Chiefs
20
Match Complete
Crusaders
25
| 80 |  | R. Mo'unga | ||
| 73 |  | R. Mo'unga | ||
| 72 |  | C. Taylor | ||
| D. McKenzie | | 48 | ||
| D. McKenzie | | 43 | ||
| E. Narawa | | 42 | ||
| 37 | | R. Mo'unga | ||
| 35 | | R. Mo'unga | ||
| 27 | | C. Taylor | ||
| D. McKenzie | | 23 | ||
| S. Stevenson | | 22 | ||
| D. McKenzie | | 19 | ||
| 8 | | R. Mo'unga |
| 2 | Tries | 3 | ||
| 2 | Conversions | 2 | ||
| 2 | Penalty Goals | 2 | ||
| 0 | Field Goals | 0 |
All Blacks great Sam Whitelock will return from injury to play his 178th and last game for the Crusaders in Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific final against the Chiefs.
Whitelock missed the Crusaders’ playoff matches against the Fijian Drua and Blues with an Achilles tendon injury and All Blacks coach Ian Foster doubted he would recover in time to play in the title decider.
But the 34-year-old lock has made a massive effort to play one last match for the Crusaders before he leaves to join the French club Pau.
All Blacks playmaker Richie Mo’unga also will be playing his last match for the Crusaders before moving to Japan and coach Scott Robertson, who has led the franchise to six Super Rugby titles, will be departing to replace Foster in the All Blacks’ coaching role after the World Cup in France.
Sam Whitelock (Photo by Marty Melville AFP/Getty Images)
Scrumhalf Mitchell Drummond said the news Whitelock would be fit for the final was a “massive” boost for the team.
“He’s obviously a legend of our club and a legend of New Zealand rugby,” Drummond said. “I know he’s worked extremely hard over the last couple of weeks and (had) his fingers crossed hoping that we’d get to the final.”
Pita Gus Sowakula will start on the blindside flank in the only change to the Chiefs’ lineup for the final from the one that started the semi-final against the Brumbies. Sowakula joins All Blacks Sam Cane and Luke Jacobson in the backrow.
The ladder-topping Chiefs have named an experienced lineup with an average of 78 Super Rugby caps per player. Cane will be playing his 150th match for the Chiefs.
“We are fortunate to have a relatively unchanged lineup from last week,” coach Clayton McMillan said. “Being put under pressure over the last few weeks has given us real belief we can deal with whatever comes our way on the weekend.”
After going through the regular season with just one loss and being a clear leader in the standings, the Chiefs had a narrow comeback win over the Queensland Reds in the quarter-finals and a tough 19-6 win over the Brumbies last weekend to set up a decider against the second-placed Crusaders.
“The Crusaders are clearly a quality side who will come here well prepared with a lot of belief and a legacy of turning up on the big stage,” McMillan said. “We respect that, there’s no point denying it, but we aren’t daunted by the task at hand either.”
Game information
Venue: FMG Stadium, Waikato
Kick-off time: 5.05pm AEST
Stream: Stan Sport
Betting: Chiefs $1.91, Crusaders $1.90 – Odds via PlayUp
Teams
Chiefs (1-15): Aidan Ross, Samisoni Taukei’aho, George Dyer, Brodie Retallick, Tupou Vaai, Pita Gus Sowakula, Sam Cane (co-c), Luke Jacobson, Brad Weber (co-c), Damian McKenzie, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Anton Lienert-Brown, Alex Nankivell, Emoni Narawa, Shaun Stevenson
Replacements: Tyrone Thompson, Ollie Norris, John Ryan, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Samipeni Finau, Cortez Ratima, Josh Ioane, Rameka Poihipi
Crusaders (1-15): Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Oliver Jager, Scott Barrett (c), Sam Whitelock, Sione Havili Talitui, Tom Christie, Christian Lio-Willie, Mitchell Drummond, Richie Mo’unga, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Jack Goodhue, Braydon Ennor, Dallas McLeod, Will Jordan
Replacements: Brodie McAlister, Kershawl Sykes-Martin, Reuben O’Neill, Quinten Strange, Dominic Gardiner, Corey Kellow, Willi Heinz, Fergus Burke, Chay Fihaki
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry, Angus Gardner.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
sad seeing rugby players singing and dancing around like soccer players
Phantom
Roar Rookie
If only the ruled the lineouts correctly in the first place. So many mistakes it is unbelievable.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
Tough judges if in line then Only if the referee has concerns. Learn the rules. Study to be a ref like i did. Then feel free to comment.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
That’s a fair argument I suppose Phantom. But forward passes leading to tries also get called by TMOs too don’t they? But I get your point.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
The tmo has no right to call that. Simply he s there for foul play only unless called upon. So many other lineout infringements never called. Simply not good enough display from the officials team.
