Road to the final: Chiefs

The Chiefs entered 2024 fueled by the pain of last season after their incredible year ended with another win for the Crusaders and breakdancing Scott Robertson.

Clayton McMillan’s side have hit form at the right time in the competition to power their way to the decider in Auckland.

Watch every Super Rugby Pacific match LIVE, ad-free and on demand on Stan Sport.

They are the first team since 2015 to reach the final from outside the top three as they look to emulate the heroics of the Highlanders.

Rugby.com.au has looked back at how they reached the final, highlighting the key moments and matches that defined their season.

Revenge is sweet

The Chiefs were hurting after last year’s Final defeat and were keen to make amends in the opening game of the season.

The Crusaders went into the season as the team to beat, but it was Clayton McMillan’s side with all the momentum after the 80 minutes as they secured the four-point victory.

They overwhelmed the visitors with two quick tries before Josh Ioane’s boot sealed the victory with two penalties.

Brumbies bashing

The Chiefs showed their opening round victory was no fluke as they thumped the Brumbies in the Super Round.

The Brumbies were no match for the red-hot Chiefs, who battled their way through a formidable pack to a convincing victory.

They had a 13-point lead after the first half hour and raced away with the game late in the second half to claim the 46–12 victory.

Back-to-back wins over title-contending teams had proven that the Chiefs were a team to fear in 2024.

Finding the blueprint

Following this, the Chiefs had a mixed mid-season campaign, with huge wins offset by defeats against the Reds and Crusaders.

They were then outscored by the Hurricanes and Blues to end the season, ending their hopes of jumping into title contention.

The Hurricanes’ defeat was the most frustrating, with Damian McKenzie leveling the scores with nine minutes to go before Brett Cameron’s penalty after the siren broke the deadlock.

They then went to the Blues to complete the round, reinforcing the need for their physical package to make their mark on the game.

The perfect half

The two defeats proved to be the perfect warm-up for the final as the Chiefs went out and blew the Reds out of the water.

The quarter-final was expected to be the closest of the four over the weekend, but the Chiefs gave the Queenslanders no sniff in a dominant first half.

They scored 31 answered points as All Black Saminsoni Taukei’aho scored a double in a fearsome display of talent from the Chiefs.

Revenge is even sweeter

The Chiefs proved their quarter-final victory was no fluke as they powered their way to the final.

They had lost both previous games to the Hurricanes, but the Chiefs came out flying thanks to two tries in the opening five minutes.

The Hurricanes tried to respond but young number eight Wallace Sititi was huge in slowing their momentum and keeping the Chiefs ahead.

Daniel Rona’s try just after the hour sealed the win for the Chiefs and their chance to go one step further than 2023.