With confirmation that Saturday's Super Rugby Pacific final between the Chiefs and Crusaders in Hamilton is a sellout, Clayton McMillan had one message for those attending - bring the noise.
Organisers confirmed yesterday this year's final will be played in front of a sold out crowd at Waikato Stadium with the Chiefs managing to hold on to home advantage after grinding out hard-fought wins in the quarter-finals and semis.
It'll be the first time Hamilton has hosted a final in 10 years although the last time it did it was successful with the Chiefs winning the 2013 final against the Brumbies.
McMillan hopes, with the crowds help, they can replicate those scenes this weekend against the Crusaders.
"The cowbells won't be the difference, but they will certainly make a difference," McMillan said.
"It's not a pleasant experience going down to Christchurch in the middle of winter being on the end of their parochialism.
"But I've also experienced what it's like here when the cowbells are ringing, and 25,000 people are vocal getting behind the team.
"We're going to need them in their colours, loud and proud, and making sure the opposition understands that they're a long way away from home and it's our backyard."
McMillan has made one change to his matchday 23 that beat the Brumbies for the final, making the interesting decision to start departing loosie Pita Gus Sowakula over All Blacks bolter Samipeni Finau at blindside flanker.
Sowakula's promotion sees Finau drop to the bench where McMillan expects him to make an impact.
"Obviously, it's been a big week for Samipeni [but] it's an opportunity off the bench to bring that energy, which will be good," he said.
"But also Pita Gus has played well, he's got experience, and it's his last game in the Chiefs jersey, and we often talk about how much we care about people.
"One way of showing that is giving a person like that, who has been a great servant for the Chiefs, an opportunity to run him out as a starter."
That care has also been given to other departing Chiefs including co-captain Brad Weber at halfback and powerhouse lock Brodie Retallick.
There's also added emotion for the match with it being Sam Cane's 150th for the team - the second player to reach the club milestone after Liam Messam.
Despite all the added significance, McMillan said the players have driven a team-first mentality.
"Have an open, honest conversation about how they want that to unfold themselves over the weekend," he said.
"As you can imagine, they all sort of came back and said 'we don't want it to be about us, we want it to be about the team'.
"And to be fair, very little has been said about the departing players. Sam's milestone of playing 150 games, that stuff has all taken a backseat to the great team opportunity that's in front of us."
Chiefs team to play the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Pacific final at Waikato Stadium on Saturday, kick-off 7.05pm, is: 15. Shaun Stevenson, 14. Emoni Narawa, 13. Alex Nankivell, 12. Anton Lienert-Brown, 11. Etene Nanai-Seturo, 10. Damian McKenzie, 9. Brad Weber [CC], 8. Luke Jacobson, 7. Sam Cane [CC], 6. Pita Gus Sowakula, 5. Tupou Vaa'i, 4. Brodie Retallick, 3. George Dyer, 2. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 1. Aidan Ross. Reserves: 16. Tyrone Thompson, 17. Ollie Norris, 18. John Ryan, 19. Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20. Samipeni Finau, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Josh Ioane, 23. Rameka Poihipi.
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