A decade after the Chiefs defeated the Brumbies to secure back-to-back titles, the men from Hamilton are back in the final as they knocked out Stephen Larkham’s side in the semi-finals in a grind in Waikato.
On a wet night when taking points was the order of the evening, Damian McKenzie’s perfect evening at the kicking tee – his second faultless match from the place kick – saw the Chiefs progress to the final by winning 19-6. Brodie Retallick’s try in the 78th minute sealed it moments after McKenzie sliced past Tom Hooper.
The Brumbies will rue five crucial minutes from the 67th minute, which began after turning down a difficult shot from out wide that could have seen the visitors level up the score at 9-9.
While the Brumbies won the lineout seven metres out from the Chiefs’ line, replacement halfback Ryan Lonergan was deemed to have knocked-on at the resulting ruck as Pita Gus Sowakula jumped over the ruck to force the error.
Compounding the mistake, Lonergan got a fingertip on the clearing exit which allowed the home side to get the lineout throw.
The Chiefs have edged past the Brumbies at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton to set up a final against the Crusaders. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Moments later, Tom Wright opted to run back McKenzie’s clearing kick and was held up, allowing the Chiefs a scrum feed. From the set-piece, the home side won a penalty.
Up step McKenzie from 48m, as the All Blacks utility back kicked the home side further clear to 12-6.
It felt as if the game was gone when Noah Lolesio, who came on after 30 minutes for a concussed and bloody Jack Debreczeni, kicked out on the full from the kick restart.
While the Brumbies had time and space to come, Wright’s forward pass, which continued a frustrating and inaccurate night for the Wallabies fullback that would have raised Eddie Jones’ eyebrows, all but ended their hopes.
Damian McKenzie was the star of the show for the Chiefs during their semi-final win over the Brumbies at FMG Stadium Waikato, on June 17, 2023 in Hamilton. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Retallick ended the Brumbies’ 2023 hopes, as well as Laurie Fisher’s desire of finishing his time with the franchise with silverware, as he smashed his way over the line to seal the match.
James Slipper, who was forced off for a short-time late in the first-half after copping a high shot, summed up his side’s feeling.
“Gutted,” he said.
“We had a good season and we came here pretty confident. We knew we had a job to do, it’s a pretty good team we’re up against tonight, and we did push them. Just a couple of big moments didn’t go our way and we end up falling short.”
He wasn’t wrong, with the Chiefs’ crucial turnover on their own line the decisive moment of the match.
“We worked our way down to their tryline, we went for a maul and we wanted to put them under pressure, but they turned us over there. That was a big play,” Slipper said.
“They ended up going down the field and putting us back under pressure. It’s going to be hard watching that one again. But the effort that the boys put in tonight, I’m proud of them.”
In a ding-dong battle, the biggest lead in the match was six points until Retallick’s late try.
Before then, both sides went toe-to-toe in an enthralling game despite the low-scoring affair in New Zealand’s north island.
The Brumbies had plenty of possession and territory in the early stages, but just like their regular-round match in Canberra last month the Chiefs’ rock solid defence was on display.
It forced the Brumbies into silly mistakes, as Wright put the ball on the toe and sought space in-behind the Chiefs’ line as the visitors had more than a dozen phases around the home side’s 22m line. Yet all it did was relieve the pressure as Shaun Stevenson belted the ball down field over half way.
McKenzie then put the home side on the scoreboard first, converting a simple shot at goals to punish Tamati Tua for not rolling away quick enough.
Making matters worse, Debreczeni missed a relatively simple shot at goals soon after as Nic White smartly fired a ball into Aidan Ross who was trying to scramble back on side.
As Sam Cane showed his worth at the contact zone and at the breakdown, the Brumbies were pinged again soon after as Hooper was penalised for blocking halfback Brad Weber. McKenzie stepped up to make it 6-0.
A high shot on a Slipper saw Lolesio cut the margin to 6-3.
It looked the Chiefs would extend their lead in the minutes before half-time as they turned the screws on the Brumbies.
