Do the Chiefs and Highlanders have the most competitive Kiwi rivalry in Super Rugby?
Much has been made of the significance of inter-conference derbies since the conference system was introduced to Super Rugby by SANZAAR in 2011, and a particular emphasis has been placed on the brutality and intensity of the match-ups in the New Zealand conference.
The Highlanders and Chiefs contribute significantly to the competitiveness of the Kiwi conference, and that much will be expected of them when they face off again for the 33rd time in Dunedin on Saturday.
Since their inaugural meeting at the now-demolished Carisbrook in 1996, which finished in a 22-5 victory for the visitors, the Highlanders and Chiefs have enjoyed a long and storied history with one another.
Plenty of scintillating fixtures have taken place since then, with some of the most entertaining viewing coming in recent years, such as the Chiefs’ 41-27 season-opening win in 2013, while the Highlanders’ unbeaten run through 2015 and 2016 provided a lot of excitement.
In those matches, club greats such as Tim Nanai-Williams and Waisake Naholo shone with their sheer talent and x-factor value, while others including Aaron Smith and Damian McKenzie have been instrumental in making this clash a standout on the Super Rugby calendar.
That winning streak, which lasted from the end of 2014 through to the start of 2017, is one of many that these two sides have endured throughout their 32 previous encounters.
In fact, there have been just five one-off wins between the two clubs that weren’t followed up with a consecutive victory by the same outfit, with the last of those coming in the Highlanders’ 23-19 season-opening win in Hamilton seven seasons ago.
Since then, the Chiefs went through two long-term winning spells, the first spanning from June 2012 through to June 2014 and the second lasting from February 2017 until February this year.
Those two victorious runs sandwiched the Highlanders’ aforementioned winning run that kept the Chiefs winless against them for six matches.
These prolonged streaks of shared successes doesn’t just make for highly-entertaining clashes between these two clubs, but it makes for an incredibly competitive rivalry in Super Rugby.
After 32 matches in locations varying from the main centres of Hamilton and Dunedin through to Invercargill, Rotorua, Queenstown and Suva, the Highlanders and Chiefs have one of the most even head-to-head records in Kiwi derby history.
Heading into this weekend’s contest, the Chiefs have the slight historical advantage with 18 wins, edging the Highlanders’ 14 victories.
With a winning percentages of 56.25 percent versus 43.75 percent against each other, the two franchises come close to a 50-50 winning percentage split, which would make their list of encounters the most competitive in the 24-season history of New Zealand derbies in Super Rugby.
However, for all the entertainment that Highlanders v Chiefs match-ups have provided over the years, it isn’t the most competitiveness rivalry in New Zealand.
Unsurprisingly, the Crusaders have dominant winning records over all their New Zealand counterparts, which will no doubt have played a hugely significant role in them claiming their nine Super Rugby titles, nullifying the competitiveness of their rivalries from an historical head-to-head winning percentage perspective.
Not one of their winning records are as close as that of the Chiefs and Highlanders, while the former has sustained a close run of results with the Hurricanes over the years.
With 18 wins and two draws from 35 outings, the Hurricanes hold a slender 51.14 percent winning run over their counterparts, with the pair of stalemates from both this year and 2011 keeping the Chiefs at a winning percentage of 42.86 percent.
Take those draws out the equation though, and the Hurricanes’ win rate inflates up to 56.25 percent, as does the Chiefs’ at 43.75 percent – the exact same record that the Highlanders and Chiefs hold between each other.
There are only two New Zealand rivalries that can better the Hurricanes v Chiefs and Highlanders v Chiefs derbies, and one of those is the Hurricanes v Blues clash.
Although they’re yet to play this year in the midst of the Blues’ apparent resurgence from mediocrity, the Auckland-based side have allowed the Hurricanes to make amends for their abysmal opening to this rivalry at the dawn of Super Rugby.
The Blues won their first eight matches between the two sides from 1996 to 2003 as they went on to win three Super 12 crowns, but their well-documented performance issues since 2011 has resulted in the Wellingtonians having the upper hand recently, with John Plumtree’s men winning seven of their last eight meetings.
Leon MacDonald’s side haven’t tasted success against the Hurricanes since May 2014, and when both teams meet at Eden Park next week, it will be the visitors who have the slightly better record thanks to their winning percentage of 50 percent.
