The Waratahs will make a protest to SANZAR if the Bulls rest too many players which would effectively be throwing the match - and handing the second Semi-final to their South African counterparts the Stormers.
Bulls captain Victor Matfield revealed that since the Bulls are assured of finishing in first place they will be resting players for this week's match against the Stormers.
The Stormers have to beat the table-topping Bulls in order to stay in the tournament and there has been talk of the Bulls resting as many as thirteen players.
The All Blacks and Springboks pulled players out of the Super 14 and the TriNations in 2007 but SANZAR agreed after that they would not pull their best players again out of the tournament as it harms the product.
If the Bulls do "throw" the match allowing the Stormers to go through it could cost the Waratahs a home semi-final and a potential $600,000 windfall and would not be in the "spirit of the game".
If the second-placed Stormers beat the Bulls, they will deny the third-placed Waratahs the chance to host a semi-final.
There is also speculation that if the Bulls allow the Stormers to host a Semi-final they would avoid a semi-final showdown with the Stormers, preferring to play an Australasian team that would have to travel to South Africa which would work in the Bulls favour.
Waratahs chief executive Jim L'Estrange says that he will raise the issue with SANZAR if the Bulls rested that many players.
Whilst there is no fixed rule which prevents the Bulls from resting players en masse it would damage the integrity of the competition, L'Estrange said.
"I don't know if it's real or not," L'Estrange told the Australian.
"I would expect the Bulls to rest a few players after finishing a tough and tight series, but resting 13 would be a very, very surprising move.
"We would ask SANZAR if it was part and parcel of the competition. Is it in the rules and is it in the spirit of the rules?
"We have to make sure the competition maintains its integrity."
"Spectators, sponsors and broadcasters all expect to see the best players on the field."
The Stormers vs Bulls match in Cape Town has been sold out for weeks and fans would hardly be happy with seeing what could be tantamount to being a fixed match.
As the match is the final match of the fixed season the Stormers (and Bulls) will know exactly how much they would have to win by in order to secure a home semi-final. Just as the Bulls did when they beat the Reds 92-3 in 2007 in the final scheduled match.
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