Tonight's Super Rugby final at Eden Park has been a long time coming for both the Blues and Highlanders.
For the hosts, 18 years of pain for fans, players and staff could finally come to an end with a new piece of silverware finally added to the trophy cabinet.
It's been nowhere near as long for the Highlanders but the 2015 trophy sits alone at Forsyth Barr Stadium with 1999 the only other time the southerners have had a shot at taking the crown.
While some punters might have their picks heading into the match - including the bookies who have the Blues heavy favourites - Blues coach Leon MacDonald knows better than to let his side embrace that role.
“I think they’ve got that identity around the battlers from down south that nobody rates, and they love that tag,” MacDonald said of the Highlanders.
“It motivates them to get up and get stuck in and prove everybody wrong."
MacDonald said his men can relate after years of frustration saw them fall from the top tier in many fans' eyes.
“I suppose we’ve had that mantle as well a little bit ourselves. We haven’t been rated for a long time and have had to prove ourselves. It’s probably two teams with similar mindsets … there are quite contrasting styles, different strengths, so it’s going to be an intriguing battle.”
Still, on paper they do have plenty of talent to work with tonight - six All Backs in their starting forward pack headlined by the powerhouse loosies trio of Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii and Hoskins Sotutu.
They also have some explosive talent in their backline with Rieko Ioane at the centre of it all.
The Highlanders on the other hand have just three All Blacks in their entire matchday 23 although their impressive season could see those numbers grow with Monday's All Blacks team naming by coach Ian Foster.
They also have standout Kazuki Himeno donning the No.8 jersey after the Brave Blossom earned the Super Rugby Aotearoa rookie of the year award this season.
Dixon will earn his 100th cap when his team play the Blues for the trans-Tasman final. (Source: Other)
Still, Highlanders coach Clarke Dermody knows how the match-up looks.
“The Blues are a good team,” Dermody said on Thursday. “They've earnt a home final for a reason.
“They were controlling their own destiny the whole way. I guess the key to beating them is just executing our own game plan.
“We know how they are going to play. They’ve openly stated that they've changed their tactics, and I’m pretty sure they are going to stick to that."
Both finalists enter the match unbeaten in the Trans-Tasman competition, only separated on the ladder by points differential.
The Highlanders took the win over the Blues in their last encounter, winning 35-29 in Dunedin in mid-April, but the hosts won the last match between the two sides at Eden Park, 39-17, in March.
Teams
BLU: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 TJ Faiane, 11 Mark Telea, 10 Otere Black, 9 Finlay Christie; 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Patrick Tuipulotu, 4 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Kurt Eklund, 1. Alex Hodgman.
Reserves: 16 Ray Niuia, 17 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Josh Goodhue, 20 Blake Gibson, 21 Jonathan Ruru, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 AJ Lam.
HIG: 15 Josh Ioane, 14 Patelesio Tomkinson, 13 Michael Collins, 12 Scott Gregory, 11 Jona Nareki, 10 Mitch Hunt, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Billy Harmon, 6 Hugh Renton, 5 Bryn Evans, 4 Pari Pari Parkinson, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Ash Dixon, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Reserves: 16 Liam Coltman, 17 Ayden Johnstone, 18 Josh Hohneck, 19 Josh Dickson, 20 James Lentjes, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Sam Gilbert, 23 Teariki Ben-Nicholas.
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