Back to back penalties almost saw the Brumbies shown a yellow card, but some how the Chiefs couldn’t score. Twice the home side were held up, as the home side strangely played on quickly rather than backing their set-piece.
But a brain explosion from Wright, who sought the sideline with time up on the clock from the drop-kick restart, as his kick failed to go into touch and saw the Chiefs quickly back on attack.
A high shot saw referee Nic Berry warn the Brumbies one last time, but incredibly the visitors forced a knock-on from the resulting scrum as Lolesio, Ollie Sapsford and Rob Valetini, who was the Brumbies’ best and confirmed his status as Australia’s best forward, gave the visitors something to cheer about going into half-time.
McKenzie took another shot in the 53rd minute, but Lolesio cut the margin to three once more after banging over a penalty from straight in front.
But the Brumbies’ inability to seize the moment in the 67th minute came back to haunt the visitors.
In a flash their season was ended at the semi-final stage just like in 2022.
The Chiefs will host the Crusaders in next Saturday’s final.
Bliksem
Roar Rookie
Do you see any results being different if no 5-8 hosted the games? My gut feel tells me that it is far more likely that the Brumbies or Drua will beat the Crusaders or Chiefs at home than away. We can isolate the influence of playing at home vs relative ranking with some clever probabilistic modeling. Wish I had time to do it. As proxy we can use regular season games as you pointed to. However, we can only consider the games that are played in conditions that resembles a final – each team picked their best side without resting key players. One season’s dataset will be insufficient, we need to look at a longer period – say at least a five-year period. I think it will show that the home team do much better even against teams that at the end of the season was ranked higher than them when they play at home. What would be interesting to see is if the lower ranked team managed to beat the higher ranked team and how far up the rankings this reversable of outcome is true. The data can confirm how big home ground advantage is for each team – is it a couple of percentage points or more significant. As the margins (or difference between win and loose) are thin. I will not be surprised if home ground advantage is far more significant than relative ranking.
Chivas
Roar Rookie
They didn't score more tries and concede less when they came up against the Chiefs or doesn't that count. Much better in the set piece... OK if you say so. I hope someone remembered to tell tight five players Samisoni, Brodie, Josh Lord and Vaai how rubbish they are at the set piece. The AB's are going to really struggle with these below par players being selected. Or do you think it's the weak chiefs backrow all who have been selected for the AB's taht are the weak link in the forwards. Do you believe what you say?
Chivas
Roar Rookie
Give us a break... the Crusaders have been handily beaten twice this season and the Chiefs have shown they can keep it together in a tight contest. They are well aware of what the Crusaders bring, but your opinion is just that and not a very good or substantiated one in my opinion. Saders will be a different outfit, really... they look the same outfit to me. Chiefs struggle in tight games but have only lost one this season... oh lets not worry about that as right the rest of the season doesn't matter and the Crusaders are now a different team. Saders will play the game in the right areas for them, will they? You are assuming that the Chiefs don't and won't have some say about that. With the kicking ability of the Chiefs back three and the ability to break out from anywhere given a half chance, I am not worried about whether they can play field position. They will be ready for it and on top of that they are playing at home and if you don't think a packed stadium in Hamilton will play a part, you have clearly not watched a game there. So from your comfy sofa a million miles away it is your belief that the new Crusaders team will be too good for the chiefs who will suddenly develop defensive frailties. Good on ya.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
So against the team that had conceded 13 more tries than the top 3 teams and conceded 100 extra points over the 14 rounds did worse. Chiefs now go up against a team which has scored more tries than them and conceded less. They will also go up against a team that is much better in the set piece meaning that the Chiefs attacking platform may be less effective.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
See my comment to Jacko. Saders will be a different outfit to the regular season. Saders can play a tight game or a loose game but Chiefs struggle in a tight game. When the reds and brumbies focused on defence the chiefs looked alot less dangerous. Chiefs will need to improve their attack or drastically improver their defence as Saders will play the game in the right areas for them. RM will play his usual game and show why his all round game is best suited to knockout rugby.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
This is playoffs and currently the Chiefs have a 48-26, Saders have 101 - 23 had had to play harder teams. I guess we will find out next week but going off the playoffs I can see Saders clearing 20 points but can't see the Chiefs getting over 20.
