And then there were two. After four months of entertaining action in which 90 games have already been played, the Chiefs and Crusaders will do battle for this year’s Super Rugby Pacific title in Hamilton on Saturday.
There is no doubt that these two teams are the best sides left in the competition and they deserve to be contesting the final.
While the Crusaders are renowned for their excellent record in knockout matches, they are up against formidable opponents in the Chiefs, who have played consistently well throughout Super Rugby Pacific 2023.
Clayton McMillan‘s troops hit the ground running at the start of the season when they sealed a 31-10 win over the Crusaders in Christchurch. From there, they went on an amazing 10-match winning run, which included another triumph (34-24) over the Crusaders in the corresponding fixture in Hamilton in Round 10.
The Chiefs eventually suffered a 25-22 loss to the Reds in Round 12 but that was their only blip this season as they bounced back and won their next five matches in the competition, including last weekend’s 19-6 triumph over the Brumbies in a tightly contested semi-final in Hamilton.
By contrast, the Crusaders have suffered four losses so far – apart from those defeats to the Chiefs, they also lost to the Fijian Drua and the Hurricanes – but they are not the masters of play-off rugby for nothing.
Despite a plethora of injuries, they have made it to another final under the guidance of wily head coach Scott Robertson.
With Robertson set to leave his current role to take over the All Blacks’ coaching reins after the Rugby World Cup in France later this year, the champions’ players will be highly motivated to give their coach the perfect send-off as it will mean the Crusaders have been successful at Super Rugby level for each of the competing years since he took charge of the team in 2017.
Team news
Both sides have kept changes to a minimum and have retained the bulk of the players who were on duty during their semi-final victories.
The Chiefs have made just one tweak to their matchday squad with Pita Gus Sowakula coming into the run-on side on the blindside flank at the expense of Samipeni Finau, who will provide support from the replacements bench.
It’s also a huge game for co-captain Sam Cane as he will make his 150th appearance for the Chiefs this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Crusaders welcome back experienced All-Black Sam Whitelock into their second-row, after he was sidelined with an Achilles injury in recent weeks.
The 34-year-old’s return means Quinten Strange is relegated to the bench where he covers lock, while Dom Gardiner, who was the back-up second-row against the Blues last weekend, takes over from Corey Kellow as the replacement back-row.
In the final change on the champions’ bench, George Bell could make his first appearance of the season as he comes in for the injured Brodie McAlister (hamstring) as the reserve hooker.
Where the game will be won
While both teams have caught the eye with their brilliance on the attack throughout the season, they have also shown that their defensive systems have been excellent, and that facet of play could prove decisive in the bigger scheme of things.
In their semi-final triumph over the Brumbies, the Chiefs did well not to concede a try despite being under tremendous pressure – especially during the latter stages of that encounter.
Similarly, the Crusaders were also tested at various stages of their 52-15 semi-final win over the Blues in Christchurch. Although they had too much-attacking firepower for the men from Auckland, there were times when they too were tested but their defensive shape held firm.
They might have conceded two tries in that clash, but it was after they had already secured victory and they will be targeting another strong defensive performance against the Chiefs.
Last time they met
What they said
Veteran scrum-half Brad Weber is set to play his final game for the Chiefs – before joining Top 14 outfit Stade Francais – and is determined to go out on a high, but is bracing himself for a tough challenge against the defending champions.
“To be honest, I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” he said. “I wouldn’t have admitted it yesterday, but I’m pretty happy that the Crusaders got through. They’ve been the benchmark for what feels like all of my career.
“And we want what they’ve got, and what they’ve had. So it’s a bit poetic that we get to have a crack at the champs. If we want to be the best, we’ve got to beat the best, so no better team to test ourselves against and really prove that we deserve to be champs.”
Meanwhile, Crusaders captain Scott Barrett is equally wary of what lies in wait against the Chiefs.
“They’ve set the standard this season the Chiefs, earned the right for that home final,” he said. “It’s going to be a great occasion, what better than to go up there and really challenge them in front of their fans.”
Players to watch
After narrowly missing out on a call-up to New Zealand’s Rugby Championship squad, Shaun Stevenson will be determined to show All Blacks head coach Ian Foster that his omission was a mistake. The Chiefs full-back, who was named as injury cover for Mark Telea, is in outstanding form and has been one of his team’s best performers in Super Rugby Pacific. He is amongst the tournament’s leading try-scorers and has the ability to tear the best defences to shreds with his superb attacking skill set.
