Crusaders wing Leicester Fainga'anuku's two tries in the semifinal against the Blues were enough to see him finish the leading try scorer for the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season with 13 tries.
The Crusaders have put a seal on one of the great eras of rugby union domination with a 25-20 victory over the Chiefs in the Super Rugby Pacific final, sending coach Scott Robertson off to the All Blacks with a seventh straight title.
Winning the four previous Super Rugby titles (not including regional titles) meant the Crusaders were well aware of the demands they would face when running out onto FMG Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday for the Super Rugby Pacific final.
The Chiefs Rugby Club has announced that the Super Rugby Pacific Final has sold out for the clash between the table-topping Gallagher Chiefs and defending champions the Crusaders.
The Crusaders have once again dashed the Blues' title hopes by dominating their Auckland-based rivals in a 52-15 win in the first Super Rugby Pacific semi-final.
Two losses to the Crusaders earlier in the season and how they changed their game between both were lessons the Blues hope to learn from in Friday's Super Rugby Pacific semifinal in Christchurch.
Coming off a tight 29-20 quarterfinal win in Super Rugby Pacific over the Reds on Saturday evening; the Chiefs had the best preparation for their semifinal against the last remaining Australian team, the Brumbies.
The ACT Brumbies will fly the Australian flag in the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs for another week after a controversial win against the Hurricanes in their quarter-final in Canberra.
The defending champion Crusaders have advanced to the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals with victory over a team that beat them during the regular season.
The Queensland Reds have scored three tries to two but lost 29-20 to the Chiefs, Damian McKenzie's perfect boot denying them a slice of history in their Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final.
Fueled by memories of past playoff opportunities missed and, most recently, their loss to the Reds in New Plymouth, the Chiefs are well prepared for Saturday's Super Rugby Pacific quarterfinal in Hamilton.
