WELLINGTON, New Zealand — As Super Rugby concluded its regular season, the Playoffs’ configuration was finalized match by match. The Hamilton-based Chiefs secured the top position, while the reigning champions, the Blues, locked in sixth place, despite Moana Pasifika wrapping up their best season to date with a loss.
The Chiefs and Blues are set to clash next weekend in a rematch of last year’s final.
On Friday, games determined which teams would enjoy home advantages, ensuring top-three positions for the first playoff round. Saturday’s encounters arranged positions from fourth to sixth, readying the stage for a thrilling series of semifinals.
The Crusaders, finishing in second place, are set to host the Queensland Reds in Christchurch on Friday. Meanwhile, the Chiefs will battle their close neighbors, the Auckland-based Blues, on Saturday. The ACT Brumbies will face the Wellington-based Hurricanes in Canberra. History suggests that home advantage significantly influences Super Rugby playoffs outcomes.
During Friday’s match, the last-placed Highlanders challenged the first-placed Chiefs but eventually succumbed 41-24. The Chiefs sprang out to a 19-0 lead with three decisive tries. However, an injury break involving Chiefs’ Quinn Tupaea momentarily shifted the game’s dynamics, allowing the Highlanders to trim the deficit to five points by halftime.
Trailing by 10 points with six minutes left, the Highlanders nearly added another try, which could have tightened the competition in the final minutes. Nonetheless, lock Tupou Vaa’i’s third try in the 80th minute extended the Chiefs’ lead convincingly.
Even though the Highlanders ended the season last, eight of their 11 losses were within a narrow margin of seven points or less.
In an intense match, the Crusaders defeated the Brumbies 33-31 in Canberra, moving into second place and relegating the Brumbies to third. The Brumbies have consistently reached the playoffs in eight out of the last nine full Super Rugby tournaments, last securing first place in 2004 when they clinched the title.
“It’s been 21 years, and every season we aim for a top-two finish,” stated Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham. “We missed that yet again. It complicates our path forward, requiring us some fortune to land a home semifinal, but that’s not in our hands anymore.”
The Hurricanes vanquished Moana Pasifika 64-12, securing the fourth spot. Despite Moana Pasifika setting a new record with six wins in a season, including victories over the Blues and Crusaders, they missed the playoffs by a narrow five points.
Players and supporters of Moana Pasifika relished the season’s end, with captain Ardie Savea leading communal celebrations. “Despite the skepticism, we believed in our mission,” shared Savea. “We united, hoping for a top-six finish, but it wasn’t our year.”
Starting off the final round in seventh, the Blues ascended into the playoffs with an overwhelming 46-6 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs, who were also vying for playoff spots.
The upcoming bout against the Chiefs resurrects last year’s final, where the Blues triumphed 41-10. However, this time, the Chiefs enter the fray as formidable contenders.
The Reds concluded the regular season with a commanding 52-7 triumph over the Fijian Drua, ensuring a fifth-place finish. Despite the Drua capturing four wins, their struggle to secure victories away from home was evident.