Super Rugby Qualifying Finals: Familiar Story for Australian Sides

Edward Briggs

The opening week of the Super Rugby Pacific finals produced two emphatic New Zealand victories and officially extended Australian rugby’s long wait for a finals win across the Tasman. The Hurricanes delivered one of the most dominant postseason performances in competition history, the Crusaders continued their unbeaten run at One NZ Stadium, and the Chiefs booked a semi-final showdown with their old rivals after ending the Reds’ campaign.

The Super Rugby Pacific finals began with a brutal reminder of New Zealand rugby’s postseason dominance. The Hurricanes and Chiefs advanced comfortably, while the Crusaders maintained their perfect record at One NZ Stadium to book another heavyweight semi-final clash. For Australian teams, the wait for a Super Rugby finals win in New Zealand continues.

Hurricanes 66 – Brumbies 12

The Hurricanes delivered a record-breaking performance to eliminate the Brumbies and secure a home semi-final in Wellington.

Hopes of an Australian breakthrough across the Tasman were extinguished almost immediately as the Hurricanes raced away with five first-half tries and built a staggering 38-7 halftime lead.

Ruben Love controlled proceedings superbly, while Cam Roigard and Jordie Barrett repeatedly exposed the Brumbies’ defence. The hosts were ruthless whenever opportunities appeared, turning early Brumbies errors into points and never allowing the visitors to settle.

Ngane Punivai completed a second-half hat-trick as the Hurricanes continued to pile on the pressure, eventually recording the largest finals victory over an Australian side in Super Rugby history.

The Brumbies struggled to generate any sustained momentum, with handling errors and missed opportunities proving costly. Their season ends in sixth place after a campaign that promised much more during its early stages.

Crusaders 52 – Blues 31

The Crusaders continued their remarkable record at One NZ Stadium, defeating the Blues to advance to the semi-finals.

The contest swung dramatically in the 18th minute when Blues number eight Malachi Wrampling was sent off for a high tackle on Leicester Fainga’anuku. Up until that point the visitors had competed strongly, even opening the scoring through Sam Nock after a clever lineout move.

The Crusaders quickly capitalised on the extra man. Johnny McNicholl crossed shortly after the red card before David Havili, Chay Fihaki and Josh Jacomb all scored during a devastating period before halftime.

McNicholl completed a hat-trick after the break as the hosts consistently found ways to exploit space despite the Blues continuing to fight through tries from Xavi Taele and Payton Spencer.

The victory keeps the Crusaders undefeated at their new home and sends them through to a semi-final showdown with the Chiefs.

Chiefs 46 – Reds 24

The Chiefs ended Queensland’s season with a powerful second-half performance in Hamilton.

The Reds competed strongly for much of the first half and trailed by only five points at the break after former Chiefs prop Aidan Ross crossed against his old side. Fraser McReight was influential around the breakdown while Tate McDermott impressed in just his third match back from injury.

However, the turning point came shortly after halftime when Damian McKenzie caught the Reds off guard with a quick-tap try under the posts. The All Blacks playmaker then added a second later in the contest as the Chiefs gradually pulled away.

The match was briefly overshadowed by a serious head knock suffered by Wallace Sititi, who was taken to hospital after a collision in the first half.

Queensland continued to battle through tries from Matt Faessler and their forward pack, but the Chiefs’ attacking class proved decisive. Isaac Hutchinson’s late try, created by a brilliant McKenzie assist, confirmed the result and booked Hamilton another semi-final.

With the qualifying finals complete, the semi-final lineup is set. The Hurricanes will host the Blues in Wellington after the Auckland side progressed as the highest-ranked losing team, while the Crusaders travel to Hamilton to face the Chiefs in a rematch of last season’s Grand Final. Four New Zealand teams remain, guaranteeing an all-Kiwi finish to the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.