'Outstanding' Chiefs continue Aussie Super hoodoo in NZ

The Advertiser

12 hours ago

Australia's wait for a Super Rugby Pacific finals winner in New Zealand continues after the ACT Brumbies crashed 37-17 to the Chiefs in Hamilton, with playmaker Noah Lolesio an early casualty.
Playing in their fourth successive semi-final, the gallant Brumbies again missed a grand final berth while the Chiefs will play in their third straight title decider, taking on the Crusaders next Saturday.
No Australian team have ever won a final across the Tasman, with the Brumbies following Queensland out of the competition after the Reds were beaten by the Crusaders in the qualifying final.
Skipper Allan Alaalatoa lamented another finals four exit for his team.
"What we spoke about all week is that we had to play close to a perfect game to come out here and get the result, and, yeah, we probably saw there in the second half that accuracy let us down, and off the back of that probably our discipline as well," the Wallabies prop said.
While it was three tries a piece, penalties proved a killer for the visitors, who tallied 11 to the Chiefs' seven.
All Blacks sharp-shooter Damian McKenzie booted six penalty goals as well as two conversions and set up the Chiefs' third try in a starring performance.
The flyhalf also pulled off a miracle tackle in the 65th minute, getting his hand under the ball to deny a Brumbies fullback Tom Wright a certain try to stall any chance of a fightback.
The Brumbies' quest to end a 0-20 record suffered a major setback with Wallabies No.10 Lolesio departing just 10 minutes in after an accidental head-knock while making a tackle.
His replacement, Jack Debreczeni, who has hardly played this Super season, did an admirable job but the Brumbies still missed their chief playmaker, who is shifting his career to Japan.
The Canberra outfit were well in the hunt at halftime, only trailing 19-12, with hooker Billy Pollard rumbling across and winger Corey Toole scoring the first of his two tries off a Debreczeni cross-field kick.
The home side's points came from Emoni Narawa with the winger catching the defence offside with a quick pick and go.
But the Brumbies' penalty count was already double the Chiefs, including one after the halftime hooter which McKenzie slotted.
While the Brumbies scored first in the second half, with Toole bumping off McKenzie en route to a brilliant individual try to get within two, Narawa hit straight back for his second.
The ACT side were unable to add to their tally while two McKenzie penalties and the No.10 offloading to Josh Jacomb sealed a dominant win.
Because they lost their qualifying final to the Blues, the table-topping Chiefs must play the grand final in Christchurch, with the Crusaders beating the Blues 21-14 in the other semi-final.
The Chiefs last faced the Crusaders in the 2023 grand final, losing 25-20, after also beating the Brumbies in the semis.
McKenzie praised his team's composure to again put the leading Australian side to the sword.
"Outstanding performance from the lads," he said.
"Brumbies come out of the box fast, like we knew they would, and just loved the way we were really composed to stick to our game.
"It's never easy playing the Brumbies boys, they've been outstanding all year so to come away with that one and obviously get ourselves into a final, I'm stoked."
Australia's wait for a Super Rugby Pacific finals winner in New Zealand continues after the ACT Brumbies crashed 37-17 to the Chiefs in Hamilton, with playmaker Noah Lolesio an early casualty.
Playing in their fourth successive semi-final, the gallant Brumbies again missed a grand final berth while the Chiefs will play in their third straight title decider, taking on the Crusaders next Saturday.
No Australian team have ever won a final across the Tasman, with the Brumbies following Queensland out of the competition after the Reds were beaten by the Crusaders in the qualifying final.
Skipper Allan Alaalatoa lamented another finals four exit for his team.
"What we spoke about all week is that we had to play close to a perfect game to come out here and get the result, and, yeah, we probably saw there in the second half that accuracy let us down, and off the back of that probably our discipline as well," the Wallabies prop said.
While it was three tries a piece, penalties proved a killer for the visitors, who tallied 11 to the Chiefs' seven.
All Blacks sharp-shooter Damian McKenzie booted six penalty goals as well as two conversions and set up the Chiefs' third try in a starring performance.
The flyhalf also pulled off a miracle tackle in the 65th minute, getting his hand under the ball to deny a Brumbies fullback Tom Wright a certain try to stall any chance of a fightback.
The Brumbies' quest to end a 0-20 record suffered a major setback with Wallabies No.10 Lolesio departing just 10 minutes in after an accidental head-knock while making a tackle.
