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Chiefs 20 Crusaders 25
Chiefs - Stevenson & Narawa tries; McKenzie 2 penalties & 2 conversions
Crusaders - Taylor 2 & Mo'unga tries; Mo'unga 2 penalties & 2 conversions
Fulltime
40th minute - Crusaders have a breakdown penalty on the Chiefs 22 and that could seal the win. Mo'unga will kick for goal to soak up the final seconds...
PENALTY to Mo'unga
And that completes the Scott Robertson dynasty with the Crusaders in perfect style.
39th minute - Chiefs are back on their own 22 and must go the length of the field to win. No way through for Narawa or Stevenson.
38th minute - Thompson's lineout throw is long, but Crusaders knock on. Chiefs shift right, but lose a lot of ground, and Narawa is buried in a tackle from Sykes-Martin.
37th minute - McKenzie's penalty comes up short and Heinz finds touch on the 10.
36th minute - Narawa almost breaks a tackle and Ioane tries to chip over the top for Stevenson, but they come back for the penalty. McKenzie eyes up the posts from 50 metres...
35th minute - Jordan secures the kickoff, but Heinz has his kick impeded and has to hold onto the ball. Mo'unga eventually clears, but the Chiefs have a penalty on their own side of halfway.
33rd minute - TRY to Taylor
Crusaders win the lineout and hurtle over the line, with the hooker perfectly placed for his double. Mo'unga can put the Crusaders back in front with his conversion and does, CRU 22-20
31st minute - Whitelock wins the lineout and Crusaders maul, but they break up.
YELLOW CARD to Cane
Chiefs have their third yellow card of the match and lose their captain for good.
30th minute - Sykes-Martin replaces Williams for the Crusaders, who win an attacking lineout and maul towards the tryline. Lio-Willie is short, but Crusaders have penalty advantage.
Barrett is held up over the line, so the Crusaders have the penalty and another attacking lineout.
29th minute - Whitelock rolls into the 22, Ratima tries to steal the ball from the base of the ruck, but the Chiefs are penalised. Thompson replaces Taukei'aho.
28th minute - Crusaders on the Chiefs 22 and building phases.
27th minute - Crusaders shift right, but Jacobson stuns Fihaki. Williams shrugs off McKenzie, who continues his defensive line to catch Fainga'anuku.
26th minute - Chiefs building phases in midfield, but Nankivell slices past a tackle. Crusaders steal the ball at a ruck on their own 22.
25th minute - Retallick wins the lineout and the Chiefs surge to the 22. Ioane makes a halfbreak, but Nanakivell's pass goes behind McKenzie and Chiefs have to reset.
24th minute - McKenzie finds touch towards the Crusaders 22.
23rd minute - Chiefs counterruck and disrupt the Crusaders ruck, eventually winning a midfield penalty.
22nd minute - Heinz feeds a scrum and Mo'unga sends Jordan over halfway. Crusaders barely keep the ball from a marauding Cane.
21st minute - Chiefs have the ball in centrefield, McKenzie pops a kick over the defence, but Gardner has the threat covered.
20th minute - Jordan fields the kickoff and sends Goodhue on a run, but the Crusaders are penalised at the breakdown, after Nanakivell gets over the top. McKenzie kicks to touch inside Crusaders half.
Ratima replaces Weber, Ioane comes on at first-five, with McKenzie and Stevenson shuffling along the backline.
19th minute - Whitelock wins the lineout and Christies surges from the maul, brought down just short. Crusaders are held up for a goal-line dropout - big defence from the Chiefs.
18th minute - Crusaders forwards rumble towards the tryline and their maul is brought down. Taukei'aho is penalised for a side entry and the Crusaders take another lineout.
17th minute - Mo'unga kicks to the corner and Crusaders win the attacking lineout.
16th minute - Taukei'aho throws long to a lineout and finds McKenzie running off the back. He makes big ground down the right and looks infield, where his winger looms for a try double.
O'Keeffe wants to check whether McKenzie is offside at the lineout... he's inside 10 metres, so no try.
15th minute - Now the Crusaders have the Chiefs on the backfoot, but they're offside at the breakdown, just outside Chiefs 22.
14th minute - Crusaders steal the lineout, but the Chiefs are through on Heinz, who is escorted backwards.
McKenzie chips over the defence and Heinz has Narawa on him again.
