Overview
- The Crusaders beat the Chiefs 36-32 on Friday with captain David Havili’s 50/22 and late try securing their place in the Super Rugby Pacific finals.
- The Chiefs’ seven-match winning run, which began in late March, ended in Christchurch after a close contest that the hosts finished strongest.
- The Hurricanes claimed the top seed with a 45-28 win over the Highlanders on Saturday, a match that featured an early red card to Daniel Lienert-Brown and Josh Moorby’s opening try.
- Key absences and injuries are shaping selection conversations ahead of the knockouts, including Caleb Tangitau’s ruptured Achilles and other late-season fitness questions.
- Home form is proving decisive as the Crusaders remain unbeaten at One New Zealand Stadium this season and the Hurricanes enter the playoffs as the competition’s highest-scoring and stingiest defence.