me ... in many ways it feels like we've fooled the rugby community ... they still don't believe - what else can these guys do."
Joseph's team will enter Saturday's final as underdogs, something the Highlanders coach was quick to ram home.
"The Hurricanes are stacked with All Blacks. They are in form, they've only lost a couple of games," he said.
"It's a big task and we've got to play up there as well, it's as big a task as this one was tonight."
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