Crusaders edge Chiefs in gripping Super Rugby Pacific Final

MATCH REPORT: Flyhalf Rivez Reihana produced a man-of-the-match performance as the Crusaders edged the Chiefs 16-12 in their Super Rugby Pacific Final in Christchurch on Saturday.

It was a gripping match with only one point separating the two sides at half-time. The only points of the second half came via a 72nd-minute penalty by Reihana.

The 25-year-old scored 11 points with his boot, which proved decisive in the tight contest.

The victory adds to the Crusaders’ incredible Super Rugby stats. They have now won 13 of their 17 Grand Finals, and it’s seven out of seven at home.

For the Chiefs, they are the second team to lose three consecutive Finals after the Lions did it between 2016 and 2018.

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The final siren sounds at the Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final 🤩#SuperRugbyPacific #CRUvCHI #SRPGrandFinal pic.twitter.com/mj8fYacZJk

— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) June 21, 2025

The Crusaders looked like they were ready for business with ball in hand in the opening few minutes.

However, the Chiefs won a few scrum penalties early on, which turned the tables a bit.

After weathering a storm by the Chiefs, the home side suffered a blow when captain David Havili was yellow-carded for a head-on-head tackle in the 12th minute.

Not long after that, the visitors made the Crusaders pay when prop George Dyer powered over for a try in the 13th minute, with Damian McKenzie adding the extras with the conversion.

Flyhalf Reihana had the opportunity to get the Crusaders on the board in the 17th minute, but he didn’t have the direction or the distance with his long-range penalty attempt.

The Crusaders eventually found a way through the Chiefs’ defence and it was Codie Taylor who showed his speed to race away from a driving maul to score a five-pointer. Reihana landed a difficult conversion to level the scores.

The momentum started to swing towards the Crusaders. Reihana put his team in front for the first time in the 29th minute with a penalty before he added another in the 35th minute for a six-point lead.

However, the Chiefs had the final say in the first half when wing Shaun Stevenson went over for a try in the corner after sustained pressure by the visitors. McKenzie couldn’t find the direction with his conversion attempt.

With pressure mounting, it was strange to see the Crusaders opt for line-outs instead of poles when they had kickable penalties. It was all wasted opportunities and the Chiefs’ defence held firm.

The visitors also had the chance to regain the lead in the 55th minute, but McKenzie pushed his penalty kick wide.

With just under 20 minutes left on the clock, the Crusaders started to turn on their forward power and after 25 phases with the ball, they were over the tryline, but they were held up.

Havili thought he scored a crucial try in the 66th minute, but the try was ruled out for some offside play by scrumhalf Noah Hotham, who put McKenzie under huge pressure near the Chiefs’ tryline.

Rob Penney’s side eventually won a big scrum penalty in the 71st minute, and Reihana stretched the lead to four points with a three-pointer.

The home side held onto that lead in the final few minutes to add another piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet.

Man of the match: It was a physical encounter and everyone put their bodies on the line. However, the award goes to Crusaders flyhalf Rivez Reihana, who showed the composure needed in pressure situations. His accurate goal-kicking also proved to be vital in the end.

The scorers:

For Crusaders:
Try: Taylor
Con: Reihana
Pens: Reihana 3

For Chiefs:
Tries: Dyer, Stevenson
Con: McKenzie

Yellow card: David Havili (Crusaders, 12′ – foul play, high tackle)

Teams:

CRUSADERS: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Braydon Ennor, 12 David Havili (captain), 11 Macca Springer, 10 Rivez Reihana, 9 Noah Hotham, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 7 Tom Christie, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Antonio Shalfoon, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams.
Replacements: 16 George Bell, 17 George Bower, 18 Seb Calder, 19 Jamie Hannah, 20 Cullen Grace, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 James O’Connor, 23 Dallas McLeod.

CHIEFS: 15 Shaun Stevenson, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Daniel Rona, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Luke Jacobson (captain), 6 Samipeni Finau, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 3 George Dyer, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ollie Norris.
Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Aidan Ross, 18 Reuben O’Neill, 19 Jimmy Tupou, 20 Kaylum Boshier, 21 Xavier Roe, 22 Josh Jacomb, 23 Etene Nanai-Seturo.

Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant referees: Damon Murphy, Matt Kellahan
TMO: Brett Cronan