The top two ranked teams from the regular 16-round season have made their through the finals series to the Grand Final. After months of heart-stopping rugby action, only the CRUSADERS and CHIEFS are left standing in his year’s Super Pacific league title. The reformatted playoffs have turned out to be a little predictable, despite the late surging Auckland BLUES rolling the CHIEFS and only being a metre away from taking the CRUSADERS into extra time. The Chiefs defeated the Brumbies 37-17 in Hamilton last Saturday and are now traveling south, hoping for another long-awaited title. However, securing a victory against the Crusaders at home is a mammoth task for any side, let alone in a winner-takes-all North v South final at a chilly Apollo Project Stadium.

CANTERBURY CRUSADERS

Following a disappointing 2024 season where they finished into 9th place, the Crusaders demonstrated remarkable resilience, achieving a significant turnaround in fortunes. It was only back in 2023 that the Crusaders made another final and adding to their eight titles from nine appearances. The Christchurch-based Crusaders won seven straight titles under head coach Scott Robertson but endured a torrid season last year after he left to take charge of the All Blacks. Nevertheless, their achievements this year can be attributed to a return to previously successful, foundational franchise strategies - they know what it takes, and most importantly, they know how to win. It’s just like old times in Christchurch, as the Crusaders are back to hosting playoff matches and making finals. Having a damn fine starting 15 doesn't hurt, boasting talent such as captain Scott Barrett, Will Jordan, Braydon Ennor, David Havilli and Sevu Reece.

The two sides met in Round 13, in a clash that many were claiming would be the preview to the final. A top of the table clash between two great rivals - the Chiefs and the Crusaders - in front of a passionate sellout crowd in Christchurch saw the Waikato men claw their way back into the contest, then pull away to win convincingly 35-19. The Crusaders would have learned plenty from that encounter, and it must still be hurting. The Canterbury lads just weren't ruthless enough and were unable to counter and showed a lack of discipline, which is unusual for them. To win they will need to control from the outset and lay a platform in the first 20mins. Let the Chiefs dominate and get of top of them, then it all gets a bit harder.

The Crusaders recovered from 14 points down to beat the Blues 21-14 in an epic semi-final. The men in red and black may need to show the same fortitude, after conceding the first two tries against the Blues, who later bore down on the Crusaders tryline for more than six minutes after the final hooter had sounded. Once the Crusaders find momentum, they are tough to stop - but they ain't unstoppable. If they aim to spread the game and use their slick outside backs effectively, then the Crusaders can rack up early points and look to keep the pressure on.

All three Crusaders’ defeats this season had one thing in common: the red and blacks were overpowered and leaked tries in bunches. They appeared to have no answers to whatever questions the opposition were asking. However they held out 38 phases against the Blues to emerge victorious, whereas the Chiefs could not withstand the Blues onslaught late in the piece. That will give them a huge amount of confidence ahead of the competition showpiece on Saturday night. But beyond that the belief and understanding in their defensive system, the cold and wet conditions they seem to love so much could give them a slight edge in Christchurch.

Can the Southern men win another final? Of course - they are one of the most successful franchises in world sport and the red and black blooded Cantabs rejoice at their blue chip success - losing never seems an option. The Crusaders are unbeaten in 31 home final contests and will want to keep their perfect record intact to make it 32 straight. With 80 minutes elapsed, another resounding victory seems imminent. But don't be surprised if this game goes the full distance, or even extra time to find a winner.

WAIKATO CHIEFS

The Waikato franchise have enjoyed a strong season and fully deserve to be in this year's Super Rugby Pacific final. The Chiefs were by far the best side during the regular season, winning matches by an average of more than 24 points per game. Coach Clayton McMillan will leave the Chiefs after the final as he heads to Ireland to coach Munster and he has been instrumental in getting his boys up each week. The Chiefs are looking to recapture their glory days of 2012 and 2013 when they won back-to-back titles, having lost in the final three times since - including last year to the Blues.

Chiefs Mana has taken a serious hit in the last couple of years as the side has done literally everything except win a title. Waikato Draught has never tasted so bitter after the last two finals, especially since the last one was an absolute flogging at the hands of the Blues in front of 47,000 Aucklanders who have been more than happy to rub it in for the last year.

But they do have the little dynamo Damien McKenzie in their back pocket and look a more robust and powerful side from last season. McKenzie kicked eight from nine shots at goal last week, was disappointed with his defensive effort in the lead up to Toole's second try, but made up for it with one of the try-savers of the season on Brumbies fullback Tom Wright. If he fires the then whole team will follow. McKenzie is the competition’s best playmaker, leading a unit that scored the most tries (75) in the league in the regular season, and plenty of support around him means that the Chiefs can blow teams away with devastating force, chalking them down as the favorite to snatch their first title in 12 years.

This season the Chiefs are once again stacked with talent and prepared to give it everything in pursuit of victory. They now boast an All Black inside back pairing, a rising star in Josh Jacomb, perhaps test rugby's form lock last season in Tupou Vaa'i and the usual firepower out wide with Emoni Narawa and Etene Nanai-Seturo. They can count on decent home support too, with FMG Stadium Waikato consistently drawing good crowds to support their team. A notable improvement lies in the team's resilience. While this team consistently demonstrates a high level of commitment and perseverance, past performance indicates a tendency towards dropping their heads during challenging periods in a match when the pressure comes on. This team consistently demonstrates commendable commitment and perseverance; however, past performance suggests a tendency to falter under pressure during challenging periods in a match.

Not so against a rampaging Blues side in the Quarter final, where the local lads fought tenaciously for 80mins, only to be pipped after the hooter had sounded. Thankfully due to the new format they were given a lifeline, otherwise the Chiefs would have been ousted from the playoffs by the defending champs. That setback appeared to only fortified their determination, which they subsequently demonstrated a week later.

Their impressive victory against the Brumbies in the semi-final demonstrates their strong belief that this is their year, and the Canterbury team will need a top-notch performance to defeat them. The Mooloo men shouldn't fear going down to Christchurch and playing the Crusaders. They are one team with our fair share of success down there, but know it won't be easy. This is their destiny. Their performance demonstrates a resolute team with minimal vulnerabilities, suggesting a strong likelihood of a Chiefs championship. The only saving grace - less cowbells in Christchurch.