Super Rugby final: the Chiefs take on the Crusaders' unbeaten home playoff record

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Chiefs are aiming to send head coach Clayton McMillan out on a winning note when they face the Crusaders on Saturday in the Super Rugby Pacific final.
McMillan will leave New Zealand after the final to coach Munster in Ireland. He has guided the Hamilton- based Chiefs to the final in each of the last three seasons but doesn't yet have a title to show for it.
The Chiefs have made the pace throughout the season, finishing in first place at the end of the regular season. They stumbled in the first round of playoffs, losing to the Auckland-based Blues, but returned in the semifinals as the highest-ranked loser.
The Chiefs beat the Canberra-based Brumbies 37-17 in last weekend's semis and now take on the Crusaders, a franchise with a daunting 31-0 record in home playoffs since Super Rugby began in 1996.
They have named an unchanged starting 15 for the final, which includes 10 All Blacks. There are two changes on the bench, where All Blacks prop Aiden Ross and winger Etene Nanai-Seturo return to add more experience.
'We've built real continuity across the season and that will serve us well in Christchurch,' McMillan said. 'The Crusaders have proven time and again that they know how to lift in finals footy.
'They're clinical, composed and proud of their home record. We're ready for a good final fight.'
The Chiefs beat the Crusaders twice during the regular season, once last year and twice in 2023.
'We don't have any fear about going down to Christchurch and playing the Crusaders,' McMillan said. 'We're one team that's had our fair share of success down there.
'We know it's not going to be easy. They've got a formidable record and are a quality team.'
The Chiefs players are determined after reaching the championship match in each of the last two seasons to take the next step and to win the title for the first time since 2013.
'Do it for (McMillan),' All Blacks flyhalf Damian McKenzie said. 'Do it for the region. Do it for our fans and our families.
'The support we've had throughout the year has been amazing. We've been disappointed in the last few years where we haven't quite been able to win a final. So it's not only just doing it for guys who are leaving, it's also for guys who have been here in the past.'
The Crusaders will try to win the Super Rugby title for the 13th time. They won the title in seven straight seasons under Scott Robertson but slumped last year, winning only four matches under new head coach Rob Penney.
Crusaders management ignored pressure to replace Penney at the end of last season and that decision has been vindicated with another final appearance.
The Crusaders scrum is a major strength and will be bolstered on Saturday by the return of All Blacks loosehead prop Tamaiti Williams, who missed the 21-14 semifinal win over the Blues. Winger Chay Fihaki is sidelined with a concussion and will be replaced by Macca Springer, who will play on the left wing, Sevu Reece on the right.
Penney said the club's past record will have no part in the final.
'History is history ... we're not even thinking about that,' he said. 'We're just thinking about the contest ahead of us. We're at home in front of our people and it's going to be such a magic occasion.'
___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New York Times