13th minute - Stevenson fields a kick and sends Nanai-Seturo over halfway. McKenzie kicks deep and Jordan clears to halfway.
12th minute - Eventually, Narawa fields a ball on his 22 and kicks on the run, sending it into touch on the full.
11th minute - From the midfield scrum, McKenzie kicks into the Crusaders 22. Jordan returns the kick and a kicking duel ensues.
10th minute - Heinz replaces Drummond at halfback for the Crusaders. Norris replaces Ross, Finau replaces Sowakula for the Chiefs.
Taylor's throw to the lineout is crooked and the Chiefs are taking control of this contest.
Ninth minute - PENALTY to McKenzie
Eighth minute - Barrett soars high and steals Taukei'aho's throw to the lineout. Stevenson fields a kick and sends Narawa away upfield.
Chiefs have a penalty in centrefield, just outside the Crusaders 22, and McKenzie will take the shot at goal.
Seventh minute - Sowakula wins a breakdown penalty and McKenzie kicks to the corner.
Sixth minute - Taylor throws long over the lineout and Jacobson steals the ball for the Chiefs. McKenzie fields a JOrdan kick and Stevenson stabs the ball through, but airkicks a second attempt.
Fifth minute - Chiefs have the ball from the kickoff and McKenzie finds touch towards the 10.
Third minute - TRY to Narawa
Weber clears a midfield scrum on halfway and Stevenson makes the initial break, before looking to his wing, who has too much gas for Fainga'anuku. McKenzie slots his conversion from near touch, CHI 17-15
Second minute - McKenzie kicks high, Mo'unga takes the catch and gets away from chasing Stevenson. Jordan is through a gap, but loses the ball, with the field opening up.
First minute - McKenzie kicks off the second half and Fihaki secures the ball, Mo'unga kicks down centrefield and McKenzie breaks back over halfway.
Halftime
40th minute - Chiefs reach halfway, but they're penalised at the breakdown. Fihaki will take a shot at goal from halfway. He has the distance, but it drifts right, as the half ends.
39th minute - From the kickoff, both teams kick tactically, but Ennor badly slices his kick into touch. Taukei'aho overthrows the lineout and Mo'unga clears downfield.
38th minute - Jacobson returns to the field and his absence has been costly.
36th minute - TRY to Mo'unga
Crusaders forwards maul in centrefield and when the ball shifts left, Fainga'anuku roars down the touchline. He is eventually stopped, but he lays it back quickly and Drummond finds his first-five, who dummies and scores.
Mo'unga runs out of time with his conversion, but slots it anyway, CRU 15-10
35th minute - Replays show Goodhue's long pass to Christie goes four metres forward, but no call from the officials.
34th minute - Mo'unga puts Jordan through a gap over halfway. Drummond bounces a kick into the Chiefs 22 and Narawa eludes a couple of tackles, before clearing to touch.
33rd minute - Mo'unga drops out and the Crusaders get the ball back in their own half.
32nd minute - McKenzie hooks his penalty attempt under some time pressure.
31st minute - O'Keeffe has the Crusaders for not rolling away from the ruck. McKenzie points to the posts.
30th minute - Barrett secures the kickoff and Drummond kicks high towards halfway. Stevenson has the catch and the Chiefs pour into the Crusaders half.
28th minute - TRY to Taylor
Whitelock wins the lineout and the Crusaders forwards maul towards the tryline. Chiefs are shorthanded and can't stop the maul, with the hooker doing what he does at the back.
Mo'unga slices his conversion badly, much to the delight of the Chiefs crowd, CHI 10-8
27th minute - Whitelock wins the lineout and Fainga'anuk runs a hard line off the back.
YELLOW CARD to Jacobson
Chiefs are penalised at the breakdown and they lose another player to the sin bin. Discipline is a factor for them.
26th minute - Mo'unga kicks into the 22 for an attacking lineout.
25th minute - McLeod has failed his head check, so Fihaki stays in his place.
From the kickoff, Crusaders end up with the ball and Nankivell is pinged for a high tackle near his 10.
23rd minute - TRY to Stevenson
Taukei'aho picks up the ruck ball and charges into the 22. Nankivell throws a hard, quick pass that finds Stevenson running a hard angle and he has too much speed for the cover defence.
