2023 Super Rugby Pacific final

2023 Super Rugby Pacific final
2023 Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final
Event	2023 Super Rugby Pacific season
Date	24 June 2023
Venue	Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Man of the Match	Sam Whitelock (Crusaders)
Referee	Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
Attendance	25,000
	← 2022 2024 →

The 2023 Super Rugby Pacific final was a rugby union match contested between the Chiefs and the Crusaders at Waikato Stadium on 24 June 2023. It was the 28th Super Rugby final, staged to determine the premiers of the 2023 season. The match, attended by 25,000 spectators, was won by the Crusaders by a margin of five points, marking the franchise's twelfth Super Rugby title. Sam Whitelock was named "Man of the Match" in his 181st and final match for the Crusaders.

Background

The Chiefs and the Crusaders finished first and second, respectively.^[4]^[5] It was the teams' first encounter in a Super Rugby final.^[6]

Both finalists had won a Super Rugby title, with the Crusaders being the two-time, back-to-back defending champions and holding the most title victories in the Super Rugby (11), with the Chiefs' last Super Rugby title being in 2013. The head-to-head results overall in the Super Rugby before their encounter was 27–19, with the Crusaders holding an eight victory lead. Six of their last ten matches went the way of the Crusaders, and, in 2023, the Chiefs won both fixtures against the Crusaders. The odds for the final were equal, with both teams not being considered favourite.^[7]

Road to the final

Final ladder placings (showing top eight)
Pos.	Team	Season				Points
Pos.	Team	P	W	D	L	Points
1	Chiefs	14	13	0	1	59
2	Crusaders	14	10	0	4	48
3	Blues	14	10	0	4	46
4	ACT Brumbies	14	10	0	4	46
5	Hurricanes	14	9	0	5	41
6	Waratahs	14	6	0	8	31
7	Fijian Drua	14	6	0	8	26
8	Reds	14	5	0	9	24

Bracket

Quarter-finals		Semi-finals

10 June – Hamilton

Chiefs	29
		17 June – Hamilton
Reds	20
		Chiefs	19

		ACT Brumbies	9







		16 June – Christchurch

		Blues	15
10 June – Christchurch
		Crusaders	52
Crusaders	49

Drua	8

Final

24 June 2023
17:05 NZST (UTC+12)^[8]

Chiefs	20–25	Crusaders
Try: Shaun Stevenson 23' c Emoni Narawa 43' c Con: Damian McKenzie (2/2) 24', 44' Pen: Damian McKenzie (2/4) 20', 49' Cards: Anton Lienert-Brown 9' to 19' Luke Jacobson 26' to 36' Sam Cane 72'	Report	Try: Codie Taylor (2) 28' m, 73' c Richie Mo'unga 36' c Con: Richie Mo'unga (2/3) 37', 74' Pen: Richie Mo'unga (2/2) 9', 80+1' Chay Fihaki (0/1)

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance: 25,000^[2]^[3]
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)

Chiefs

Crusaders


FB	15	Shaun Stevenson
RW	14	Emoni Narawa^[a]
OC	13	Alex Nankivell		77'
IC	12	Anton Lienert-Brown	9' to 19'
LW	11	Etene Nanai-Seturo		60'
FH	10	Damian McKenzie
SH	9	Brad Weber (cc)		60'
N8	8	Luke Jacobson	26' to 36'
OF	7	Sam Cane (cc)	72'
BF	6	Pita Gus Sowakula		50'
LL	5	Tupou Vaa'i		60'
RL	4	Brodie Retallick
TP	3	George Dyer		60'
HK	2	Samisoni Taukei'aho		69'
LP	1	Aidan Ross		50'
Substitutes:
HK	16	Tyrone Thompson		69'
PR	17	Ollie Norris		50'
PR	18	John Ryan		60'
LK	19	Naitoa Ah Kuoi		60'
FL	20	Samipeni Finau		50'
WG	21	Cortez Ratima		60'
SH	22	Josh Ioane		60'
CE	23	Rameka Poihipi		77'
Coach:
Clayton McMillan


FB	15	Will Jordan
RW	14	Dallas McLeod	13'
CE	13	Braydon Ennor
SF	12	Jack Goodhue
LW	11	Leicester Fainga'anuku
FH	10	Richie Mo'unga
SH	9	Mitchell Drummond	50'
N8	8	Christian Lio-Willie
OF	7	Tom Christie
BF	6	Sione Havili Talitui	57'
LL	5	Sam Whitelock
RL	4	Scott Barrett (c)
TP	3	Oli Jager	77'
HK	2	Codie Taylor
LP	1	Tamaiti Williams	69'
Substitutes:
HK	16	George Bell
PR	17	Kershawl Sykes-Martin	69'
PR	18	Reuben O'Neill	77'
LK	19	Quinten Strange
FL	20	Dominic Gardiner	57'
SH	21	Willi Heinz	50'
WG	22	Fergus Burke	74'
WG	23	Chay Fihaki	13' 74'
Coach:
Scott Robertson

Man of the Match:
Sam Whitelock (Crusaders)^[1]^[9]

Assistant Referees:
Nic Berry (Australia)
Angus Gardner (Australia)
Television match official:
Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)^[10]

Notes

^ Narawa was born in Fiji. He did not represent New Zealand until after the 2023 season had already concluded.