an hour ago

• New York Times

Benfica 6 Auckland City 0: Lage's patience tested as underdogs dig deep

Benfica recorded their first win of the Club World Cup on Friday, beating Auckland City 6-0 in Orlando. But it wasn't an entirely comfortable ride for the Portuguese side. Auckland, who were beaten 10-0 by Bayern Munich in their first game of the tournament, were much improved on their second outing, frustrating Benfica with a solid defensive structure and an inspired performance from goalkeeper Nathan Garrow. Advertisement After firing 18 shots at the Auckland goal without success, an increasingly-frustrated Benfica finally found a route to goal from the penalty spot in first-half added time. World Cup winner Angel Di Maria converted from 12 yards, sending Garrow the wrong way before calmly passing into the net. The second-half restart was delayed by more than two hours due to heavy rain and thunderstorms, killing any opportunity for Benfica to carry their momentum into the second period. After the lengthy suspension of play, Auckland came out impressively in the second half, looking to get back on level terms. However, their hope was short-lived as striker Vangelis Pavlidis added a second in the 54th minute after an impressive moment of individual skill. Renato Sanches added a third from the bench as the floodgates opened. Defeat means the side from New Zealand are unable to qualify for the knockout stages. The Athletic's Elias Burke analyses the game's key talking points. While Auckland put up a valiant effort in the first half, the chasm in quality between the sides meant the result was inevitable; for Benfica, it was always a question of how many goals they'd score. Given Bayern's comprehensive margin of victory, they may regret not taking more of their chances. With Bayern as the considerable favourite to progress as group winners, the number of goals scored against Auckland may be the decisive factor in whether Benfica or Boca Juniors progress as runners-up. Frustration began to build within the Benfica camp as they struggled to break down the opposition, culminating in head coach Bruno Lage and midfielder Orkun Kokcu having what appeared to be an argument on the sidelines (pictured above) as the latter was substituted on the hour. Even after Barreiro put the result beyond any reasonable doubt with a fourth goal fifteen minutes later, Lage frantically demanded more goals from the sidelines, presumably recognising the importance of goal difference in this group. Should Boca avoid a big defeat to Bayern, Benfica's relatively modest margin of victory may offer some encouragement. For Lage's side, it may mean they go into the final game needing to draw or win against one of the favourites to lift the trophy on July 13. After their 10-0 defeat to Bayern last Sunday, you'd be forgiven for expecting Benfica to cut through Auckland's defence with similar ease — but they were much better prepared to frustrate their opponents at the Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando. Auckland are accustomed to being the imposing team and somewhat naively set up in their usual 4-3-3 formation against Bayern Munich, ready to go toe-to-toe with the German champions. Manager Paul Posa learned his lesson against Benfica, switching to 5-2-3, offering goalkeeper Garrow more protection in defence. Advertisement The result will have surprised even the most optimistic Auckland fan. While Benfica frequently got into promising goalscoring positions, Auckland's defence held firm, with Garrow delivering what must have been the most impressive performance of his young career. The 20-year-old made seven saves in the first half, preventing an xG of 0.55 — highlighting the admirable job the outfielders did in limiting Benfica to low-percentage goalscoring opportunities. There was a fair amount of luck involved, too. When Benfica looked set to convert from close range, forces seemed to conspire against them to ensure a shot landed inches wide of Garrow's post. On the odd occasion, Auckland broke out from their half and threatened to launch a counter-attack. Fans must have dared to dream that those forces would somehow work in their favour to score an unlikely first goal in the tournament. However, it wasn't to be. Angel Di Maria calmly converted a penalty on the stroke of half-time, putting Benfica into a 1-0 lead. Given the chasm in quality, one goal was perhaps unassailable for Auckland, whose highlight of the tournament may be frustrating a European giant for so long. For Garrow, it was an exhibition of his talent on the world stage. Given his age and the fact his semi-professional contract expires at the end of the year, sporting directors from around Europe and beyond will undoubtedly be assessing his situation on the hunt for a potential bargain. Auckland City represent the Club World Cup's most unique story. In a tournament packed with European and South American heritage (as well as the financial strength of Saudi Arabia), Auckland City are an amateur club with a squad of part-time players — some of whom are taking annual leave (P.T.O) to play on the biggest stage of their careers. Advertisement They arrive in the United States as minnows — with their 10-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in their first game illustrating just how large the gulf in class is — but back in their home continent of Oceania, they're the giants. They compete in the New Zealand National League (after qualifying through the regional Northern League), the strongest league in the Oceania Football Confederation, as Australia's professional A-League competition is under the Asian equivalent, and are four-time defending champions. They qualified for the Club World Cup by lifting the OFC Champions League, a tournament they have won in 12 of the last 15 seasons. In the previous four years, they have beaten teams from Tahiti, Fiji and Papua New Guinea in the final, a far cry from Bayern, Benfica or Boca Juniors — arguably the most famous clubs of their respective major footballing nations. Still, they're not complete walkovers. Their players returned from the 2014 Club World Cup with bronze medals after beating Liga MX club Cruz Azul in a third-place play-off, though the result in the opening match may rule out any possibility of that happening this time around. Tuesday, June 24: Bayern Munich, Club World Cup group stage (Charlotte), 3pm ET, 8pm UK Tuesday, June 24: Boca Juniors, Club World Cup group stage (Nashville), 3pm ET, 8pm UK You can sign up to DAZN to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game for free