McKenzie converts, CHI 10-3
22nd minute - Mo'unga chips over the defence, but Stevenson gathers and kicks downfield. Jacobson makes a big tackle to turn the ball over and Narawa rockets down the right touchline.
21st minute - Whitelock wins the lineout and the Crusaders batter at the Chiefs midfield defence.
20th minute - ALB returns from his stint in the sin bin. Chiefs control the kickoff and Narawa clears towards the Chiefs 10.
19th minute - PENALTY to McKenzie
18th minute - Narawa threatens out right and Chiefs have another penalty advantage. They take the first, which will provide a straightforward kick at goal for McKenzie.
17th minute - From the scrum, Narawa breaks the first tackle and Sowakula rumbles to the 22. Chiefs have penalty advantage.
16th minute - O'Keeffe is playing advantage for the knockon, but that ends, just as Christie spills the ball. Chiefs have another scrum feed.
15th minute - Weber feeds the first scrum on halfway and the Chiefs shift left to Nanai-Seturo. Retallick roards up centrefield, but loses the ball in the tackle.
14th minute - Talitui wins the lineout, but McKenzie pounces on a loose pass and Narawa clears to halfway. Whitelock wins the lineout, but Goodhue loses the ball in midfield for a Chiefs scrum feed.
13th minute - Lio-Willie wins the lineout and Samisoni is offside at the breakdown. Crusaders keep the ball in hand and have another advantage for a high tackle.
O'Keeffe brings them back and warns Cane, because the Chiefs have had six penalties against them. Fihaki has come on for McLeod, who leaves for a head check, while ALB's yellow card will not be upgraded to red.
12th minute - Lio-Willie wins the lineout, but the Chiefs pour through on Christie. O'Keeffe has Jacobson offside at the breakdown and Mo'unga finds touch towards the Chiefs 22.
11th minute - Crusaders win the lineout near halfway and Drummond kicks high, with Nanai-Seturo underneath. The kicking exchange ends, when McKenzie finds touch on the Crusaders 10.
10th minute - McLeod is under the kickoff and he collects ALB running hard in chase. Drummond finds touch towards halfway and O'Keeffe wants a look at Lienert-Brown's tackle.
YELLOW CARD to Lienert-Brown
Replays show head-on-head contact and ALB heads to the bin, pending a review. McLeod still hasn't really recovered, but takes his position.
Ninth minute - PENALTY to Mo'unga
Eighth minute - Crusaders win the lineout and Fainga'anuku charges off the back. They have another penalty advantage beside the posts and Mo'unga will shoot for goal.
Seventh minute - Whitelock wins the lineout and Crusaders have another penalty inside the 22. Mo'unga kicks to the corner again...
Sixth minute - Mo'unga kicks to the corner for an attacking lineout.
Fifth minute - Both teams kicking early and McKenzie eventually finds touch near halfway. Whitelock wins the lineout and Crusaders have a breakdown penalty in centrefield.
Fourth minute - Goodhue and Ennor punch into midfield for the Crusaders, as they edge towards halfway. Drummond kicks high again and Stevenson is safe near halfway.
Third minute - Mo'unga kicks on an angle into the 22, but Stevenson avoids the 50-22 and clears towards the Crusaders 22 - massive kick.
Crusaders win the lineout and Drummond kicks high again.
Second minute - Drummond puts up a high kick towards the 22, but Narawa rises high to claim it. He finds touch near the Crusaders 10.
First minute - Ben O'Keeffe will referee the match and Mo'unga will kick off for the Crusaders.
Sowkula secures the kick and McKenzie finds touch outside the Chiefs 22. Whitelock wins the lineout and Williams rumbles towards the 22.
7:01pm - Deafening response from the Chiefs faithful, as their team run out onto the park... good-natured boos for the Crusaders (yeah right).
The teams line up for the national anthem.
6:03pm - Crusaders veteran Sam Whitelock has come through warm-ups for tonight's final and will take his place in the starting XV, as hoped.
The All Blacks lock has missed his team's playoff outings against Fijian Drua and the Blues with a niggly Achilles tendon that threatened to detail his farewell to the defending Super Rugby Pacific champions, before he joins French club Pau next year.
Whitelock, 34, was named in the second row earlier this week, but still needed to survive a final workout, before taking the field.
Word from Hamilton is he has done that, setting up a mouthwatering lineout duel between himself and Scott Barrett, and Chiefs rivals Brodie Retallick and Tupou Vaa'i - all All Blacks teammates in the upcoming Rugby Championship.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Chiefs v Crusaders Super Rugby Pacific final.
