Two games. Two very different tales and we are now 80 minutes from deciding the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific title. The Crusaders and the Chiefs emerged from two very different semi-finals to set-up an all Kiwi showdown in net week’s final.
The Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals served up both ends of the rugby spectrum: one a tense, edge-of-your-seat war of attrition; the other a ruthless display of attacking precision.
The imposing home finals record of the Crusaders will be put to the test by a Chiefs side with one of the most dangerous attacks in the competition.
Crusaders vs Blues
Crusaders
Blues
Christie (23'), Jordan (36', 69')
Tries
Tele'a (10'), Ioane (20')
Reihana (25', 36', 70')
Conversions
Barrett (11', 20')
Heartbreak for the Blues
Friday night in Christchurch delivered what might be the most Crusaders-esque win in their storied history. With the Blues camped on their line for the better part of 10 minutes, 88 gut-wrenching phases deep, it was Will Jordan who rose from the rubble to seal a heart-stopping 21-14 victory.
The Blues threw everything at them. Literally. Eighty-eight phases of crash balls, wide swings, cut-outs, and desperate pick-and-drives. But in the end, it was Will Jordan, who plucked a loose Finlay Christie pass off the turf like a seasoned pickpocket and sealed a spot in yet another final for the red-and-black machine.In front of a pulsing Christchurch crowd and with their line under siege in the 88th minute, the Crusaders did what they’ve always done best, survive.
“It felt like we were defending for hours,” Jordan said after being mobbed by teammates. “I saw the pass pop up, stuck my hands out, and prayed. That’s finals footy.”
The Crusaders had clawed back from 14-0 down after early tries from Mark Tele’a and Rieko Ioane had the Blues purring.
Tom Christie got on the scorevboard with a close-range snipe in the 24th, before Jordan did what Jordan does. The All Blacks star broke the game open for the home side with a superb try in the 36th minute.
From there, it was trench warfare. Ethan Blackadder and Christian Lio-Willie combined for 33 tackles, Rivez Reihana was everywhere, and Scott Barrett led with typical menace.
But it was Jordan again in the 69th minute who dealt the killer blow. Latching onto a subtle wraparound play, he glided through a gap so narrow it practically had to be invented, sealing his second try and sending the Christchurch crowd into rapture.
Despite dominating the stats the Blues failed to score points in a tight second half.
“Credit to them,” said Blues coach Vern Cotter. “They scrambled like mad. We played some great footy but couldn’t land the final punch. That last play will stay with us for a while.”
Scott Barrett called it “the longest defensive set I’ve ever been part of,” while Crusaders coach Rob Penney praised the leadership group for keeping the team composed under pressure: “You can’t coach that. You just hope your guys trust the process. And tonight, they did.”
Dalton Papali’i, visibly gutted, didn’t mince words: “We had them. We know it. We needed one clean ruck, one better decision, and we didn’t get it. That’s the pain of it.”
Chiefs vs Brumbies
Chiefs
Brumbies
Narawa (19', 46'), Jacomb (64')
Tries
Pollard (14'), Toole (34', 43')
McKenzie (20', 47')
Conversions
Lonergan (15')
McKenzie (23', 31', 37', 41', 54', 57')
Penalties
McKenzie Shines at home against the Brumbies
Australia’s last hope, the Brumbies entered the semi-finals clash with the Chiefs full of confidence, after a close win against the Hurricanes at home. No Australian side has won a Super Rugby finals match in the last three decades and the Chiefs were determined to continue that run. Despite opening the scoring through Billy Pollard, the Brumbies played catch-up for the majority of the match.
Damian McKenzie put in another man of the match performance to help the Chiefs bounce back from last week’s shock loss to the Blues at home. The mercurial No.10 had a hand in everything – 158 running metres, 20 kicks, two conversions, six penalties, and fingerprints on nearly every Chiefs try in a dominant 37-17 win.
There were flickers of Brumbies brilliance . Corey Toole’s two tries proved yet again that he’s Australia’s most electric finisher, and Billy Pollard's opening try from a classic maul gave the men from Canberra early bite.
But the rest was all Chiefs.
McKenzie pulls off try-saver of the year
After slotting six penalties and steering the game with his boot, McKenzie delivered the moment of the match — a try-saving tackle in the 61st minute that denied Toole his hat trick. Chasing from the far side, McKenzie got a shoulder in at the last possible second and bundled Toole into touch just five metres out.
“I just put my head down and ran,” McKenzie said. “You see a guy like Tooley in open space, you know it’s do-or-die. I wasn’t letting him through without a fight.”
Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan was full of praise for his fly-half: “That tackle was as good as any try we scored. Damo had the game on a string, and moments like that define seasons.”
The Brumbies winger was full of praise for McKenzie after the fulltime siren. “I’d trade both tries for a win. But credit to McKenzie, that’s why he’s world-class. That tackle was pure guts,” Toole said.
The Brumbies have now lost the last four semi-finals on New Zealand soil and this stung the visitors.
Stephen Larkham was blunt post-match: “We played in patches. And against a side like the Chiefs, that’s not enough. We had a moment with Toole’s break, but McKenzie stopped it. That summed up the difference.”
The Final Countdown: Crusaders vs Chiefs
The Crusaders are set to put their Super Rugby Finals record on the line against the minor premiers next weekend in Christchuch. The Chiefs will never have a better chance to end the drought and will be confident after defeating the home side during the regular season.