Following a 37-17 victory over the Brumbies in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-final in Hamilton on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the Chiefs.
15 Shaun Stevenson: Solid under the high ball during a first half full of kicking as the hosts controlled the aerial battle. His big boot was also very useful, before he went off early in the second period. 6
14 Emoni Narawa: In a opening period of few opportunities for the outside backs, Narawa was the bright spark in the contest. His pick-up at the base of a ruck resulted in the first try before he repeated the trick at the restart to give the Chiefs some momentum after a slow start. Completed his brace after the break in a statement display ahead of All Blacks selection. 8
13 Daniel Rona: Defended his channel pretty well, managing to bring Len Ikitau down when he was isolated on one occasion, but not a lot of chance in attack. 6
12 Quinn Tupaea: His most notable moment in the first half was to charge into a scuffle, where he was fortunate not to be penalised, but Tupaea played a key part in their second try with a lovely break. Was much more of an influence after that. 7
11 Leroy Carter: Was left kicking himself after Jack Debreczeni’s ambitious touchfinder reached the corner and resulted in a Brumbies try, but Carter was excellent outside of that. Strong in contact, excellent chasing work and assisted Narawa’s second try. Would not be a surprise if he is an All Blacks bolter this year. 7
Guided the Chiefs into the final
10 Damian McKenzie: Once again played a Test-like game by underplaying his hand and going to the boot more often than not but, unlike last week, he began to exert his influence in the second period with ball in hand as they caused numerous issues for the Brumbies in the final 40 minutes. Also produced an outrageous cover tackle to prevent Tom Wright from scoring in what was a magnificent and controlled individual display. 9
9 Cortez Ratima: Like McKenzie, his kicking was very effective as they put pressure on the Brumbies back three. Breakdown battle made it difficult to get quick ball but Ratima did his job very effectively at the base and controlled the match nicely. 7
8 Wallace Sititi: Surprisingly quiet with ball in hand but the number eight put in a shift without the ball and was one of their top tacklers. 6
7 Luke Jacobson (c): Got it wrong at one breakdown but was magnificent after that, picking and choosing his time to compete. He both spoiled Brumbies ball and turned it over as the Chiefs dominated the second half. The type of display which makes it even more difficult for Scott Robertson to select his back-row for the France series. 8
6 Samipeni Finau: Roamed around the field making his presence felt but without the ill-discipline which plagued his performance last weekend. After a difficult season, Finau is beginnings to find his form at the right time. 7
Destroyed the Brumbies set-piece
5 Tupou Vaa’i: Copped an early yellow card for poor technique in the tackle but recovered to produce a fine effort. Vaa’i formed an excellent second-row partnership with Ah Kuoi as they took control of the lineout battle. 7
4 Naitoa Ah Kuoi: Absolutely superb from the talented lock, who is another player All Blacks boss Robertson could be considering. Ah Kuoi put in a huge defensive effort in both the loose and the tight as he wreaked havoc in the lineout after the break, regularly stealing Brumbies ball. 8
3 George Dyer: Solid set-piece work as he laid the platform for the bench to get some dominance in the scrum after the break. Did his job well. 6
2 Samisoni Taukei’aho: Still trying to find the form which made him one of the better hookers in world rugby in 2022 and 2023, but he was solid here. Taukei’aho was abrasive around the field and was accurate in his throwing. 6
1 Ollie Norris: See Dyer. Good set-piece work and did his duty around the field before going off before the hour mark. 6
Replacements: Made a real impact to take the game away from the Brumbies. The front-row were superb off the bench while Xavier Roe was lively at half-back, initially as a HIA replacement for Ratima before being put on permanently with 15 minutes to go. Josh Jacomb also impressed when coming on for Stevenson. 8