The Chiefs have won their last two Super Rugby regular-season games against the Crusaders, as many as they won in their nine meetings prior (W2, L7); the last and only time they enjoyed a longer winning run against them in the regular season was a four-match span from February 2015 to July 2016.
The Crusaders lost their most recent Super Rugby match (24-21 v Chiefs, 12 March 2022) snapping a 10-match winning run; they will be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats for the first time since March 2018.
- The Chiefs have won their last six Super Rugby home matches on the bounce; the last time they enjoyed a longer winning run at home was a seven-match span from May 2016 to May 2017.
- The Crusaders have won 13 of their last 14 completed Super Rugby away matches (L1), including their last five in succession; their only defeat in that span was a 26-25 loss to the Chiefs (Round 8, 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa).
- This will be the Crusaders’ second consecutive Super Rugby regular-season game against the Chiefs, the first time in Super Rugby history that they’ve played the same team in back-to-back regular-season rounds in the same season; the last time they did so across multiple seasons was in 2001/02 against the Highlanders, logging a loss and then a win.
- The Chiefs have made 12 offloads per game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific campaign, more than any other team and six per game more than the Crusaders (6) in this category.
- The Hamilton men have made 13 attacking 22m entries per game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, more than any other team in the competition and three per game more than the Crusaders (10).
Players to watch
- Josh Lord has made 25 tackles from as many attempts in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific campaign, the most of any player to maintain a 100% tackle success rate this season.
- Chiefs duo Bryn Gatland (61) and Josh Ioane (42) have scored the most and joint second-most points respectively of any players in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific campaign; however, Gatland has scored just 11 points from seven career games against the Crusaders while Ioane has scored 24 in six.
- Will Jordan has scored six tries in his last six Super Rugby games against the Chiefs, crossing for at least one try in five of those six games.
Match detail
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In the meantime, why not have a look at the match preview.
1.00: PEEEP! We are underway at FMG Stadium, Hamilton.
2.00: Warren Gatland is standing in for Clayton McMillan because the head coach is isolating for Covid.
3.00: Crusaders kick to the corner, but they lose their first lineout throw.
6.00: The Chiefs are causing problems with their kicking game. The Saders stay in the game after a try is ruled out for a foot in touch.
7.00: Another kickable penalty is booted to the opposition’s 22 by the Crusaders.
8.00: TRY! A sublime set-piece move by the visitors sees Cullen Grace crash over next to the poles. 0-5
9.00: CONVERSION! Richie Mo’unga adds the extras. 0-7
10.00: Chiefs have a good attacking field position.
12.00: TRY! Alex Nankivell finishes off a 10-phase attack to put the Chiefs on the board. George Bridge and Will Jordan could not stop him. 5-7
13.00: MISS! The kick is unsuccessful. 5-7
15.00: The home team cannot get out of their half. Quinn Tupaea drops Brad Weber’s high ball to give the visitors a scrum inside the chiefs’ half.
18.00: TRY! Will Jordan finishes off a sweeping backline move from a first-phase scrum attack. David Havili found the space on the outside before putting the fullback away for his seventh Super Rugby try in seven matches versus the Chiefs (eighth in total versus the Waikato side). 5-12
20.00: MISS! Mo’unga does not knock over the extras. 5-12
23.00: The Crusaders keep coming, they have had two-thirds of the possession and territory, while the Chiefs are not helping themselves with all the handling errors inside their own half.
26.00: The Chiefs have made four handling errors, lost five turnovers, and conceded three penalties. The Crusaders have only had four turnovers and one handling error, while not giving away a penalty.
29.00: Robertson’s men go through the phases before some excellent work by Jordan at the breakdown, wins the visitors a kickable penalty.
30.00: PENALTY! Mo’unga stretches his team’s lead to 10. 5-15
33.00: The hosts are gaining some late attacking momentum, but they need sevens, not threes.