His replacement, Jack Debreczeni, who has hardly played this Super season, did an admirable job but the Brumbies still missed their chief playmaker, who is shifting his career to Japan.
The Canberra outfit were well in the hunt at halftime, only trailing 19-12, with hooker Billy Pollard rumbling across and winger Corey Toole scoring the first of his two tries off a Debreczeni cross-field kick.
The home side's points came from Emoni Narawa with the winger catching the defence offside with a quick pick and go.
But the Brumbies' penalty count was already double the Chiefs, including one after the halftime hooter which McKenzie slotted.
While the Brumbies scored first in the second half, with Toole bumping off McKenzie en route to a brilliant individual try to get within two, Narawa hit straight back for his second.
The ACT side were unable to add to their tally while two McKenzie penalties and the No.10 offloading to Josh Jacomb sealed a dominant win.
Because they lost their qualifying final to the Blues, the table-topping Chiefs must play the grand final in Christchurch, with the Crusaders beating the Blues 21-14 in the other semi-final.
The Chiefs last faced the Crusaders in the 2023 grand final, losing 25-20, after also beating the Brumbies in the semis.
McKenzie praised his team's composure to again put the leading Australian side to the sword.
"Outstanding performance from the lads," he said.
"Brumbies come out of the box fast, like we knew they would, and just loved the way we were really composed to stick to our game.
"It's never easy playing the Brumbies boys, they've been outstanding all year so to come away with that one and obviously get ourselves into a final, I'm stoked."
Australia's wait for a Super Rugby Pacific finals winner in New Zealand continues after the ACT Brumbies crashed 37-17 to the Chiefs in Hamilton, with playmaker Noah Lolesio an early casualty.
Playing in their fourth successive semi-final, the gallant Brumbies again missed a grand final berth while the Chiefs will play in their third straight title decider, taking on the Crusaders next Saturday.
No Australian team have ever won a final across the Tasman, with the Brumbies following Queensland out of the competition after the Reds were beaten by the Crusaders in the qualifying final.
Skipper Allan Alaalatoa lamented another finals four exit for his team.
"What we spoke about all week is that we had to play close to a perfect game to come out here and get the result, and, yeah, we probably saw there in the second half that accuracy let us down, and off the back of that probably our discipline as well," the Wallabies prop said.
While it was three tries a piece, penalties proved a killer for the visitors, who tallied 11 to the Chiefs' seven.
All Blacks sharp-shooter Damian McKenzie booted six penalty goals as well as two conversions and set up the Chiefs' third try in a starring performance.
The flyhalf also pulled off a miracle tackle in the 65th minute, getting his hand under the ball to deny a Brumbies fullback Tom Wright a certain try to stall any chance of a fightback.
The Brumbies' quest to end a 0-20 record suffered a major setback with Wallabies No.10 Lolesio departing just 10 minutes in after an accidental head-knock while making a tackle.
His replacement, Jack Debreczeni, who has hardly played this Super season, did an admirable job but the Brumbies still missed their chief playmaker, who is shifting his career to Japan.
The Canberra outfit were well in the hunt at halftime, only trailing 19-12, with hooker Billy Pollard rumbling across and winger Corey Toole scoring the first of his two tries off a Debreczeni cross-field kick.
The home side's points came from Emoni Narawa with the winger catching the defence offside with a quick pick and go.
But the Brumbies' penalty count was already double the Chiefs, including one after the halftime hooter which McKenzie slotted.
While the Brumbies scored first in the second half, with Toole bumping off McKenzie en route to a brilliant individual try to get within two, Narawa hit straight back for his second.
The ACT side were unable to add to their tally while two McKenzie penalties and the No.10 offloading to Josh Jacomb sealed a dominant win.
Because they lost their qualifying final to the Blues, the table-topping Chiefs must play the grand final in Christchurch, with the Crusaders beating the Blues 21-14 in the other semi-final.
The Chiefs last faced the Crusaders in the 2023 grand final, losing 25-20, after also beating the Brumbies in the semis.
McKenzie praised his team's composure to again put the leading Australian side to the sword.
"Outstanding performance from the lads," he said.
"Brumbies come out of the box fast, like we knew they would, and just loved the way we were really composed to stick to our game.
"It's never easy playing the Brumbies boys, they've been outstanding all year so to come away with that one and obviously get ourselves into a final, I'm stoked."