The Crusaders turned to forward power to beat the Chiefs 16-12 in a tense Super Rugby final on Saturday and clinch a record 15th title.
The home side were out-scored two tries to one in Christchurch, but 11 points from the boot of flyhalf Rivez Reihana proved decisive in a brutal contest dominated by defence.
The Crusaders played no-frills rugby to extend their perfect record to 32 wins in home playoff matches since the competition began in 1996.
The Chiefs finished runners-up for a third successive season, matching the unwanted record of South Africa’s Lions from 2016-18.
The result was a remarkable turnaround for Crusaders coach Rob Penney after his side failed to reach the playoffs last year.
‘Most memorable’
Crusaders fullback Will Jordan said the title was the most memorable of the eight he has won and that his team had been motivated to turn around a forgettable 2024 campaign.
“Where we were end of last year, we had a mountain to climb,” Jordan told Sky TV.
“Everyone had to dig deep. It hasn’t been easy. It’s taken some long hours and some hard conversations. But what a feeling.
“I feel for the Chiefs because they’ve come so close and they threw everything at us. We just found a way to come home in the tight moments,” he said.
The Crusaders have won 11 more titles than any other team, although two of them came during the Covid-19 pandemic when regional competitions were contested.
Match-winners
Ahead 13-12 at the interval, Reihana’s third penalty was the only score in a second half largely dominated by the Crusaders.
They kept the game tight, relying on their trademark forward power that included a muscular scrum.
It was enough to suffocate a Chiefs side laden with match-winners who had beaten the Crusaders in their two previous matches this season.
The Chiefs struck first through a try to prop George Dyer after the Crusaders were reduced to 14 men with captain David Havili shown a yellow card for a high tackle.
The home side levelled when Havili returned through a clever try to hooker Codie Taylor, who burst 20 metres down the blindside of a maul to score in the left corner.
Reihana landed the sideline conversion and kicked two penalties in quick succession to put the Crusaders six points clear.
The Chiefs closed to within one before the interval when fullback Shaun Stevenson crossed out wide off a long pass from lock Tupou Vaa’i.
Errors crept into the Chiefs game as the pressure mounted and they spent much of the second half defending in their own territory.
The match was the last in charge for coach Clayton McMillan, who was unable to end a Chiefs trophy drought dating back to 2013.
“We make no excuses, the Crusaders were the better team, they squeezed us in all the right areas,” McMillan said.
“Even though we were right in it until the end, it was a step too far. We’ll get the job done one day.”
McMillan takes over as head coach at Irish club Munster later this year.
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By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
