Crusaders vs Chiefs takes: It's what they do best, same old Chiefs?

A third-straight sell-out crowd welcomed the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific finalists to the One New Zealand field on Friday night.

The Chiefs entered the game having already secured a home qualifying final, and were chasing an eighth-straight win to continue their march of momentum into the knockout stages. The Crusaders needed a win to help secure their place in the playoffs, and were yet to lose at their new stadium.

It was a tit-for-tat tussle for all 80 minutes, but the Crusaders came home strongest, making the winning plays in the final quarter. A 76th-minute David Havili try gave the hosts the lead, and despite some superb desperation attack from the Chiefs in the dying moments, the Crusaders came away with a 36-32 victory.

Here are some takeaways from the match.

Territory

23%

16%

35%

26%

61%

Territory

39%

The complete fullback prospect

Leading the wave of new generation players who are putting their hands up for higher honours, perhaps not this World Cup cycle, but certainly in the next, Issac Hutchinson continues to impress in his debut Super Rugby season.

The 22-year-old was not only squaring off with his hometown team in front of friends and family on Friday night, but he was doing so going up against one of rugby’s most dangerous attacking threats in Will Jordan.

The fullback role is becoming ever more demanding in rugby, with high-ball skills the main point of emphasis at the moment. But game management nous, the ability to ignite counter-attacks and save the day when the opposition make breaks are all still critical attributes, and in all aspects, Hutchinson is proving he is tailor-made for the 15 jersey.

Against the Crusaders, he made a try-saving tackle on Noah Hotham, nine dangerous runs with stepping that beat four defenders, a clever grubber that pinned the Crusaders on their own try-line, a ruck turnover win, and a dramatic, flying in-goal take to ensure another Crusaders try wasn’t scored.

There were a couple of shaky moments in the third quarter with a clearance coming off the side of the boot and a couple of missed tackles, but he kept his composure and made some more special carries on the cusp of full-time when his team were forced to run the ball from 90 metres out.

Hutchinson has a deep bag of tricks, and he’s emerged as a timely replacement for Shaun Stevenson.

It’s what they do best

The last decade for the Crusaders has been nothing short of dominant, with eight Super Rugby titles to show for their efforts. In 2026, they’re threatening to extend their record run even further.

It wasn’t a perfect game from the hosts by any means. Their ability to convert 22m entries into points was below average, their lineout faltered, and they weren’t generating turnovers. But those winning moments have been their specialty for going on 10 years now, and yet again, they have delivered a crucial win.

Backing up a statement win over the Blues with a hard-fought win over the Chiefs is bound to build the team’s belief, and they’ll need it for next week’s regular season finale against the Hurricanes. In the final round, the Crusaders can finish as high as third and secure a home qualifying final, or miss the playoffs entirely, depending on the Waratahs’ last two results.

The team’s leaders stepped up big time in the final quarter against the Chiefs, with David Havili producing three huge plays: a monster 50/22, a try, and a desperation tackle. Leicester Fainga’anuku continues to be a cheat code for drawing defenders before offloading, regardless of what number is on his back. Christian Lio-Willie and Sevu Reece also made big plays, with the former accounting for 18 carries and 22 tackles.

They may not be the beast of yesteryear, but the Crusaders are once again peaking at the right end of the season.

22m Entries

Avg. Points Scored

2.5

14

Entries

Avg. Points Scored

4.8

6

Entries

The same old Chiefs?

Unlike the Crusaders, the Chiefs and the bright lights of playoff rugby haven’t gotten on all that well in recent years, losing each of the last three Super Rugby finals. Friday’s 2025 final rematch, two weeks out from the playoffs in front of a raucous, 25,00-strong crowd, was a chance to send a message. The Chiefs led for 65 minutes of the match, but not when it mattered most.

Let’s not disrespect the accomplishment of making it to the big dance so consistently, but let’s also not overlook that the Hamilton-based club lost their qualifying final at home last year to the Blues and only advanced due to a new playoff format that gave the top seed an extra life.

Coming into the season, the Chiefs acknowledged their struggles in the finals, saying the required changes would need to be player-driven, with the emphasis on the team’s leaders to lift everyone over the hump. A change of coach also presented the opportunity to move on from their shortcomings.

While a playoff lift may still happen, the Chiefs have missed an opportunity to silence the doubt, to prove their mindset has shifted, to inspire hesitancy in their opponents. The pressure is now on the team’s leaders to change the narrative in the locker room first, and maybe a loss like this can provide the ammunition needed to step into the playoffs with a more ruthless mental edge.