Up front, the forward battle will be crucial and one player who will be valuable to the Chief’s cause is star back-row Luke Jacobson, who has caught the eye with several superb individual displays. Whether at number eight or on the flank, Jacobson gets through plenty of work on attack and defence, while he is also a handy option and a valuable source of possession at the back of the lineout.
Also keep an eye on the likes of Brodie Retallick and Samisoni Taukei’aho, who will both be crucial for the Chiefs in the forward exchanges against a solid-looking Crusaders pack. Retallick is one of the Chiefs’ all-time greats, who will be desperate to finish his stint with the team as a Super Rugby Pacific winner before he furthers his career in Japan. His prowess in the lineouts is well documented and he will be hoping to dominate that department, which means Taukei’aho needs to be accurate throughout. The All-Black duo will also be expected to give the home side much-needed momentum with their excellent ball-carrying ability.
For the Crusaders, Braydon Ennor has come to the fore with several outstanding performances this year and he will be at the forefront of their attacking efforts. The outside centre is a strong runner with fine distribution skills, who will be keen to do well with the ball in hand and to bring out the best in his team-mates.
Amongst those teammates are the likes of Leicester Fainga’anuku and Will Jordan, who are amongst the best attackers in the competition and the type of players who can change the course of any match with moments of brilliance. Faina’anuku has been brilliant throughout the season and heads into this weekend’s match as the tournament’s leading try-scorer with 13 scores. He will be keen to increase that tally. Jordan, meanwhile has missed the bulk of the season due to a migraine-related illness but is back to full fitness and is sure to test the Chiefs defence with his attacking runs from the back.
Another player to keep an eye on is young front-row Tamaiti Williams, who has cemented himself in the defending champions’ run-on side this year as he has impressed at the coalface of his team’s forward effort. A strong scrummager, who can pack down on either side of the scrum, the 22-year-old has a high work rate and usually makes a big impact as a ball carrier and on defence. His fine form was rewarded with a maiden call-up to the All Blacks squad and he will be hoping to continue with his excellent form in this fixture.
Main head-to-head
Although there are numerous enticing battles set to take place across the park, none is more alluring than the duel between the All Blacks playmakers Damian McKenzie of the Chiefs and the Crusaders’ Richie Mo’unga. McKenzie returned to the Chiefs this year, after a stint in Japan, and has arguably been the man from Hamilton’s best player as he has shone at full-back and fly-half.
He possesses a vast array of skills and will be crucial for the Chiefs but faces a tough challenge from Mo’unga, who will not lack any motivation to impress as he is also set to leave New Zealand’s shores for a career in Japanese club rugby. While McKenzie has been in superb form throughout the season, Mo’unga took a while to hit his straps but he is currently in excellent form.
Both players have displayed superb game management and playmaking skills while also keeping the scoreboard ticking for their respective teams with impressive goal-kicking. It is not a surprise that they head into the final as the tournament’s leading points-scorers with McKenzie leading the way on 181 points while Mo’unga is just 22 points adrift. Whoever comes out on top in this battle should also finish on the winning side.
Prediction
This is a difficult one as it pits two evenly-matched sides against each other. Although the Chiefs have won both previous encounters between these teams, this is a final and the Crusaders’ track record in play-offs is something which will stand them in good stead and we expect them to come out on top, but by a narrow margin. Crusaders are to win by three points.
Previous results
2023: Chiefs won 34-24 in Hamilton
2023: Chiefs won 31-10 in Christchurch
2022: Crusaders won 34-19 in Hamilton
2022: Chiefs won 24-21 in Christchurch
2021: Crusaders won 24-13 in Christchurch (Super Rugby Aotearoa final)
2021: Chiefs won 26-25 in Hamilton
2021: Crusaders won 39-17 in Christchurch
The teams
Chiefs: 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
Replacements: 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
Crusaders: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Dallas McLeod, 13 Braydon Ennor, 12 Jack Goodhue, 11 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Mitch Drummond, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 7 Tom Christie, 6 Sione Havili Talitui, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Scott Barrett (c), 3 Oli Jager, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams
Replacements: 16 George Bell, 17 Kershawl Sykes-Martin, 18 Reuben O’Neill, 19 Quinten Strange, 20 Dom Gardiner, 21 Willi Heinz, 22 Fergus Burke, 23 Chay Fihaki
Date: Saturday, June 24
Venue: FMG Stadium, Hamilton
Kick-off: 19:05 local (08:05 BST, 07:05 GMT)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Nic Berry (Australia)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
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