The Crusaders arrived in Brisbane ahead of the Super Rugby Final showdown with the Reds - a game that could secure them immortality in the sports annals.
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While the Hollywood moguls will be rubbing their hands in glee for what is already script-ready blockbuster - the greatest Crusade ever - the men from the earthquake-ravaged city of Christchurch are ready to make it a fairytale ending in the final chapter of this extraordinary story.

The Crusaders' All Black Dan Carter, who will go head-to-head with Wallaby and Reds Quade Cooper in one of many encounters they will have at Super Rugby and Test level this year, is adamant the story will not be complete if they don't win the title.

The February earthquake and subsequent aftershocks, which turned the Crusaders into the game's ultimate nomads, are well documented.

And the team has repeatedly stated that every win on the road - even those played in the rural towns of Nelson, Timaru and Napier - are "for the people of Christchurch".

Carter feels they have one last big push inside of them, as they look to put the seal on what some in New Zealand are already describing as an even bigger feat than even winning the World Cup.

"To win this competition would be very special for us after everything we have been through and also for the people back home," Carter said.

"A lot of people are patting us on the back already and telling us we have done well to get this far, but I know this side would not have been happy bumming out in the semifinal.

"After everything we have been through, this just makes us tighter. Everyone would be disappointed if we didn't go all the way – not a lot has to be said."

The Crusaders' arrival in Brisbane was not met with the same fervent welcome they received when touching down in Cape Town last week - before they demolished the Stormers (29-10) in the semifinal in Cape Town.

In fact it was a very low-key welcome in Australia.

With their flight out of Johannesburg delayed they missed their connection to Sydney, meaning the first members of the squad filtered in three hours behind schedule – not that it bothered assistant coach Daryl Gibson.

"We're all feeling a lot better than when we arrived into Johannesburg a week ago. The travel no longer seems to be a burden. We've arrived here on good shape," he said.

The Final, featuring the table-topping and third-placed teams, promises an enthralling conclusion to the inaugural extended Super Rugby season featuring 15 teams - especially given the spectacle the two teams provided at Suncorp during the regular season.

The word "revenge" is not likely to be uttered publicly by a Crusaders player this week but a 17-16 defeat on May 29 after Richie McCaw conceded a controversial last-minute penalty will likely provide added motivation as they strive for a title dedicated to their earthquake-shattered home.

Gibson always suspected the Australian and New Zealand conference winners would meet again.

"We almost knew at the conclusion of that game we'd be back here [in Brisbane] for the final."