Josh Jacomb: 'Important to address the elephant in the room'

The Chiefs and Hurricanes have emerged as the two favourites to take the title in the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific race, with both sporting 10-2 records after 14 rounds.

The Chiefs ran up 42-12 winners over the Highlanders on Friday night, while the Hurricanes dispatched the third-placed Blues by 47-24 at Eden Park.

They sit first and second on the table with some breathing room between them, as they compete over the last few rounds for the number one seed and potentially a home final.

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For the Chiefs who have played and lost the last three Super Rugby finals in a row, they won’t ignore history as they attempt to make a fourth consecutive final.

First five-eighth Josh Jacomb, who is headed to the Highlanders next season, said there is “something there” they will need to address.

“You’re not wrong, Piney,” Jacomb said when asked on Jason Pine’s Newstalk ZB Show.

“It’s definitely something there, like it’s important to address the elephant in the room, if we get to that, if we get to that stage, obviously.

“There’s two more games for us, and round robin, and then, and it’s business time, so we’ve got to get there first, one week at a time, but I think if we are lucky and fortunate enough to reach that grand final, then I think it’s important to probably address it.

“But also understand that it’s in the past, and all we can focus on is what’s in front of us, and making sure we’re keeping our feet on the ground and taking the rest of the next five weeks, week-by-week, and if we get there, when we get there, we can put out a performance and get a result.

“Not only us as players and coaches can be proud of, but our whole franchise, our whole club, and our supporters as well.”

The Chiefs will travel to Christchurch to play the Crusaders next week before hosting the Blues in the final round, while the Hurricanes host the Highlanders before also making the trip to Christchurch in the final round.

With the race still on for the top seed and home playoffs for the top three, there is unlikely to be rest for the top New Zealand players.

The Chiefs had a scare with Damian McKenzie, playing at fullback, going down with a knock against the Highlanders.

Jacomb revealed that speaking to McKenzie after the game, he couldn’t remember parts of it.

“It wasn’t nice at all when I was running back on and seeing the position he was in,” he said.

“You never want to see anyone in a position like that, especially a teammate and someone you care for and someone you respect.

“I did get to see him after the game on the field, it was good to see him on his own two feet, and there was a period of time in our conversation that when we were talking about the game, he couldn’t quite remember.”

McKenzie was pulled off after 68 minutes, with Jacomb coming back into the game to finish at fullback.