Off the back of a blistering start, the Chiefs have spoiled the party in Wellington to knockout the Hurricanes and set up a mouth-watering New Zealand derby against the Blues in the 2024 Super Rugby final.
After stunning tries by Samipeni Finau and Cortez Ratima, the Chiefs scored two tries inside six minutes and led 17-0 after 15 minutes to set up a stunning 30-19 win at Sky Stadium on Saturday evening.
While Peter Lakai hit back for the Hurricanes in the 20th minute, mistakes, including Josh Moorby’s fumble in the process of touching down out wide, which would have cut the margin to a single point with 20 minutes to run, hurt the home side’s chances of hosting this year’s final.
Damian McKenzie celebrates the Chiefs’ Super Rugby semi-final win over the Hurricanes at Sky Stadium on June 15, 2024. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Instead, the Blues, who were denied top spot in the regular season after the Chiefs scored a late try against the Aucklanders in the final match earlier this month to deny them a bonus point win, will host the final at Eden Park next Saturday evening.
“I’m just really proud of the boys,” captain Luke Jacobson said.
“We had a really good plan throughout the week and we just came out here and we trusted it, we were accurate, maybe not fully all the time, but I’m just really proud that we came out here and executed.”
Former Highlanders lock turned pundit Joe Wheeler celebrated the contest and said the win was down to the Chiefs’ tenacity and quality at the breakdown and in defence.
“Drama. It had it all,” he said on Sky.
“I think that just sums up the culture, the character, the attitude of this Chiefs team.
“Yeah, they’ve been asleep at times but they are coming right at the right time of the competition. If I’ve ever seen a warning shot, it was tonight – built on a defensive effort, which was absolutely outstanding and relentless.”
But the win came at a loss with gun hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho forced off in the 22nd minute with a calf injury.
The All Blacks rake pulled out of a tackle on Lakai near his own line and then limped off, leaving his hopes of playing in next week’s final at long odds.
The Chiefs could well be without both matchday hookers, with Bradley Slater also suffering an injury late in the match despite trying to fight on.
Brett Cameron of the Hurricanes looks dejected after losing to the Chiefs in their semi-final at Sky Stadium, on June 15, 2024, in Wellingt. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
The Chiefs had many heroes, but no more than rising 21-year-old back-rower Wallace Sititi.
The number eight made the defining play in the 61st minute when he intercepted centre field from a Brett Cameron short ball and ran 50 metres.
Seconds later, the Chiefs were over for their third try via Daniel Rona, and the Hurricanes’ momentum was stopped dead in its tracks.
Sititi also managed to be in the right place and right time when he gobbled up possession from an Etene Nanai-Suturo chip kick and combined with Jacobson to send halfback Cortez Ratima in to score in the sixth minute.
“I don’t know if you’ve been watching all year, but he’s been going pretty good since he came on,” back-row partner Jacobson added. “He took it to another level, he’s a special kid and he’s got a huge future.”
While both sides scored three tries, Chiefs playmaker Damien McKenzie was the difference with the boot banging over three penalties and conversions to finish the evening with 15 points.
The Hurricanes will look back and rue their inaccuracy.
Josh Moorby spilt the ball in the process of trying to score midway through the second half at Sky Stadium. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
The home side conceded 22 turnovers to the Chiefs’ seven, with the visitors disrupting the home side’s ball, especially in the final 20 minutes.
Hurricanes skipper Brad Shields bemoaned the Hurricanes’ slow start and missed chances in both halves.
“It’s pretty gutting,” Shields said.
“I think early on, the first two tries the Chiefs got up, it was a bit of a shock, I suppose, and then a first last pass efforts, we left a little bit out there unfortunately and we’re just really gutted because if we look back on our season, we were extremely proud of what we’ve been able to achieve and put ourselves in a really good position, but we just couldn’t get there tonight which is tough to take.”
The Hurricanes can’t say they weren’t helped either, with the visitors losing Samipeni Finau (high tackle) and Jacobson (late tackle) to yellow cards in either half.
The home side was also fortunate to get away with a high shot of their own, with Perenara fortunate not to be shown a card himself for a head on head high tackle which occurred just minutes after Jacobson was sent to the sin bin for a dubious card.