'I still don’t think I’m over it': Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi on his finals heartbreaks

Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi was as dazzled as the rest of New Zealand by the Chiefs’ cathartic 49-12 demolition of the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-final on Friday night in Hamilton. The Crusaders, who had beaten the Chiefs in the 2021, 2023 and 2025 finals, were banished in a record defeat.

“I was sitting on the bench for all 42 first-half points,” Ah Kuoi laughed with RugbyPass.

“It was crazy. I was in awe. Nobody expects to beat the Crusaders by that margin. Where does the performance come from? It comes from preparation, trust and confidence. I could sense good energy from the boys, but man, that was something special.

“When I came on, it still felt like 0-0. That’s a credit to the Crusaders and their fight. When you come on from the bench, you want to add a second wind and do your role. Sometimes that can be hard when the score is so high, but your mindset has to be job-focused, not score-focused.”

The Chiefs will need to summon similar magic to stop the rampant Hurricanes from winning their second title at a sold-out Hnry Stadium on Saturday night. The Hurricanes have won 10 consecutive matches at Hnry Stadium.

The Hurricanes outdid the Chiefs’ score by posting 57 in their semifinal thumping of the Blues and have scored more wins (13), points (685) and tries (104) than any team in 2026.

However, the Chiefs have won seven of the last ten matches against the Hurricanes, including a 22-17 win in extra time in Hamilton on April 18. The Hurricanes led for 65 minutes, but in extra time, a Damian McKenzie drop goal attempt was charged down by Hurricanes lock Warner Dearns. Chiefs No.8 Wallace Sititi made a headlong charge to collect the deflection and scored an outrageous match-winning try.

Ah Kuoi played the whole match, winning double the number of lineouts as the next best jumper while making 11 tackles.

“The Hurricanes are a great outfit. They finished top of the table for a reason. They’ve got weapons across the park; physicality and flair,” Ah Kuoi acclaimed.

“Winning the game will come down to being confident in our abilities, nailing our roles, playing what’s in front of us, taking each moment at a time and trusting the connection and fitness we built in the pre-season.

“The coaches typically have a plan for when they use the bench. That can change due to injuries and events throughout the game. The key for me is staying locked in and bringing that extra energy when I’m required.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

3

Draws

0

Wins

2

Average Points scored

25

22

First try wins

60%

Home team wins

60%

The Chiefs have won four of their last five away matches and scored the most tries (17) from scrums in 2026. Hooking duo Tyrone Thompson (96% of 45 throws) and Samisoni Taukei’aho (92% of 141 throws) have the highest and third-highest success rates among players with at least 10 throws this Super Rugby Pacific.

Ah Kuoi has won 63 of his 93 matches for the Chiefs, of which 39 have been starts and 54 from the bench.

However, success in a professional final has remained elusive. He played in all the Chiefs’ defeats against the Crusaders, missing the 2024 hiding against the Blues.

In the 2019 NPC, he was part of the Wellington Lions, beaten by Tasman 31-14 in Nelson. However, it’s a final at Hnry Stadium that irks the most. In the 2024 NPC final, Ah Kuoi’s Bay of Plenty was beaten 23-20 by Wellington in a 100-minute extra-time epic. His former Wellington Under-19 teammate and Hurricanes adversary, Callum Harkin, kicked a 45-meter penalty in the 93rd minute to settle the outcome.

“I thought a win in that game was written in the stars. I had a dream of riding down here on a horse and all that jazz,”  Ah Kuoi laughed.

“It was soul-destroying, such a rollercoaster game, the full gamut of emotions. That Bay team was going so well, the whole region was behind us after such a long drought. That was the last piece of the puzzle, and to fall short as we did was devastating. It’s one thing to get a hiding in a final. To lose like that. I still don’t think I’m over it.”

You have to go back to 2016 for the last time Ah Kuoi won a major final. He was in Year 12 at Wellington College when they defeated St Patrick’s College Wellington 12-9 in the local Premiership decider. In a tryless tussle, Reece Plumtree, brother of Welsh international Taine Plumtree, who locked the scrum with Ah Kuoi that day, kicked four penalty goals, including a 25-metre success with the last strike of the game, to break the hearts of the Catholics, which included current Hurricanes prop Xavier Nuima and centre Billy Proctor.

Ah Kuoi was defeated in the 2017 Premiership final 17-11 by St Patrick’s College, Silverstream, with Chris Aumua, brother of Hurricanes hooker Ausfo Aumua, scoring a try. Kienan Higgins, brother of injured Hurricanes second-five-eighth Riley Higgins, was the Man of the Match.

New Zealand’s, and possibly the world’s, oldest four-way secondary school rugby tournament turns 100 on Thursday, when Whanganui Collegiate hosts the 100th annual Quadrangular, known as the Quad, also featuring Wellington College, Nelson College and Christ’s College.

The four schools have produced almost eight per cent of the 1,232 All Blacks.

Ah Kuoi played in four of those tournaments, losing finals in 2015 to Nelson College (6-3) and Christ’s College (24-19). Hurricanes outside back Ngane Punivai was Man of the Match in the latter contest.

He did at least win the 2014 Quad final when he really showed his mettle as a Year 10.

“We beat Nelson 5-0 in a Whanganui mudbath. The first-half possession and territory stats were 98 per cent to 2 per cent. I still have a photo of that,” Ah Kuoi laughed.

“I was playing blindside. They had this beast, No.8, bumping off our older guys at will. He was scary. I remember he ran at me after a scrum in our 22. Somehow, I managed to hold him up. From there, we won a penalty. That moment and tournament didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but looking back, it was a massive part of my rugby journey, with the connections I developed, not to mention the love of playing pressure rugby.”

Following his Wellington College First XV career, Ah Kohi was presented with a commemorative jersey to acknowledge 70 appearances for his school, a number of games unlikely to be matched by anyone else. Coach Lincoln Rawles, who coached several Hurricanes, paid tribute to Ah Kuoi.

“Versatile, tough, skilful, Naitoa was an outstanding player. Just as important was his contribution off the field. He’s a big personality, drawing people in with his humour, intelligence, insight, and humility.”