All-New Zealand Super Rugby Pacific semifinals confirmed

SATURDAY WRAP: The Chiefs and Crusaders powered to handsome Super Rugby play-off wins on Saturday to ensure four New Zealand teams will contest the semifinals.

The Chiefs pulled away to beat the Queensland Reds 46-24 in Hamilton, in the last game for Reds coach Les Kiss before he takes charge of the Wallabies.

The defending Crusaders scored eight tries, including a hat-trick to veteran fullback Johnny McNicholl to see off the Auckland Blues 52-31 in Christchurch and extend their remarkable unbeaten home record in play-off matches to 33.

The Chiefs will host the Crusaders next week while the top-qualifying Hurricanes are at home to the Blues, who advanced as the highest-ranked losing team from the weekend’s qualifying finals.

The exit of the Reds and Brumbies, who were thrashed 66-12 by the Hurricanes on Friday, means one country will provides all four semifinalists for the first time.

The Reds were in the contest at 17-22 down in the 100th match for their Wallabies flanker Fraser McReight.

However, that milestone, and the prospect of Kiss ending his three-season tenure at Queensland, weren’t enough to lift them past the impressive Chiefs in wet conditions.

All Blacks playmaker Damian McKenzie starred in the second half for the winners, crossing for two tries and ending with 26 points. Winger Kyren Taumoefolau also dotted down twice.

Chiefs loose forward Wallace Sititi was forced from the field in the first half with an apparent heady injury following a heavy tackle from Reds lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, who was shown a yellow card.

Earlier, the Blues paid for their ill discipline, conceding four tries during 20 minutes before halftime when they were reduced to 14 players.

Loose forward Malachi Wrampling’s yellow card was upgraded to red on review following a jolting tackle on Leicester Fainga’anuku in the 19th minute when the scores were locked at 7-7.

It proved pivotal as the home side powered to a 33-14 lead at the interval, crossing through backs McNicholl, David Havili, Chay Fihaki and Taha Kemara, after Sevu Reece had dotted down early on.

With the Blues restored to full numbers in the second half, they were more competitive.

However, they struggled to contain 35-year-old McNicholl, the former Wales international who crossed for two out of their three second-half tries, with the other scored by reserve Manumaua Letiu.

The Blues, who were without injured All Blacks playmaker Beauden Barrett, scored five tries, through Sam Nock, Anton Segner, Xavi Taele, Payton Spencer and Caleb Clarke.

Prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi made his 165th appearance for the Blues, the most by any player.

FINALS SERIES WEEK TWO – SEMIFINALS

FRIDAY, JUNE 12

19.05 NZST – Chiefs (2) vs. Crusaders (3) – FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton

SATURDAY, JUNE 13

19.05 NZST – Hurricanes (1) vs. Blues (4) – Hnry Stadium, Wellington

See below for Saturday’s scores and scorers! 

Chiefs 46-24 Reds

The scorers:

For Chiefs:
Tries: Taumoefolau 2, Taukei’aho, McKenzie 2, Hutchinson
Cons: McKenzie 5
Pens: McKenzie 2

For Reds:
Tries: Salakaia-Loto, Ross, Faessler
Cons: Gordon 3
Pen: Gordon

Teams:

Chiefs: 15 Isaac Hutchinson, 14 Liam Coombes-Fabling, 13 Kyle Brown, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Kyren Taumoefolau, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Luke Jacobson, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Josh Lord, 3 Sione Ahio, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ollie Norris.
Replacement: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Jared Proffit, 18 George Dyer, 19 Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Josh Jacomb, 23 Leroy Carter.

Reds: 15 Jock Campbell, 14 Lachie Anderson, 13 Josh Flook, 12 Filipo Daugunu, 11 Tim Ryan, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 Tate McDermott, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Fraser McReight (captain), 6 Joe Brial, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Josh Canham, 3 Zane Nonggorr, 2 Josh Nasser, 1 Aidan Ross.
Replacements: 16 Matt Faessler, 17 George Blake, 18 Massimo De Lutiis, 19 Hamish Muller, 20 Vaiuta Latu, 21 Kalani Thomas, 22 Ben Volavola, 23 Treyvon Pritchard.

Referee: James Doleman
Assistant referees: Marcus Playle, Fraser Hannon
TMO: Glenn Newman

Cusaders 52-31 Blues

The scorers:

For Crusaders:
Tries: Reece, McNicholl 3, Havili, Fihaki, Kemara, Letiu
Cons: Kemara 5, Reihana

For Blues:
Tries: Nock, Segner, Taele, Spencer, Clarke
Cons: Sullivan 3

Teams:

Crusaders: 15 Johnny McNicholl, 14 Chay Fihaki, 13 Dallas McLeod, 12 David Havili (captain), 11 Sevu Reece, 10 Taha Kemara, 9 Noah Hotham, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 7 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Jamie Hannah, 4 Antonio Shalfoon, 3 George Bower, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Finlay Brewis.
Replacements: 16 Manumaua Leitu, 17 Jack Sexton, 18 Gus Brown, 19 Tahlor Cahill, 20 Dom Gardiner, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Rivez Reihana, 23 Braydon Ennor.

Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 AJ Lam, 13 Xavi Taele, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 9 Sam Nock, 8 Malachi Wrampling, 7 Anton Segner, 6 Torian Barnes, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu, 3 Marcel Renata, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi.
Replacements: 16 Eli Oudenryn, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Flyn Yates, 19 Josh Beehre, 20 Hoskins Sotutu, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Corey Evans, 23 Payton Spencer.

Referee: Nic Berry
Assistant referees: Reuben Keane, Louis Trisley
TMO: Brett Cronan