'It's our time': Settled Chiefs make only one change for Super Rugby ...

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Brodie Retallick celebrating his try in the Chiefs’ semifinal win over the Brumbies.

Super Rugby Pacific final: Chiefs v Crusaders. Where: FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton. When: 7.05pm, Saturday. Coverage: Live on Sky Sport, live updates on Stuff from 6.45pm.

The Chiefs feel they’re on the verge of taking their last leap to glory after a decade of falling short at the final hurdle.

On Thursday, Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan went through the formalities of naming an unchanged 23 for Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific final against the Crusaders in Hamilton, with one positional switch that sees Pita Gus Sowakula start ahead of new All Black Samipeni Finau at blindside flanker.

McMillan said he wanted Finau to bring his energy off the bench after his “big week” and Sowakula would start his final Chiefs match because “he’s been a great servant who has always played well and has good experience”.

The Chiefs have largely avoided the injury bug that has beset their line-ups in previous seasons and consistently maintained a pool of players which has them on the brink of their first title since 2013.

Andy Jackson

Clayton McMillan’s Chiefs finished top of the standings and host Saturday’s final.

“We’ve had cohesion with the coaching group and our staff who have been together for a long time, at least the last two or three years,” McMillan said.

“We've had some learned experiences, the maturity of this group has grown, and we feel like it's our time.”

Thursday’s media session at their Ruakura training base was low-key and sheltered from heavy rain, but there was an undeniable excitement around the gym as players prepared for their last full session before the Chiefs’ biggest game in 10 years.

Co-captain Sam Cane, one of the title winners of 2012 and 2013, will play his 150th Chiefs match in the final, although there won’t be much focus on that milestone in a week he said had been “relaxing and enjoyable”.

McMillan’s men topped the standings in the regular season, losing only once in 14 matches.

They earned hosting rights for the playoffs, which might be the difference on Saturday night when about 25,000 fans are expected to fill FMG Stadium Waikato, yearning for an occasion to savour against the competition’s kings, the Crusaders.

Andy Jackson/Getty Images

Samipeni Finau has been replaced as the starting No 6 by Pita Gus Sowakula.

Tickets were sold out within a few hours of going on public sale on Wednesday.

“That’s massive,” McMillan said.

Since winning their two titles with Dave Rennie in 2012 and 2013, the playoff pain the Chiefs have suffered has been on the road, with losses in quarterfinals, semifinals and one final.

Yes, the latter was a 24-13 loss against the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Aotearoa decider of 2021. A year later, in Super Rugby Pacific, the Chiefs went down 20-7 in a semifinal to Scott Robertson’s Crusaders where they had opportunities but fumbled them.

That was how McMillan’s first two seasons as Chiefs coach ended – with defeats in Christchurch – although they will have belief after twice beating the Crusaders home and away this year.

“It’s not always been pleasant going to Christchurch in the middle of winter and facing their parochialism,” McMillan said.

“But I've also experienced what it's like here.

“When the cowbells are ringing and 25,000 are vocal getting behind the team, we're going to need them to be in our colours, loud and proud, making sure the opposition understand they're a long way from home.

“The cowbells won't be the difference, but they'll certainly make a difference.”

The Chiefs survived almighty tests in their quarterfinal and semifinal victories over the Reds and the Brumbies respectively.

They needed late tries in both and are acutely aware of their opponent’s phenomenal playoffs record under Robertson, whose final match of a dynasty will be in Hamilton.

It’s been six titles in six seasons.

Despite an injury crisis throughout the season, the manner in which they destroyed the Blues 52-15 in last Friday night’s semifinal was formidable and emphatic evidence of why they’ve been the masters of the playoffs.

“I imagine they take some confidence from a legacy of stepping up on the big stage,” McMillan said.

“There’s no point denying it. It is what it is, but we certainly don't fear it.

“We think we've got a chance to make a legacy for ourselves.”

Chiefs: Shaun Stevenson, Emoni Narawa, Alex Nankivell, Anton Lienert-Brown, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Damian McKenzie, Brad Weber (co-capt), Luke Jacobson, Sam Cane (co-capt), Pita Gus Sowakula, Tupou Vaa’i, Brodie Retallick, George Dyer, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Tyrone Thompson, Ollie Norris, John Ryan, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Samipeni Finau, Cortez Ratima, Josh Ioane, Rameka Poihipi.

Crusaders: Will Jordan, Dallas McLeod, Braydon Ennor, Jack Goodhue, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Richie Mo’unga, Mitch Drummond, Christian Lio-Willie, Tom Christie, Sione Havili Talitui, Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett (capt), Oli Jager, Codie Taylor, Tamaiti Williams. Reserves: George Bell, Kershawl Sykes-Martin, Reuben O’Neill, Quinten Strange, Dom Gardiner, Willi Heinz, Fergus Burke, Chay Fihaki.