WEST
Roar Guru
Funny why is he reffing some of the biggest international tests in rugby now? Thanks for sharing your opinion.. I’ll stick to mine :silly:
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Here's hoping! :rugby:
scrum
Roar Rookie
The decisions were pretty clear and obvious. The idea that the PK count should be sort of even is ridiculous. Team infringes and impacts the game they are sanctioned. You do not then penalise the other team to “ even it up”.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Gardener can't even pick up a blatant forward pass right under his nose West....
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Well, as much as I wanted that try to be rewarded, Phantom (and I certainly did), there are a few little things in a little book called the laws of rugby. Some nations quaintly still endeavour to follow them. You? That play was the game , for mine. I thought that the Chiefs had it at that point. Then Damo’s offside revealed. Why? Oh why? His pace would’ve got him there anyway. But he just had to?!? Like Taylor’s holding onto to the ball against Retallick on the floor, already under advantage. Blatant foul for mine. Yellow all day. He just ‘had to’. Can’t fully blame BOK for that Taylor one. Did one of the impotent Aussie ARs bottle it? BOK I do not enjoy as a referee. Despite all the childish jibes that cross the ditch on the ref issue, I want to see a fair contest. The rolling away penalty against the Chiefs hooker looked to my eye to be a whistler with an agenda. That said, the Chiefs were served by the non-red. - the ALB card should’ve been red it seems, but that wasn’t BOKs call. 14 v 15 at that point might have sunk the Chiefs earlier. So all in all, a very tough final between two worthy opponents who put it all on the paddock. And the best team certainly won. I couldn’t see anyone (including most Test sides) stopping the Saders after the Blues demolition. And as it turns out, the Chiefs couldn’t. No shame in that.
WEST
Roar Guru
Angus Gardiner would of been a better option for the final.. far better quality and a neutral. But the chiefs certainly didn’t help themselves.. Can’t keep getting on the bad side of the ref and then expect the rub of the green. He’s a stubborn ref, who doesn’t forgive easily.. The Crusaders played to the ref almost expertly, even penalty magnet Scott Barrett was squeaky clean compared to his usual standards. Anyway.. they’ll get it out of their system once they regroup on the same team with the ABs.
Wig
Roar Rookie
Ok ken ...let all the hurt go
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
I have very very low expectations so was pleasantly surprised
Nakinz 14
Roar Rookie
Booo .. the Better team won .. so you must miss the red card in the first 2 min of the game .. any other rugby competition that is red card on brown .. so yea right lol blame the ref .. it was the ref who miss the tackles
FrancisF
Roar Pro
Ken Catchpole’s Other Leg Yes sir. Absolutely spot on. Otherwise the Wallabies should be taxidermised as trophies and mounted on the walls of living rooms in Australia with a brass plate each : “ The Wallaby Wannabe Champion-2023 “ . .
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Thanks Tony, and thank you Roar team. Been a great SRP season, despite all the criticism we like throw in every direction. Now time to change the jersey and get ready for TRC…
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Taylor’s late lock up of the ball in the ruck asked for a card, but Ben might not have had any left in his pocket.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
I’ve seen a bit more than that Oz.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t enjoy the kick smile, but he is one heck of a tough talent.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Well done Chiefs. Someone’s fairytale wasn’t going to happen tonight. Well done Crusaders. So proud of you. Season from hell with injuries, but did us proud. Crowd was pretty classless a few times. Not that ChCh is much better. Just disappointing when Kiwi crowds behave like muppets.