Last season, the Blues’ shock victory over the Crusaders in Christchurch – their first in 18 years – boosted their hopes of a first significant title since 2003 but ultimately paved the way for the red and blacks to steamroll them in the final at Eden Park.
The Crusaders, still hurting from the 27-23 defeat in round nine, demolished the Blues up front (starting with the home side’s lineout) and the competition showpiece was virtually over at halftime, the champions running out 21-7 winners.
Tomorrow night, the two big New Zealand rivals meet again at the rickety and draughty stadium built as a temporary measure after the Canterbury earthquakes 12 years ago.
It is a cold and inhospitable place for spectators at this time of year but perhaps more so for opposition teams. The Crusaders have never lost a home playoffs match, a record which includes the now demolished Lancaster Park and Nelson’s Trafalgar Park (in aftermath of the earthquakes).
The ultimate prize for the Crusaders and Blues is the same – victory tomorrow and victory in the grand final on June 24.
And the first is likely to help the second goal considerably because no team will want to play the Chiefs in Hamilton a semifinal and both the Blues and Crusaders are currently in the firing line.
The Chiefs, unbeaten after 10 rounds and uncatchable in the regular season but for a catastrophic meltdown, will be assured of a home run through the playoffs if their remaining four matches, starting with the Reds in New Plymouth tonight, play out as expected.
Their quality, consistency and depth of talent across their squad this year under Clayton McMillan is such that it would be hugely surprising to see them drop a game until deep into the playoffs, if at all.
Their toughest final opponent would be the Crusaders due to the pedigree and experience of the red and blacks under Scott Robertson but the Chiefs' defensive strategies and commitment – crucial at that stage of the competition – should instil their supporters with confidence.
The Chiefs’ quarter-final opposition will be the eighth-placed team on the final ladder and their semifinal opposition will be the fourth seeds.
At the moment the Crusaders are fourth, but the Blues and the Hurricanes are also in the frame, although the latter have by far the tougher run-in of the Kiwi teams as they must play the Chiefs, Blues and Crusaders in the final three weeks of the regular season.
The second-placed Brumbies, who all but waved the white flag before their regular season match against the Crusaders in Christchurch, have by far the easiest run-in due to the relative weakness of the Australian sides.
Remarkably, due to the lopsided nature of the competition, the 10th-placed Highlanders remain in the playoff hunt despite winning only three of their 10 games and sitting on 15 competition points. The current eighth-placed team is the Fijian Drua on 17 competition points.
The other intriguing element to not only tomorrow night’s match in Christchurch but the playoffs as a whole is the fact three of the New Zealand teams are coached by individuals who will take charge of the All Blacks next year.
All Blacks head coach elect Scott Robertson will lock horns again with Leon MacDonald in Christchurch after getting one over him in Auckland in March only days before being unveiled in his new role, and Jason Holland’s Hurricanes remain firmly in the playoffs mix.
The rivalry with Robertson is something MacDonald, a former Crusaders teammate and coaching colleague of Robertson’s, touched on this week.
“It’s potentially our last game [against each other]. It would be nice to beat him again one more time somewhere,” he said.
“I don’t like losing to anyone. Razor [Robertson] is no different. I know he’s the same.
“We’ve had no contact yet, and probably not afterwards either. Normally neither of us are great after a loss. But we respect each other, and we move on pretty quickly.”
Regular season run-in for Super Rugby’s contenders
Chiefs (1) (45 points): Reds in New Plymouth (tonight), Hurricanes in Hamilton, Brumbies in Canberra, Force in Perth.
Brumbies (2) (36 points): Highlanders in Canberra (tomorrow), Force in Perth, Chiefs in Canberra, Rebels in Canberra.
Blues (3) (34 points): Crusaders in Christchurch (tomorrow), Reds in Brisbane, Hurricanes in Auckland, Highlanders in Auckland.
Crusaders (4) (33 points): Blues in Christchurch (tomorrow), Moana Pasifika in Auckland, Waratahs in Christchurch, Hurricanes in Wellington.
Hurricanes (5) (32 points): Moana Pasifika in Wellington (tomorrow), Chiefs in Hamilton, Blues in Auckland, Crusaders in Wellington.
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