El Gamba
Roar Guru
I was joking
El Flash
Roar Rookie
Referees are capable of making mistakes. They are only human. However, how easy must it have been for Nic Berry to have overlooked the occasional 50/50 call in favour of the Chiefs when you have a Brumbies halfback literally in your ear for 55 minutes complaining about every decision you make. Nic White did not cost the Brumbies a win on Saturday night however he most certainly did not help their cause.
Old Bugger
Roar Rookie
Ummmm, you're right....White should carry on throwing passes at lazy players rather than look for opportunities elsewhere, on the paddock. The mere fact that one solitary try was scored in the 77th minute doesn't detract, from the opportunities that presented themselves earlier, on such a gloomy, wet night. On a night like that, opportunities to spin the ball are few and far between so, you take them all, at every chance. Heck, I was so happy he did what he did cos he let my team, off the hook and allowed us to survive.
Markus
Roar Rookie
It is a similar situation to Quade, there are a lot of rugby fans who have an intense personal dislike of Wright and are just waiting for him to make mistakes to lay the boot in. Nic White is subject to this too. That there are seriously people proposing Hodge as the starting fullback for the RWC despite how terrible he has been all year (and not even playing in the position) is testament to that.
Markus
Roar Rookie
So it was the wrong decision because Debreczeni missed a sitter. "But I guess, that’s the difference in game strategies, either side of the ditch. You go for a certain 3 pts on one side rather than throw the dice and go for 7pts, on the other." Clearly, that is why the match winners were up 4 penalties to 2 and there wasn't a single try scored until the 77th minute of the match.
Old Bugger
Roar Rookie
Yeah I am - they had the Chiefs defence stretched and a back-line on the blind facing 3 Chiefs forwards defending. It's called playing "what's in front of you" and he didn't see it - twice. A chance, an opportunity..... Oh and btw, Debs missed the first penalty shot from White's effort to throw the ball, into a lazy Chief. So, the Chiefs got a let-off - twice, when the momentum was all in favour, of the Brumbies. But I guess, that's the difference in game strategies, either side of the ditch. You go for a certain 3 pts on one side rather than throw the dice and go for 7pts, on the other.
Markus
Roar Rookie
Are you seriously suggesting that getting 3 points from a lazy Chiefs runner was a poor decision that shows lack of foresight?
School of Udhra
Roar Rookie
Petaia and Jorgensen missed the quarters due to injury, but had enjoyed strong seasons prior to that. Both are talented players. L Lonergan has played well this year, for the most part, but the Brumbies' set piece was alarmingly weak against the Chiefs - issues at lineout (mostly due to Lonergan's off throwing), and scrum (as expected, given Lonergan's lack of power up against his Chiefs' opposite). Not disputing the merits of the Brumbies' season - merely talking about key selections for the Wallabies, an important subject over the coming weeks.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Agree that BT would have expected better this year but at the beginning of the year most said Qld Reds would finish 6-8. Drua probably performed better than expected and Tahs in 6th probably finished where they were expected to by most fans. I hope Coleman progresses and he shows good signs of it but has probably learnt a few things he didnt know this season. Aus needs him to be a success.
Grev
Roar Rookie
You have to face them eventually. They made the semi finals. That means they were facing Blues, Crusaders or Chiefs. A different format changes nothing.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
"A high shot on a Slipper". Quite how does one do that?
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Another scything retort, ouch. Really who's the clown?
scrum
Roar Rookie
Even Thorn acknowledged that he had not taken the team to where they should be. He had the talent, the team did not develop and in fact went backwards over the last 2 seasons. Coleman who has had an outstanding record at Premier Rugby certainly did not improve the Waratahs this year. Next season will be an indicator of his ability at this level and whether he can adjust. This was Coleman’s 2nd year but Thorns 6th season.
scrum
Roar Rookie
Wayne Barnes, any French Ref. Hmmm!!!!