Yahoo

2 hours ago

• Yahoo

Broncos Predicted to Topple Chiefs For AFC West Title

Broncos Predicted to Topple Chiefs For AFC West Title originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Denver Broncos are one of the hottest teams this NFL offseason, adding big-time pieces to an already vaunted defense while also seemingly improving on offense. With a mix of youth and veteran leadership, the Broncos are positioning themselves well for a big season. Advertisement According to Jeffrey Chadiha of the Broncos have improved so much that Chadiha believes they are ready to topple the Kansas City Chiefs for an AFC West division win this season. "The Broncos have an elite defense, and it looks like they landed a franchise quarterback in Bo Nix in last year's draft," Chadiha said. "We know [Sean] Payton can coach up the offense, especially as the Broncos add more playmakers." The Chiefs have won the division every season since 2016, but the Broncos proved themselves as a team capable of giving Kansas City fits. In November of 2024, the Chiefs squeaked out a 16-14 win over Denver at Arrowhead Stadium. Then, in Week 18, the Broncos beat a Chiefs squad that was resting its starters. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton greet each other after the game at Empower Field at Mile J. Downing-Imagn Images Chadiha also noted that the AFC West is stronger across the board, with all four teams having head coaches who have reached or won a Super Bowl. He thinks that levels the playing field. Especially for Denver, who he believes is the best team outside of Kansas City in the division. Advertisement "With the other teams also creating more resistance to the Chiefs... Denver will earn its first [AFC West] crown since Peyton Manning was their quarterback," Chadiha said. That was 10 years ago. Related: Broncos' WR Troy Franklin Named Breakout Candidate This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.

Forbes

2 hours ago

• Forbes

Reid, Campbell, McVay Head The 2025 Class Of NFL's Best Head Coaches

Patrick Mahomes walked off the field with Andy Reid after another Chiefs' home victory. (Photo by ... More) Getty Images There is very little resting at top for the best coaches in the NFL. Andy Reid is generally conceded to be the best head coach in the league since the end of Bill Belichick's term with the New England Patriots. Experience is his No. 1 factor, but it is not the reason that the Chiefs and Reid have won three Super Bowls in the last six seasons and been to two other Super Bowls. He has a brilliantly talented quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, perhaps the best the game has ever seen. Reid knows how to relate to Mahomes and his other key players better than his peers. He comes across as a funny uncle when dealing with the media, but he is straightforward and honest when working with Mahomes. He has elevated the quarterback's game by getting him to see the full field at all times and understanding where he can take advantage of defensive weaknesses and what areas he must avoid. When it comes to building and massaging a gameplan, no coach is better than Reid. Climbing the ladder is Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions, and he comes from the old school. These disciplined coaches helped make the league what it is today. The greatest coaches the game has ever seen – Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, Don Shula, Bill Parcells and Belichick – all had the old-school elements of discipline underscoring their coaching technique. It is much harder for a coach to employ this way of coaching in the modern game. Players have too many questions that they want answered and if Campbell has to explain every coaching move, his team will not accomplish what he wants it to in a given practice session or game. So, he will answer the questions that the room needs to be answered. It makes the old-school, my-way-or-the-highway fade into the background, but players know that Campbell is the boss and he is in charge of all aspects of the product. He clearly does the job his way. Early phenom McVay is an established offensive leader Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates another touchdown against the Seattle ... More Seahawks. (Photo by) Getty Images Sean McVay is in his 9th season as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. He came into his position as a 30-year-old-phenom, but now he is a 39-year-old leader who knows how to push every button to get the most out of his most important players. McVay is constantly tinkering with his plan of attack so that he is a step or two ahead of the competition. The most consistent aspect of his coaching style has been his strong lean towards versatility. 'You figure out a way to attack the scheme and then you make sure your players can handle their assignments," McVay said' The Rams will stay with player X as long as they can, but if McVay notices some slippage, he will not hesitate to make a change. Hence, Cooper Kupp is no longer with the Rams and Davante Adams take over his position. John Harbaugh is entering his 18th season, and the Ravens have made the playoffs in 12 of the past 17 years. They have also been to the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons, but the Ravens have just one Super Bowl triumph in the Harbaugh era and that is frustrating. Harbaugh keeps his fingers in all areas of team building, but his greatest strength is his ability to evaluate offensive and defensive line execution. He makes sure Lamar Jackson has excellent blockers in front of him so he can make key plays with his arm or legs. There is no slippage in this area from year to year and the main reason the Ravens will remain in contention year over year. The Minnesota Viking have made a lot of noise under head coach Kevin O'Connell. They won the division in 2022 during his first year on the job as he coaxed a brilliant year out of quarterback Kirk Cousins. O'Connelll was ready to move on from Cousins last year and give the job to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but the former Michigan standout suffered a knee injury in the team's first preseason game and was lost for the year. There was no panic as the Vikings had signed retread quarterback Sam Darnold to man the position in case of emergency. He led the Vikings to winning streaks of 5 and 9 games and a 14-3 record. Now Darnold will play quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks as the quarterback whisperer believes McCarthy is ready to take over. If he is right, there is little doubt that O'Connell will belong in the pantheon of the NFL's best current coaches. His ability to coach players at the most important position on the field cannot be overstated.