Chiefs are top of the class as Blues save their best for last

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2 days ago

Analysis: The Chiefs will be joined in the Super Rugby playoffs by fellow Kiwi sides the Crusaders, Hurricanes and Blues and all four hit form at the weekend, writes Patrick McKendry.
There was an end-of-term feel to the final round of the Super Rugby Pacific season, with Moana Pasifika, the Waratahs and Fijian Drua failing fast, the Crusaders showing attention to detail in holding off the Brumbies in Canberra, and the Chiefs predictably coming top of the class.
Credit should go to the Highlanders - their squad becoming thinner by the week - for showing starch in their final match of the season, but Clayton McMillan's men deserved to retain the top seed for the playoffs and their 41-24 victory, plus the Blues' 46-6 win over the Waratahs at Eden Park, puts the northern rivals into one of the three qualifying finals.
The Chiefs will be heavy favourites to win the match at Waikato Stadium on Saturday night and they will be planning something special in the so-called battle of State Highway 1 after the Blues beat them in last year's grand final.
The Blues, though, will feel they have at least built some momentum after having too much for an injury-hit Waratahs last night, with Rieko Ioane scoring a hat-trick of tries.
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Indeed, one of the aspects of the victory that may please head coach Vern Cotter the most near the end of a season in which his attack has struggled to fire is that the Blues' backs scored six of their team's seven tries.
Unfortunately for the Waratahs, their attack never fired and neither – consistently, anyway - did Moana Pasifika's in Wellington last night.
That was a win for the defensive capabilities of both the Blues and Hurricanes, the latter appearing almost irresistible in thrashing Moana Pasifika 64-12.
Their reward is a qualifying final against the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night.
Moana Pasifika have been one of the feelgood stories of the competition this year, and their season should not be defined by this result or the collapse a week earlier against the Chiefs in Hamilton.
Moana skipper Ardie Savea signs autographs for fans at the Cake Tin. (Source: Photosport)
They have relied on their close connections to get this far – they won a franchise-record six games this season (the same as the Blues) and beat the Hurricanes, Crusaders (in Christchurch), Highlanders (in Dunedin) and Blues – so it was probably not surprising that their inspirational skipper Ardie Savea, Super Rugby's player of the year, was almost overcome with emotion in a Sky TV interview straight after their defeat at the Cake Tin.
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'Everyone doubted us but God believed in us,' Savea said.
'These boys came together. We brought people together. I've come home – it's a special place for me with the Moana fans and the Hurricanes fans. It means so much to me and it's close to my heart.
'For these boys to come here and do something for New Zealand rugby and the Super Rugby competition is a blessing in itself.
'We're not satisfied. Our goal was to win the thing and make the top six. That wasn't meant to be. Also, you've got to give credit to Doops [Hurricanes' skipper Du'Plessis Kirifi] and his team. They are quality men and a quality team and I hope they go all the way and win the comp.'
For his part, Kirifi, the loose forward who again performed impressively at the breakdown and won two penalty turnovers in a row at one point, continued his record of speaking extremely eloquently in post-match television interviews.
Bleeding from his right ear, Kirifi said: 'I do want to acknowledge Moana Pasifika and the season that they've had and the inspiration and excitement they've brought to our competition.
'You can see now the amount of fans and people who are behind them and what that means to rugby in New Zealand.
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'Whether people were here tonight to support us or Moana, it doesn't matter. It's good for New Zealand rugby [as is] the brand of rugby they play. The values they represent are things we all have in common.'
Du'Plessis Kirifi on the charge for the Hurricanes against Moana Pasifika. (Source: Photosport)
As for the Crusaders, a franchise that has come to be recognised as the competition's prime over-achiever that had a year to forget in 2024, a mixture of physicality, good decision-making and a last-ditch tackle by Scott Barrett on wing Corey Toole in the final minutes got them home in Canberra to finish second on the table.
Their prize is a home qualifier against the Reds rather than a potentially far tougher match against the Hurricanes. The Reds sewn up fifth place after they thrashed the Fijian Drua 52-7 in Brisbane.
Finishing as high up the table as possible has extra benefits this year because of the inaugural 'lucky loser' concept.
The highest-ranked loser in the playoffs gets a second life and will progress to the semifinals (while losing a seeding place).
Should the first weekend of finals go to form, the Chiefs and Crusaders will beat the Blues and Reds respectively.
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Should the Brumbies lose to the Hurricanes, who have already beaten them this year, they will still make a semifinal.
In the above scenario, the Chiefs will host the Brumbies and the Crusaders will host the Hurricanes in the semifinals.
Alternatively, should the Hurricanes lose, they will face the Chiefs in Hamilton and the Brumbies will play the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Super Rugby Pacific playoffs draw
Crusaders v Reds, Christchurch, Friday – kick-off 7.05pm.
Chiefs v Blues, Hamilton, Saturday – kick-off 7.05pm.
Brumbies v Hurricanes, Canberra, Saturday – kick-off 9.40pm.