References

^ ^a ^b "Crusaders win Super Rugby final in thriller". Otago Daily Times. Allied Press. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. He also paid tribute to two veteran players departing the Crusaders – Richie Mo'unga and lock Sam Whitelock, who was named man of the match in his 181st and final game for the team before he heads off to Europe.
^ ^a ^b Goile, Aaron (26 June 2023). "Chiefs rue missing 'royal chance' to break title drought in Super Rugby final". Stuff. Stuff Limited. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. And, having beaten the Crusaders already twice this year (and six times in his tenure – more than double any other side), the red and blacks sporting a hefty injury toll, the Chiefs featuring an All Black-laden roster and five 100-plus-gamers, and a raucous 25,000 roaring them on at FMG Stadium Waikato, here it all was for them to break their decade-long title drought.
^ ^a ^b Napier, Liam (24 June 2023). "Chiefs v Crusaders: Liam Napier - Savour the Crusaders' greatness as their run will never be repeated". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. For the Chiefs, the best team all season having lost one match prior to the final, the hurt will linger particularly for the 25,000 locals in attendance and the loyal departing servants Brodie Retallick, Brad Weber, Alex Nankivell and Pita Gus Sowakula.
^ Powell, Alex (4 June 2023). "Super Rugby Pacific playoffs: Highlanders miss out, no Kiwi derbies as 2023 quarter-finals locked in". Newshub. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023.
^ "Quarter-finalists confirmed for DHL Super Rugby Pacific". superrugby.co.nz. 4 June 2023. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023.
^ "Recap: Crusaders edge Chiefs in thrilling Super Rugby Pacific final". Stuff. Stuff Limited. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023.
^ Foote, Stephen (24 June 2023). "Super Rugby Pacific final: All you need to know - Chiefs v Crusaders". Newshub. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023.
^ "DHL Super Rugby Pacific – Gallagher Chiefs v Crusaders Grand Final!". fmgstadiumwaikato.co.nz. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023.
^ Lester, Ned (25 June 2023). "Crusaders player ratings vs Chiefs – Super Rugby Pacific". rugbypass.com. Considering Whitelock was questionable to even play in the match, his shift was immense. The lineout work had the Chiefs fumbling and was a crucial factor when the home side was gathering momentum and confidence. Whitelock's final game of a legendary and storied career in red and black came to a fitting end, with a Man of the Match award and the Super Rugby Pacific trophy.
^ Goile, Aaron (25 June 2023). "Referee review: Ben O'Keeffe's wild ride in Super Rugby Pacific final". Stuff. Stuff Limited.

Preceded by 2022	Super Rugby Pacific Final 2023	Succeeded by 2024

[9] Narawa was born in Fiji. He did not represent New Zealand until after the 2023 season had already concluded.

[Cru-1] "Crusaders win Super Rugby final in thriller". Otago Daily Times. Allied Press. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. He also paid tribute to two veteran players departing the Crusaders – Richie Mo'unga and lock Sam Whitelock, who was named man of the match in his 181st and final game for the team before he heads off to Europe.

[Goile-2] Goile, Aaron (26 June 2023). "Chiefs rue missing 'royal chance' to break title drought in Super Rugby final". Stuff. Stuff Limited. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. And, having beaten the Crusaders already twice this year (and six times in his tenure – more than double any other side), the red and blacks sporting a hefty injury toll, the Chiefs featuring an All Black-laden roster and five 100-plus-gamers, and a raucous 25,000 roaring them on at FMG Stadium Waikato, here it all was for them to break their decade-long title drought.

[Napier-3] Napier, Liam (24 June 2023). "Chiefs v Crusaders: Liam Napier - Savour the Crusaders' greatness as their run will never be repeated". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. For the Chiefs, the best team all season having lost one match prior to the final, the hurt will linger particularly for the 25,000 locals in attendance and the loyal departing servants Brodie Retallick, Brad Weber, Alex Nankivell and Pita Gus Sowakula.

[4] Powell, Alex (4 June 2023). "Super Rugby Pacific playoffs: Highlanders miss out, no Kiwi derbies as 2023 quarter-finals locked in". Newshub. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023.

[5] "Quarter-finalists confirmed for DHL Super Rugby Pacific". superrugby.co.nz. 4 June 2023. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023.

[6] "Recap: Crusaders edge Chiefs in thrilling Super Rugby Pacific final". Stuff. Stuff Limited. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023.

[7] Foote, Stephen (24 June 2023). "Super Rugby Pacific final: All you need to know - Chiefs v Crusaders". Newshub. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023.

[8] "DHL Super Rugby Pacific – Gallagher Chiefs v Crusaders Grand Final!". fmgstadiumwaikato.co.nz. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023.

[10] Lester, Ned (25 June 2023). "Crusaders player ratings vs Chiefs – Super Rugby Pacific". rugbypass.com. Considering Whitelock was questionable to even play in the match, his shift was immense. The lineout work had the Chiefs fumbling and was a crucial factor when the home side was gathering momentum and confidence. Whitelock's final game of a legendary and storied career in red and black came to a fitting end, with a Man of the Match award and the Super Rugby Pacific trophy.

[11] Goile, Aaron (25 June 2023). "Referee review: Ben O'Keeffe's wild ride in Super Rugby Pacific final". Stuff. Stuff Limited.

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