A 26-26 draw in 2004 leaves the Blues with a lower success rate of 46.67 percent, but exclude that result, and the Blues’ win rate inflates to 48.28 percent, as does the Hurricanes’ to 51.72 percent.
Ousting that rivalry as the most competitive in New Zealand Super Rugby, though, is the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy clash between the Highlanders and the Blues.
The added importance of competing for silverware in honour of the late coach who was in charge of both clubs during the late 1990s and early 2000s has clearly spurred on the Highlanders and Blues throughout their 33-match history.
Although their eight-year drought was extended by the Highlanders after re-securing the trophy for another season following their 24-12 win in Dunedin two weeks ago, it’s the Blues who have the stronger record over the course of time, but only just.
17 wins by the Blues pips the Highlanders’ 16 victories, handing them an extremely tight 51.52 percent win rate over the southerners’ 48.48 winning percentage, making their derby fixture the most competitive within New Zealand Super Rugby.
Nevertheless, while it isn’t the closest rivalry in the country, the Chiefs and Highlanders will proceed to entertain the masses this Saturday with another edition of high-octane running rugby under the roof of Forsyth Barr Stadium, adding another chapter to what has become one of the more exciting fixtures in both New Zealand rugby and Super Rugby.
New Zealand’s Super Rugby derbies from most to least competitive:
- Blues 51.52% vs Highlanders 48.48% (33 matches)
- Hurricanes 50% vs Blues 46.67% (30 matches – 1 draw) – 51.72% v 48.28% excluding draw
- Hurricanes 51.14% vs Chiefs 42.86% (35 matches – 2 draws) – 56.25% v 43.75% excluding draws
- Chiefs 56.25% vs Highlanders 43.75% (32 matches)
- Hurricanes 57.57% vs Highlanders 42.43% (33 matches)
- Crusaders 58.82% vs Chiefs 41.18% (34 matches)
- Crusaders 54.05% vs Hurricanes 32.43% (37 matches – 3 draws) – 64.71% v 35.29% excluding draws
- Chiefs 64.52% vs Blues 32.26% (31 matches – 1 draw) – 66.67% v 33.37% excluding draw
- Crusaders 66.67% vs Blues 33.33% (33 matches)
- Crusaders 66.67% vs Highlanders 30.5% (36 matches – 1 draw) – 68.57% v 31.43% excluding draw
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
I have been finding it odd that points per 22 entry has become such a talked about stat, given that your points per entry can be driven down by having more entries. These data would seem to confirm that it isn’t a useful metric, or at any rate is less useful than total entries.
1 Go to commentsI think the last two games England have played is some of their best rugby they have played under Borthwick. There has been a lot more attacking instinct and as a reward have created some well worked tries. Ollie Lawrence is a good foil at 12 as he offers the hard direct lines whilst the rest of the backs can play open. As much as it pains me to say but I do hope England keep playing this way. On a side note my favourite try of the weekend was Lorenzo Pani’s for the nice loop play that put him away and his finish was excellent. Thanks as always Nick.
38 Go to commentsMost exciting player on the planet right now, worth the price of a ticket.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith and Ireland live rent free in Safa’s heads. Their comments only triggers because its true. If the Boks had dismantled a 14 man AB’s, then there would be more respect. But they didnt, in fact quite the opposite, the 14 man NZ were clearly better. And the Bok have always been ordinary between RWC’s, thats why their supporters are now ‘only RWC’s matter’. They know thats BS. Its BS to both AB’s and Bok’s due to their history. But now its all the Safas have. Now we’ll hear excuses when they lose “oh we didnt have all our players available, the ABs/France/Eng/Irel were at full strength”, forgetting for a minute that its because of their own dumb policy. Oh well, makes a change from blaming ‘cheating refs’.
23 Go to commentsNo Nick, they did not, in fact, justify any ‘probables’ label. At no time did they seriously compete for the championship. Ireland led from start to finish and in the end, as a result of glaring referee errors, were never under serious pressure to lose their crown.
38 Go to commentsMoney for him, and his family, has been the sole motivator since he signed for Queensland aged 17. Why else sign for Melbourne. Tupou is poorly advised. If he’d stayed and developed in NZ he would have had a long Test career. If Leinster offer him a few more coins than he’s currently earning, he’s goneburger.
