After a season of firsts the NSW Waratahs get a shot at the most important one remaining - a Super 12 championship.

It has taken ten years, five coaches and a host of false starts to get to this point but the Waratahs get their chance when they play title favourites, the Canterbury Crusaders.

The visitors have ticked off the hitherto unticked this year with a competition win against the Queensland Reds, a defeat of the ACT Brumbies in Canberra, nine regular season victories and semifinal success.

Yet the Crusaders present a challenge arguably greater than the sum of what NSW has already achieved.

In their seventh Super 12 final, Canterbury has already claimed four titles.

There's 16 All Blacks in their 22-man squad.

They will play in front of a capacity crowd of 35,700 at Jade Stadium.

Their form is irresistible and they smashed the Hurricanes - who beat NSW in regular season competition - 47-7 in their semifinal.

And local bookies have them at $1.18 favourites, while the Waratahs sit as rank outsiders at $4.50.

But NSW coach Ewen McKenzie said there was no point having an early tickertape parade for the Crusaders because his side rated itself a good chance.

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