36.00: Chiefs kick to the corner to set up an attacking lineout, here we go.
39.00: TRY! A deft, soft pass from Quinn Tupaea puts Nankivall under the posts. The try came from the lineout setpiece; good call from Sam Cane to take the lineout instead of the penalty goal. 10-15
40.00: CONVERSION! Gatland adds the extras. 12-15
The halftime score was Chiefs 12 Crusaders 15
41.00: PEEEP! We are back underway in the Waikato.
43.00: Brodie Retallick has not re-entered the fray because of a thumb injury.
45.00: Nankivill drops a pass that would have sent Trask in for a score.
48.00: Both teams looking to play with width, but the defence is good.
51.00: NO TRY! Grace does not have a brace! His try is ruled out for a forward pass by Scott Barrett to Quinten Strange before Strange sent Grace away. 12-15
54.00: Both teams going to the boot a lot since the start as they search for territory. Weber ends the duel after kicking directly into touch from his half, that was very rubbish.
56.00: A couple of handling errors by both teams sets up a series of scrums.
58.00: TRY! Sevu Reece finishes off a sublime counter-attack that began inside the Crusaders’ 22. David Havilli’s deft pass to Reece cut out Quinn Tupaea, who jumped the line. It gave Reece a free run at Trask. The winger sold the fullback a dummy, cut inside, and raced away untouched for his 37th Super Rugby try. 12-20
60.00: CONVERSION! The kick can’t be missed from in front. 12-22
63.00: TRY! Leicester Fainga’anuku crashes over from close range after an eight-phase attack inside the Chiefs’ 22. That is the ball game. 12-27
64.00: CONVERSION! Mo’unga adds another two. 12-29
67.00: The Chiefs need points soon.
71.00: TRY! A nine-phase attack ends when some brilliance from Nankivill sends Cortez-Lee Ratima, running a wonderful support line, away for a maiden Super Rugby try. 17-29
72.00: CONVERSION! Gatland cuts the gap. 19-29
74.00: TRY! Crusaders hit back with a powerful driving maul to finsih the game. Codie Taylor, who else?, gets up with the ball. 19-34
76.00: MISS! Mo’unga hits the post. 19-34
78.00; Crusaders searching for the bonus point.
81.00: Saders keep looking for the BP, but Reece loses the ball forward after the hooter. Another solid display by the 10-time champions.
FULL TIME
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The final score is Chiefs 19 (12) Crusaders 34 (15)
Scorers
Chiefs
Tries – Nankivell (2), Ratima
Pen –
Con – Gatland (2)
Drop –
Cards –
Crusaders
Tries – Grace, Jordan, Reece, Fainga’anuku, Taylor
Pen – Mo’unga
Con – Mo’unga (3)
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: James Doleman
Assistant Ref 1: Brendon Pickerill
Assistant Ref 2: Dan Waenga
TMO: Chris Hart
Teams
Chiefs: 15 Kaleb Trask, 14 Shaun Stevenson, 13 Alex Nankivell, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Etene Nanai-Seturo, 10 Bryn Gatland, 9 Brad Weber (co-captain), 8 Samipeni Finau, 7 Sam Cane (co-captain), 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Josh Lord, 3 Sione Mafileo, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ollie Norris
Replacements: 16 Tyrone Thompson, 17 Aidan Ross, 18 Angus Ta’avao, 19 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20 Kaylum Boshier, 21 Mitch Jacobson, 22 Cortez-Lee Ratima, 23 Josh Ioane
Crusaders: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Chay Fihaki, 13 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 12 David Havili, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Bryn Hall, 8 Cullen Grace, 7 Tom Christie, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Quinten Strange, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Oli Jager, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Finlay Brewis
Replacements: 16 Fletcher Newell, 17 George Bower, 18 Tamaiti Williams, 19 Mitch Dunshea, 20 Corey Kellow, 21 Mitch Drummond, 22 Fergus Burke, 23 Sevu Reece
