That, he says, is nonsense – the anxiety will never go away.

Despite being the most-capped All Black ever, appearing in three World Cups and making 129 appearances for the Crusaders, the 33-year-old breakaway still finds himself burning off nervous energy before crucial matches such as Saturday night's Super Rugby grand final against the Waratahs in Sydney.

''Yeah, definitely. It is a good sort of nerves, though,'' McCaw said.

''These are the moments that you want to be involved in and games you want to play in. You go through all the hard work for three, four or five months to give yourselves a shot at this game.

''From a personal point of view, you want to go out [and] play well for the team to give yourself a chance.''

McCaw, who is expected to start at No.6 again to allow Matt Todd to stay at openside, is aware of what is required to give his team the opportunity to win an eighth title.

Since his debut in 2001, he has played in seven grand finals and won four of them.

When the Crusaders last won a title in 2008, McCaw was the captain. Now Kieran Read is the side's leader, having been appointed to the role at the start of last season.

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder is unlikely to make any changes to his side, which will be named when the players are in Sydney on Thursday.

McCaw has made just eight appearances this season. He broke his thumb early in the campaign, then suffered a fractured rib while leading the All Blacks against England last month.

After a month's rest to heal, McCaw was welcomed back for last weekend's semi-final against the Sharks by a teammate who accidentally stepped on his face, and opened up a wound near the eye, in the warm-ups.

Rather than let the injury distract him, McCaw played like a man possessed. His combination with Todd proved instrumental in the Crusaders' loose-forward unit playing a key role in the 38-6 win over the Sharks at AMI Stadium.

Now the Crusaders are in the unusual situation of having to face a Waratahs side they never played in the regular season.

''It is a little bit different, you haven't got the past experience of it,'' McCaw said. ''The coaches do a fair bit of that [analysing the Waratahs] and most of us, over this week, will have a bit of a look at it.

''It's more understanding that if you give them ball with space, they are a team that want to have a crack and have got some playmakers that do that. We just have to make sure we limit that.''

Talented fetcher Michael Hooper and blindside breakaway Stephen Hoiles, along with No.8 Wycliff Palu, will be matched against the Crusaders back row of Read, McCaw and Todd but it is the Waratahs back line where the Crusaders are expecting more of the ball-running action.

While the Sharks refused to go outside their mindset of, largely, kick first and ask questions with the ball later, McCaw expects the Australians to utilise strike attackers such as Israel Folau, Rob Horne, Alofa Alofa, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Kurtley Beale.

"That just comes down to pressure,'' McCaw said in reference to shutting down the Waratahs' backs.

''We have got to make sure we don't give them space and put the pressure on them. You allow them to get their tails up and confidence because of what they have done all year, they will be a tough animal.''

Fairfax New Zealand