4 Go to commentsFinn. No one would say Ford had played well up until the last game. One standout performance in 5 is hardly in form . It should be a given that a 10 will control play . Not in Fords case be praised for suddenly doing so. Where was he against Scotland ,Italy. The pundits were saying how far away from play he was standing and one even said that the Ireland game was his last chance saloon to perform . Not exactly top form catching anyones eye. If he can play like this game after game then great. Keep him in . But after 90 odd caps we all know he just doesnt keep it going . By all means keep him there but the issue is that Borthwick will persist even when he plays poorly. Which is more often than not. Thats why i am concerned that Smith ,despite fab form , cannot get a game at his preferred spot. Can you imagine Ford at full back .
5 Go to commentsI do not really get why put Ollivon at 6 when he’s a 7, while Cros was the best Frenchman of the tournament, playing at…6. His only game replacing Aldritt at 8 doesn’t change much in terms of his impact. Lamaro was also outstanding in that brilliant Italian side, probably better than Reffell. So putting 2 Welsh players from the wooden spoon holders, and none of the 4th nation (Scotland) is also strange. Is it about showing that in this harsh transition Wales is, there were some standouts…?
6 Go to commentsThe events at this year’s six nations should undermine many of the arguments made against promotion and relegation between the six nations and the REC. If Italy had been allowed to yo-yo between divisions it conceivably could have really hurt their development, but if Italy, Wales, and Scotland are all at risk of relegation, with none of them being relegated more often than once every 3 or 4 years, you’d have to back all of them to muddle on through it, especially when you factor in the likelihood they’ll still be guaranteed world league matches against tier 1 opponents. Another way of looking at italys resurgence would be to say that the development model of adding an extra team to the six nations has worked, and now must be done again. Georgia could join to make it a 7 team round robin, and if and when Georgia demonstrate an ability to consistently win games, Portugal can also be added to make it an 8 team 2 conference competition. Frankly at this point I think it falls to world rugby to demand that the 6N act in the interests of the game. If the 6N won’t commit to expansion then the 6N teams should be handicapped in world cup draws (i.e. world cup seedings would not be based on their ranking points, but on their ranking points minus a 5 point penalty).
6 Go to commentsSteve Borthwick deserves credit for releasing the shackles on his England side and letting them play in a manner that somewhat resembles the top sides in the Gallagher Premiership. Will they revert to type in New Zealand in July.?
38 Go to commentsJames Lowe wouldn't get in any other 6N team. He's a great example of Farrell’s brilliance, and the Irish system. He is slow. His footwork is poor. But he fits perfectly in that Irish system, and has a superb impact. But put him in another team, and he'll look bang average.
6 Go to commentsCrusaders reached their heights through recruitment of North Island players, often leaving those NI teams bereft of key players. Example: Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock robbed the Canes of their lineout and AB locks. For years the Canes have struggled at lock. This rabid recruitment was iniated by rule changes by a Crusader dominated NZR Head Office. Now this aggressive recruitment has back-fired, going after young inside back Hamilton Boys stars. They now have 4 Chiefs region 10s and not one with the requisite experience at Super level. Problems of their own making!
2 Go to commentsOver rated for a long time…exposed at scrum time too.
4 Go to comments“Firing me” should have been Gatland’s answer.
2 Go to commentsFinn Russell logic: “World” = 4 countries. Ireland may be at or near the top. FR’s bigger concern should be he and his fellow Scots (incl. the Bloemfontein ones) sliding back down to below top 10
42 Go to commentsMind games have begun. Ireland learned their lesson after saying they could beat England with 13 players or whatever. Still, if they win at Loftus, that would be impressive - final frontier etc.
58 Go to comments$950k for a Prop that isn’t fit enough to play 10 mins of rugby? Surely there is someone better to replace Big Mike with
4 Go to commentsFour Kiwis in that backline. A solid statement on the lack of invention, risk-taking and joy in the NH game; game of attrition and head- banging tedium. Longterm medical problems aplenty in the future!
6 Go to commentsGood article, I learnt quite a lot. A big sliding door moment was in the mid 00s when they rejected Steve Anderson's long term transformation and he wrote Ireland's strategy instead.
2 Go to commentsHi Dr Nick! I'm worried that I've started to enjoy watching England and have actually wanted them to win their last two games. What would you prescribe? On a more serious note, I've noticed that the standard of play in March is often better than early February. Do you think this is because of the weather or because the players have been together for longer?
38 Go to comments