Chiefs player ratings vs Crusaders | 2026 Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals

The Chiefs exorcised some playoff demons in dramatic fashion against the Crusaders in Hamilton on Friday night, running out to the biggest first-half lead they have ever had against their famous rivals on their way to a blowout semi-final win.

The hosts took their foot off the gas in the second half but were good enough defensively to keep the visitors at bay, taking their stars out of the contest early to give them some rest ahead of next week.

The 49-12 result sent the No. 2 seed into their fourth-straight final, with hopes of ending the title drought that has plagued them since the Dave Rennie era ended.

Here’s how the Chiefs rated.

1. Ollie Norris – 8

The scrum started off even, but Norris earned the first crack in the 22nd minute by splitting Fletcher Newell from his hooker with the pressure he and the second row applied. had some mobile work around the park to get to breakdowns when play was moving at pace.

2. Samisoni Taukei’aho – 8

The hooker was often the first and fastest out of the line defensively, and even if he didn’t catch the Crusaders behind the gain line, as he did with his hit on Fletcher Newell in the 42nd minute, he made life difficult for them. Finished a try with powerful leg drive early to contribute to the avalanche of first-half points handsomely and threw perfectly at the lineout.

3. Sione Ahio – 7

The prop influenced a breakdown steal in the 35th minute and held his own in the scrum.

4. Josh Lord – 7

The big lock has some of the safest hands in the game and was again without fault in the lineout and when claiming restarts. A tackle that dislodged the ball when the Crusaders were about to score was the big highlight. Looked great during dynamic play, thriving when his team had momentum, but didn’t add so much value when play was slow, and he didn’t move so many bodies at ruck time.

5. Tupou Vaa’i – 7

Guilty of a couple of handling errors and missed three tackles, but was otherwise a key contributor across the park, with 15 carries and 14 completed tackles. Strong at set-piece time and used his big frame well around the ruck.

22m Entries

Avg. Points Scored

4.9

10

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Avg. Points Scored

1.2

10

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6. Samipeni Finau – 7

Applied great defensive pressure at lineout time, was a safe pair of hands throughout, and was quick to react when the ball was deemed out of the ruck. Just four carries and seven tackles.

7. Luke Jacobson – 9

A superb showing from the captain. An absolute work-horse performance with so, so many high-effort plays on both sides of the ball. Jacobson had a linebreak assist, won a couple of turnovers, had double-digit carries and tackles, and was a wily, difficult operator around the ruck.

8. Simon Parker – 8

An immovable object in the collision, Parker won a couple of early turnovers and was switched on when he saw any possible opportunity around the ruck, including alerting the ref to an improper connection in the caterpillar, which Finau then was able to capitalise on.

9. Cortez Ratima – 8.5

Another standout performance from the halfback after breaking the game open early last week. Ratima’s decision-making was excellent, picking his moments to threaten around the ruck and contributing well to his team’s attacking momentum. Ratima’s clearances were great, and his defence was resilient, especially when the Crusaders got their pick-and-go game going.

10. Damian McKenzie – 8.5

A classy showing in his 150th Chiefs appearance. The playmaker showed off his bag of tricks with clever passing, kicking and running, making one clean break and assisting a few more. Nailed some tough conversions but didn’t always get a lot of distance on his clearances.

11. Kyren Taumoefolau – 8

Statistically, one of Super Rugby’s most dangerous players with the ball in hand over the past four games, Taumoefolau’s finishing prowess was on full display with two tries in the opening 15 minutes. The winger made some effort plays on defence that stood out, tracking back well on several occasions and completing tackles. He chased well when called upon, although his aerial contest execution was average.

12. Quinn Tupaea – 8

Some fiery carries early that helped set the tone for his team, and he was robust throughout, throwing himself into all aspects of the game. The performance wasn’t without fault, with a handful of missed tackles and some defensive positioning out wide that won’t have filled All Blacks coaches with confidence if they’re considering putting him in the No.13 jersey, including for Taha Kemara’s break that set up Chay Fihaki’s try.

13. Lalakai Foketi – 9

This was comfortably Foketi’s best game in a Chiefs jersey. The centre’s distribution was heavily involved in the Chiefs’ early momentum, and he ended the opening half with three try assists, one of which was from his own linebreak.

The ex-Wallaby’s defensive pressure influenced the ball hitting the deck just before halftime, and he was in position to pick up the scraps, proving the old adage of ‘the harder you work, the luckier you get.’ Forced another error in the 42nd minute, but was unable to stop David Havili from scoring in the 67th minute.

14. Liam Coombes-Fabling – 7

The winger had some magical moments, particularly when he set up Tupou Vaa’i’s try by beating the attempted tackle of Sevu Reece and collecting his own chip kick. Provided some try-saving defence later on in the match, and finished with a game-high three linebreaks. Was shown a yellow card for a dangerous aerial contest late in the piece.

15. Isaac Hutchinson – 8.5

The young fullback provided a handful of impressive carries before succumbing to a leg injury. Was leading the game in defenders beaten at the break despite only playing 24 minutes, set up Kyren Taumoefolau’s first try with a darting run from the backfield and scored one of his own in the 19th minute.

Reserves

16. Brodie McAlister – 8

17. Jared Proffit – 7

Mixed results in his scrums, with one penalty for and one against in his first two attempts

18. George Dyer – 7

19. Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi – 8

Made a real nuisance of himself once on the field, winning a penalty in the 58th minute with his overwhelming strength at the breakdown. Penalised for collapsing.

20. Kaylum Boshier – 7

21. Xavier Roe – 8

22. Josh Jacomb – 7

23. Leroy Carter – 9

The frantic pace of this game certainly suited the former Sevens star, with Carter able to show his robust skill set and work rate with multiple effort plays on both sides of the ball. He ran a great line for a 31st-minute try and was his usual energetic self with every interaction around the ball.