Chiefs charge into Super Rugby Pacific final with cleansing rout of Crusaders
Friday, 12 June 2026
The Chiefs scored 42 first-half points to rout the Crusaders and march into next weekend’s Super Rugby Pacific final.
It will be the fifth decider in six seasons for the Chiefs in pursuit of their first title since 2013.
Rob Penney’s last match as Crusaders coach finished with a record loss and ended their title defence.
At Waikato Stadium, Hamilton: Chiefs 49 (Kyren Taumoefolau 11’, 14’, Isaac Hutchinson 20’, Samisoni Taukei’aho 24’, Leroy Carter 30’, Tupou Vaa’i 33’, Xavier Roe 79’ tries; Damian McKenzie 7 con) Crusaders 12 (Chay Fihaki 26’, David Havili 63’ tries; Rivez Reihana con). HT: 42-5. Yellow card: Liam Coombes-Fabling (Chiefs).
Chiefs coach Jono Gibbes doesn’t give the Blues much chance after proclaiming that he expects his team to face the Hurricanes in next weekend’s Super Rugby Pacific final.
The Blues still have to play the Canes in Wellington for a place in the decider after the Chiefs crushed the Crusaders 49-12 in Friday night’s incredible semifinal in Hamilton.
Gibbes quite bluntly admitted after his side’s sensational performance that the capital was their likely destination and appeared to write off the Blues altogether.
He was wanting to stress it was time to savour the milestone of Damian McKenzie’s 150th appearance. They had also booked their return to a fifth final in six years after scoring 42 first-half points before a spellbound full house at Waikato Stadium.
“Then we switch over, we get going, and we get excited about a pretty awesome opportunity next week in Wellington,” Gibbes said.
He was asked to clarify the comment which came before the second semifinal between the Hurricanes and the Blues on Saturday night. The hosts are heavily favoured to win.
“I think the Hurricanes are playing good rugby,” Gibbes said. “I think on the past month, even you'd suggest that it will be the Hurricanes.”
The Blues have been awful with four consecutive defeats and only made the last four as the playoffs’ “lucky losers”. Clark Laidlaw’s Hurricanes, on the other hand, finished top in the regular season and have been in scintillating form, eyeing their first title since 2016.
How Vern Cotter’s men interpret what Gibbes said will be interesting as they aim to defy expectations and return to the final after their 2024 title success.
If the Blues were to upset the red-hot Hurricanes, the Chiefs would host them in the final in Hamilton. Wouldn’t that be something?
The Chiefs’ dreams have been shattered with painful regularity by the Crusaders after their last title in 2013.
The script flipped in remarkable fashion in their stupefying semifinal as the reigning champions from Christchurch fell to their heaviest defeat in Super Rugby history.
Still, the Chiefs need to take the next step, the hardest of all, to end their drought, a leap they never took under Clayton McMillan.
All Blacks midfielder Quinn Tupaea led their assault with powerful surges, steals and although an ankle knock brought him off in the 55th minute, his job was done.
The Crusaders were idle in defence and grasping thin air as Chiefs players zipped past on a crisp, chilly night.
The pain of their five playoff losses to the red and blacks since 2017 was motivation enough. Few could have predicted what unfolded in Hamilton.
Conditions were perfect to play. The visitors, however, were rotten in the first half and also lost their converted openside flanker, Leicester Fainga’anuku, to an ankle injury.
It was a poor farewell for departing coach Rob Penney after their redemptive title last year. Missing a mountain of tackles was unacceptable and spelled an end to any hope of their ninth title in 10 seasons.
The absence of Will Jordan at fullback has limited their attacking threat, but it was their defence that crumbled as Penney’s three seasons finished with an embarrassing loss.
Crusaders winger Sevu Reece, another servant exiting, showed glimpses with the odd dash but could do little about his side’s malaise.
Playmaker McKenzie and halfback Cortez Ratima were rampaging around as the Chiefs sliced through. Wallabies midfielder Lalakai Foketi was a calm presence in the carnage with measured passes and line breaks to unleash their pace out wide.
Even loose forward Luke Jacobson strolled past Crusaders lock Antonio Shalfoon with one 20-metre carry, emblematic of the visitors’ lethargy. It set the tone.
The Chiefs were ruthless and while they slowed up in the second half, this cleansing result was settled.
The sellout crowd of more than 22,000 was in utter disbelief as they stormed into an astonishing 28-0 lead inside 24 minutes.
The only blight in the home side’s devastating onslaught was the departure of electric young fullback Isaac Hutchinson.
He hobbled off after scoring, then his replacement, All Blacks winger Leroy Carter, was over for another try to seemingly dismiss concerns about his hamstring, although he was replaced in the final minutes when Ratima was shoved to the wing in an awkward reshuffle.
The Chiefs were coming from everywhere. Everything was coming off. Liam Coombes-Fabling’s expert chip and chase gave Tupou Vaa’i their sixth try before half-time. Everyone was rubbing their eyes.
It was 42-5.
Coombes-Fabling, who was sinbinned late on, was excellent in his scrambling defence as the Crusaders inevitably fought back for some respectability in the second half.
However, they were sloppy from the moment halfback Noah Hotham tossed two passes to the turf in the opening minutes.
The Chiefs’ weight of pressure told when flying winger Kyren Taumoefolau notched an early double, his second from McKenzie’s jabbed kick he nudged ahead before a smart finish.
He made it look easy. It certainly wasn’t because of the volume of Crusaders bodies.
The hosts were spinning gold from each attack. They also muscled over with hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho in exhibiting their physical dominance. Their scrum and lineout was equally assured to complement their riveting running game.
The Crusaders took their solitary chance in the chaos of the first stanza. Chay Fihaki dashed away from Taha Kemara’s break, although the first five-eighth was hooked in the second half after an indifferent night.
They kept kicking the ball away to the Chiefs, who ran it back with unbridled glee to the excitement of their delirious home crowd.
The Crusaders twice could have scored after half-time when scarred Chiefs fans might have been fearing an improbable comeback.
However, Braydon Ennor and Christian Lio-Willie were denied. The Chiefs kept them out but for David Havili’s consolation.
The hosts fittingly had the final say when replacement halfback Xavier Roe touched down to crown their first playoff win over the Crusaders since 2013. It was overdue.