The Lions are no longer just the pride of Johannesburg and the laughing stock of South African rugby; they carry the hopes of the nation.As a result of their 42-30 Super Rugby semifinal win against the Highlanders at Ellis Park yesterday, the Lions qualified for their first Super Rugby final since 1995 when the tournament had 10 teams and was still amateur.Because of the Hurricanes finishing with more points and winning both their home play-offs against the Sharks and the Chiefs, the Lions face the arduous trans-Indian Ocean flight for Saturday's final at the Westpac Stadium.However, the Lions may sleep easy knowing that the Hurricanes have a tendency of bottling big finals at home.That was the case last year when the Hurricanes were far and away the best team in the competition, only to lose their nerve against the Highlanders in the final.Had the Lions taken a full-strength team to Argentina to face the Jaguares on July 16 and won, they would have been hosting the final instead of travelling.The 34-22 loss with a second-string team meant the Hurricanes finished top in the conference stage.However, the mark of true champions is their ability to win regardless of the odds and the challenges that stand in their way.After all, the most successful Super Rugby team, the Crusaders, won the first three of their seven titles away from home at the turn of the millennium. Those finals were in Auckland, Dunedin and Canberra respectively.The Lions have a special set of challenges and the massive albatross of no South African Super Rugby team having won a play-off game, let alone a final in New Zealand.Twice the Sharks failed, but this is a different Lions team with nothing to lose and everything to prove.Wellington and its ferocious winds await...