The seven best performers from the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals

Shortly after the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals started on Friday night, a fire broke out at Wellington airport.

Are the Chiefs too hot to handle a weary traveller, asked. The Crusaders had their 18-game playoff winning streak snapped in a cathartic crushing in Hamilton.

The Chiefs’ 49-12 thrashing of the defending champions was the Crusaders’ biggest losing margin, surpassing the 52-16 loss to the Queensland Reds in Brisbane in 1996.

It was 42-7 at halftime in the Chiefs’ first playoff win against the 15-time champions since 2013. In that 20-19 semi-final success, Lelia Masaga scored one of his 38 tries for the Chiefs. Aaron Cruden compiled 15 points, including a try. Daniel Carter converted a try by Israel Dagg and booted four penalties for the Crusaders.

In Wellington, Hurricanes supporters had cause for apprehension at halftime, as the battling Blues trailed only 19-14. The second half was riotous with 38 unanswered points before the precocious Eli Oudenryn showed he could foot it at the World Cup.

The “Fins Up” celebration was a bit of a “prima donna” moment from a kid who’ll get plenty of attention in the next few seasons.

A text from a surly Crusaders fan: “Which perennial choker tastes champagne next Saturday

“Not you” was a curt reply.

Unquestionably, the two best teams have made the final. Tickets go on sale at 10 am Tuesday and are expected to sell out. Beware, genuine fans, the Swifties are lurking.

Who were the best performers in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals?

Damian McKenzie (Chiefs)

In his 150th Super Rugby match, McKenzie achieved his 100th victory and 50th at FMG Stadium in Hamilton. His kicking found space or created contests. His best was a left-foot nudge that led to an old-fashioned dribbling try for winger Kyren Taumoefolau.

McKenzie made a linebreak in the 22nd minute, supplied the last pass for a Leroy Carter try at 30 minutes, and kicked all seven conversions. Only Crusaders Daniel Carter (298) and Richie Mo’unga (244) have scored more playoff points than McKenzie’s 235.

Liam Messam holds the Chiefs record for most wins with 107 in 183 games, Sam Cane had 98 in 150 appearances, and Brodie Retallick had 85 in 128. Each of those players won the championship in 2012 and 2013, which McKenzie has not achieved in five finals.

Another statistic illustrating McKenzie’s consistency is that the Chiefs have had the most wins since 2021, with 71 victories, followed by the Crusaders and Blues with 66, the Brumbies with 60, and the Hurricanes with 57.

Lalakai Foketi (Chiefs) 

Had only started three of eight matches before the semi, with his last start on May 15 in a 42-12 win against the Highlanders in Hamilton.

The former Wallaby was in rare form, floating a skip pass to spot an unmarked Kyren Taumoefolau for the first try and then making a linebreak from a scrum to set up fullback Isaac Hutchinson. His best effort was in the 33rd minute, supporting a Liam Coombes-Fabling breakout at halfway and positioning lock Tupou Vaa’i for the finish.

Samisoni Taukei’aho (Chiefs)

Nine carries and 11 tackles, including a huge hit on All Blacks prop Fletcher Newell, plus his 12th try of the season, equalled the Chiefs record shared by Shaun Stevenson (2023) and Roger Randdle (2002).

It was another productive night for the 43-Test All Blacks hooker. The Chiefs have the most accurate lineout in the competition, the only team at over 90 per cent, nearly ten per cent better than the Hurricanes. Could this be a telling difference on Saturday?

Dom Gardiner (Crusaders) 

Entered the rubble in the 34th minute and produced a whole-hearted display, leading the carry count for the Crusaders while he was on the field. Additionally, he covered a Damian McKenzie kick that could have yielded another try for the hosts and held up Josh Jacomb late in proceedings.

Gardiner was close to the Crusaders’ best in their 35-20 win over the Waratahs on April 25, but only started one of the next six games as the ascent of Leicester Fainga’anuku gained unstoppable momentum.

A former head prefect at St Bede’s College, Dom, like his father, Angus Gardiner, won a Super Rugby title with the Crusaders. However, if limited opportunity continues for the versatile All Blacks XV backrower, will he look elsewhere? An underrated talent.

Warner Dearns (Hurricanes)

The Japanese captain would walk into the All Blacks starting XV. Imagine him alongside Fabian Holland?

Secured two-thirds of the Hurricanes’ lineout possession, hit the breakdowns like a cannon, and his gutbusting run and offload (while sitting down) to Josh Moorby in the 63rd minute would have been a better try than the one eventually scored by Ere Enari in the same attack sequence.

If Dearns wins next Saturday, he ranks alongside 121-Test Argentina international Pablo Matera as the greatest single-season New Zealand Super Rugby import. Matera joined the Crusaders from Stade Français in 2022 and basked in Super Rugby championship glory, earning three official man-of-the-match awards.

Cam Roigard (Hurricanes)

You know you’re good when the crowd starts to speculate about when you should be replaced, with the game won ahead of next week. Another livewire hour from the world’s best halfback. His quick tap and 40-meter break after an exaggerated tumble created the impetus for the Hurricanes’ first try.

Roigard scored two of his own to boost his season tally to nine in 13 games. Since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Roigard has scored 23 tries in 35 first-class matches, with 26 wins and only a single loss in his last 12 appearances.

On the subject of losses, the Blues suffered five consecutive defeats for the first time since March 2, 2019, when they were beaten 23-19 by the Jaguars. That losing streak started with the Hurricanes at Hnry Stadium on July 7, 2018, when the Hurricanes powered to a 42-24 triumph. Ngani Laumape scored four tries.

The Blues conceded 169 points in that dire stretch, which is better than the 251 conceded in this diabolical run. The Blues’ longest losing streak is nine matches, from July 5, 2014, to April 4, 2015.

Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes)

Scored his 32nd try in 124 appearances to start the rout after three minutes. His fingerprints were all over the Hurricanes’ best moments.

In the 51st minute, he smashed opposite rookie Xavier Taele, forcing a turnover. A minute later, a cross kick from right to left was caught by Kini Naholo, who chest-passed to Asafo Aumua.

The rampant hooker fended off Torain Barnes, the Blues’ top tackler with 17, and steamrolled Stephen Perofeta in a gargantuan 25-meter burst. It was the best try he’s scored since circling All Blacks winger George Bridge and scampering 75 meters in Wellington’s record 60-14 NPC win against Canterbury in 2017.

Later, Barrett delivered a sneaky shortside pass to Naholo that sparked the big Fijian’s try that raised the Hurricanes’ half-century for the seventh time in 2026. Naholo has six tries in six appearances this season. Fellow wingers Fehi Fineanganofo and Josh Moorby have combined for 30 tries; Barrett is a big part of this prolific spree.