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'The team knows when it's a full house' - Crusaders hoping for sellout crowd in first home final in a decade

July 30, 2018

Matt Todd says there's nothing better than taking the field and seeing full stands.

The Crusaders are hoping their loyal fan base will turn out in numbers for Saturday's Super Rugby final against the Lions.

All Blacks loose forward Matt Todd told 1 NEWS today the team hopes to get some extra help from the crowd this weekend when they play their first final in Christchurch in 10 years.

"There's nothing better than running out and the stands are full," he said.

"The team certainly notices when it's a full house - that's for sure."

After dominant performances in the quarter-finals against the Sharks (40-10) and semi-finals against the Hurricanes (30-12), the team earned the right to host this year's finale thanks to entering playoffs as the table-toppers from the regular season.

It's the first time the Crusaders have finished the regular season on top of the standings in a decade; 2008 was also the last time the Crusaders hosted a final, beating the Waratahs 20-12 in Christchurch.

Only three players remain in the squad that played that match - Kieran Read, Wyatt Crockett and Tim Bateman.

Todd admitted hosting a final has been a long time coming.

"It's been a hell of a long time," he said.

"As a team, we're rapt to be able to play at home in front of our family."

The Crusaders play the Lions at 7:30pm on Saturday at AMI Stadium.

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