When these two teams met way back in the season's opening round in February, there was probably a sneaking suspiscion that they would face each other again on the final weekend.
After six Super rugby titles in as many years, the southerners have a knack for overcoming the many obstacles in their path - including that opening defeat on home soil and a myriad of injuries along the way.
While the Chiefs entered the season as darkhorses, they quickly established themselves as the team to beat, repeating that opening victory over the defending champions as part of a 10-game winning streak.
Their only loss of the campaign came when coach Clayton McMillan chose to rest his All Blacks against the lowly Reds, a result that now seems an exception to their very emphatic rule of the competition.
With a change in All Blacks leadership looming, this game will make a swansong for many on both sides of the battlelines, with Crusaders coach Scott Robertson taking the national team reins and senior players eyeing overseas contracts after the upcoming World Cup.
Join us at 7pm for kickoff.
TAB Odds: Chiefs $1.92, Crusaders $1.92, Draw $16
Chiefs: 1-Aidan Ross, 2-Samisoni-Taukei'aho, 3-George Dyer, 4-Brodie Retallick, 5-Tupou Vaa'i, 6-Pita Gus Sowakula, 7-Sam Cane, 8-Luke Jacobson, 9-Brad Weber, 10-Damian McKenzie, 11-Etene Nanai-Seturo, 12-Anton Lienert-Brown, 13-Alex Nankivell, 14-Emoni Narawa, 15-Shaun Stevenson
Reserves: 16-Tyrone Thompson, 17-Ollie Norris, 18-John Ryan, 19-Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20-Samipeni Finau, 21-Cortez Ratima, 22-Josh Ioane, 23-Rameka Poihipi
Crusaders: 1-Tamaiti Williams, 2-Codie Taylor, 3-Oli Jager, 4-Scott Barrett, 5-Sam Whitelock, 6-Sioni Talitui, 7-Tom Christie, 8-Christian Lio-Willie, 9-Mitch Drummond, 10-Richie Mo'unga, 11-Leicester Fainga'anuku, 12-Jack Goodhue, 13-Braydon Ennor, 14-Dallas McLeod, 15-Will Jordan
Reserves: 16-George Bell, 17-Kershawl Sykes-Martin, 18-Reuben O'Neill, 19-Quinten Strange, 20-Dominic Gardner, 21-Willi Heinz, 22-Fergus Burke, 23-Chay Finaki
'Very positive': Whitelock poised for fitting farewell in Super Rugby Pacific final
Sam Whitelock will be given until the Crusaders' pre-game warm-up to prove his fitness, as the veteran lock desperately tries to line up one last time for the club in the Super Rugby Pacific final.
Whitelock's been named to start, but is no certainty to take the field, although Crusaders training on Friday would've given reason for optimism.
Whitelock took a full part in the Crusaders captain's run in the morning, running freely and looking upbeat.
The signs are good, but the Crusaders won't be rushing him.
"What we've seen from Sam out there is very positive," Crusaders assistant coach Scott Hansen said. "Sam needs to make that decision.
"There's no pressure from us, we understand where he's at."
Whitelock is undoubtedly desperate to play.
At 177 games, his Crusaders career comes to a close on Saturday regardless.
Bowing out on his terms would be the ultimate end and Hansen is optimistic he'll get it.
"Sam is looking really good, he's training really well," he said. "Sam will make a decision in the pre-game warm-up around what's best for him."
Whitelock has a lot on his plate this year.
The Rugby Championship begins in just two weeks and then there's the small matter of the World Cup just around the corner.
"There's more to do for Sam this year," Hansen said.
The Chiefs are bracing for his presence and his impact.
They know the difference he can make, but aren't fazed by his potential return.
"He's been here plenty of times, he'll be an asset for them, but in all honesty, we're just worrying about ourselves," said Chiefs midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown. "We know if we do our job right, we can do it."
Tomorrow night will be a night of farewells on both sides.
For the Crusaders, Hansen departs to the All Blacks, alongside Scott Robertson - a partnership he hopes will continue to flourish.
"What Razor does is he allows everyone in the environment to be themselves and that's the biggest form of leadership really," Hansen said.
It's been an efficient style for the past seven years and the Crusaders hope it can land them another title tomorrow.
