I don’t think the Chiefs are in danger of becoming Super Rugby Pacific’s version of the Buffalo Bills.
At the risk of insulting the intelligence of all those versed in Bills history, the NFL franchise made it four consecutive Super Bowls in the 1990s and lost the lot.
By the end of that run, observers tended to fall into two camps. There were those who marvelled at the Bills’ ability to shake off disappointment and go on another run to the title game.
Video Spacer
Video Spacer
And then there were the others, who despised the Bills’ inability to win when it really counted and called them a c-word that I don’t like using.
The Chiefs have been the best team in Super Rugby for some time now. They’ve certainly been far and away the form side of 2025, which means we’ve all been waiting a very long time to see them crowned champions.
Many individuals have excelled across this competition. There were some, such as Ardie Savea, who emphasised their quality and others like Timoci Tavatavanawai that announced themselves as players of immense potential.
Overall, though, this season has centred around one simple question: will the Chiefs fritter away another final?
I’d have said not, a fortnight or so ago. Until they lost at home to the Blues in the first week of the playoffs I would have suggested the Chiefs would march triumphantly to the title.
Head-to-Head
Last 5 Meetings
Average Points scored
First try wins
60%
Home team wins
60%
Not simply because they were so good, but also because I didn’t believe any other team had the wherewithal to seriously challenge them.
On the whole, I still think that now. The Chiefs are better than the Crusaders and should beat them by 15 points in Saturday’s final.
It’s just that, until proven otherwise, it’s hard not to shake that nagging doubt that the Chiefs’ free-flowing football will come a cropper in the decider.
I tend to give the Chiefs a pass for losing to the Crusaders in the 2023 final. They were playing an accomplished opponent with an incredible championship pedigree and, as a team, were probably still learning how to perform under pressure.
Last year’s defeat to the Blues was unforgivable, though. The Chiefs played some of the dumbest, most inaccurate grand final football I’ve ever seen and basically gave the game to the Blues.
Like the Bills before them, the Chiefs deserve great credit for dusting themselves off and mounting another run at the title. I feared the absence of Anton Lienert-Brown might be too great to overcome, but here they are in another decider.
There’s something to really admire about that.
And yet the uncertainty persists. Teams lose games, but the manner of the Chiefs’ defeat to the Blues suggested a mental frailty lurking beneath the surface.
I don’t rate the Crusaders. I attribute their progression this far to the fact this competition boasts many middling teams, but only one outstanding one.
And there’s the rub. The Chiefs are that outstanding team. No-one can match the consistent brilliance of their football, nor their depth and breadth of talent.
If you want to be entertained, there’s no team easier on the eye than the Chiefs.
They should confirm their quality on Saturday. They should feast off the errors of the Crusaders and should win the final comfortably.
It’s just that many of us have thought all that before.
This is the Chiefs’ final to lose. Hopefully that knowledge doesn’t hinder them.
Recommended