Crusaders coach Scott Robertson believes the challenge of winning a Super Rugby title in South Africa is as good as it gets.
The two best teams in the competition will square off on Sunday morning (NZT) when the table-topping Lions of the African conference host the New Zealand conference champions, the Crusaders.
Robertson said beating the Lions at home is a tough challenge but one his side will thrive in.
"It's a great opportunity for us to come here and get the job done against an extremely good Lions team that is riding a pretty big wave at the moment," Robertson told Newshub on arrival in Johannesburg.
"It's a tough place to come but we love the challenge.
"We wouldn't want it any other way given the weather at home. We will enjoy the week and embrace the situation."
Robertson doesn't believe the hectic travel schedule will dent the Crusaders' title hopes.
The players and staff didn't sleep post their win over the Chiefs on Saturday night; the group stayed together and watched the Lions tame the Hurricanes in the early hours of Sunday morning before arriving at Christchurch airport by 5am to catch a flight to Sydney.
A 13-hour flight from Sydney to South Africa had the team arriving on Sunday night local time giving them plenty of time to formulate a winning strategy for the final.
"We have a full week to prepare as we normally would.
"The biggest thing for us is recovery. We need to make sure we get everything right.
"We will have a spike in training intensity on Thursday to get used to breathing hard with the light air here. We just want to cruise into the game and get our mindset right."
The Crusaders are no strangers to traveling for Super Rugby titles having beaten the Blues, Highlanders and Brumbies in consecutive years, away from home, to claim their first three championships.
And they are willing to take all the help they can get in order to get the job done again in 2017.
"We have fired a couple of texts back and forward between the Hurricanes coaches to see what the learnt out of it.
"Let's just say they gave us their best wishes."
A win over the Lions would give the Crusaders their first Super Rugby crown since 2008.
Newshub.
