Their newly-built stadium in the central city is expected to be ready for next season, and they will be hosting their most formidable rivals of recent seasons, the Chiefs, who have their incentive to make the most of their fourth final in the last four years, three of them against the Crusaders.
Crusaders 21 Blues 14
No matter where they rank on points tables, the Crusaders and Blues are assured high-level opponents and a cool Friday night in Christchurch served up traditional fare as the two New Zealand heavyweights went toe-to-toe. As with any lesser-rated contender, the defending champion Blues, whose win-loss ratio was negative despite reaching the top six, started with attack. That netted them two first-quarter tries. The first to wing Mark Tele'a resulted from unleashing ball from continual forward pick-and-goes at the goal-line before quick passes from first five-eighths Beauden Barrett and fullback Zarn Sullivan gave Tele'a the room to score in the corner. The second came from a set-piece play off a scrum with second five-eighths AJ Lam's diversionary run, allowing centre Rieko Ioane to slightly change his line to run onto the ball at speed and then cut through to score beneath the posts. The Crusaders then managed to secure more possession to take the fizz out of the Blues' attack, especially after prop Joshua Fusitu'a's sin-binning head clash on Crusaders lock Scott Barrett, which followed a similar earlier transgression by Crusaders centre Braydon Ennor on Blues No8 Hoskins Sotutu. The home team had blood in their nostrils, and from the resulting play, flanker Tom Christie drove through to score. Then, fullback Will Jordan capped an extended period of attack by stepping through the diminished Blues' defence to draw the sides level.
The second half was a continuation as both teams made probes, the Blues transgressing more often and that mounting penalty count, it finished at 9-16 in the Crusaders' favour, eventually took its toll, with another yellow card, this time to Sotutu, allowing Jordan to get over for his second try. The Blues weren't finished, and it was five minutes into injury time and an astounding 40-odd phases on the Crusaders' line before they coughed up the ball in the goalmouth when home No8 Christian Lio-Willie flopped on a loose ball to secure it and allow it to be kicked out to give the home team relief and a home final.
Crusaders 21 (Will Jordan 2, Tom Christie tries; Rivez Reihana 3 con) Blues 14 (Mark Tele'a, Rieko Ioane tries; Beauden Barrett 2 con). HT: 14-14
Chiefs 37 Brumbies 17
Absorbing early pressure, especially after a head clash saw lock Tupou Vaa'i sin-binned, the Chiefs conceded the first try from a trademark Brumbies driving maul to hooker Billy Pollard in the 15th minute. But five minutes later, clever work at a goal-line ruck saw wing Emoni Narawa take the ball and duck around the ruck to score untouched and level the scores. The Chiefs were in front with one of six penalty goals landed by first five-eighths Damian McKenzie three minutes later, and they never reliquished the lead. In their quest to get on top, the Brumbies, who enjoyed territory and possession, were too often guilty of self-enforced errors within goal-kicking range that contributed significantly to their demise. They did get within a point after McKenzie landed his second goal, but in seeing wing Corey Toole over with five minutes of the first half left for the first of his two tries, the Brumbies, who had lost first-string goal-kicker and five-eighths Noah Lolesio to an HIA failure, were not able to convert from the sideline. Two more McKenzie penalty goals within four minutes gave the home side a 19-12 lead at the break.
Toole crossed again four minutes into the second half, but again, halfback Ryan Lonergan couldn't convert, and the margin was two points. Narawa scored his second try in the 47th minute, and with a conversion and two more penalty goals, McKenzie pushed the lead to 15 points before assisting replacement fullback Josh Jacomb to a 64th-minute try. From a classic Chiefs set-piece play, McKenzie's speed put him far enough through a gap to slip a pass that allowed Jacomb over for the final scoring action.
Chiefs 37 (Emoni Narawa 2, Josh Jacomb tries; Damian McKenzie 2 con, 6 pen) Brumbies 17 (Corey Toole 2, Billy Pollard tries; Ryan Lonergan con). HT: 19-12