| Home team | Chiefs |
| Away team | Crusaders |
| Venue | FMG Stadium Waikato |
| Competition | Super Rugby Pacific semi-final |
| Kick off time | 8:05 am (UK and Ireland) |
| Watch Live in the UK | Sky Sports+ |
Chiefs vs Crusaders Super Rugby Pacific semi-final preview as the sides meet at the FMG Stadium Waikato.
This is a repeat of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific final, where the Crusaders lifted the trophy. These teams finished second and third in the regular season, and both won their quarterfinals.
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Chiefs vs Crusaders confirmed lineups
| Chiefs | Crusaders | ||||
| Forwards | |||||
| Norris | 1 | Brewis | |||
| Taukei’aho | 2 | Taylor | |||
| Ahio | 3 | Newell | |||
| Lord | 4 | Shalfoon | |||
| Vaa’i | 5 | Hannah | |||
| Finau | 6 | Blackadder | |||
| Jacobson | 7 | Fainga’anuku | |||
| Parker | 8 | Lio-Willie | |||
| Backs | |||||
| Ratima | 9 | Hotham | |||
| McKenzie | 10 | Kemara | |||
| Taumoefolau | 11 | Reece | |||
| Tupaea | 12 | Havili | |||
| Foketi | 13 | Ennor | |||
| Coombes-Fabling | 14 | Fihaki | |||
| Hutchinson | 15 | McNicholl | |||
| Replacements | |||||
| McAlister | 16 | Letiu | |||
| Proffit | 17 | Sexton | |||
| Dyer | 18 | Bower | |||
| Naitoa Ah Kuoi | 19 | Cahill | |||
| Boshier | 20 | Gardiner | |||
| Roe | 21 | Preston | |||
| Jacomb | 22 | Reihana | |||
| Carter | 23 | Springer | |||
Recent Form:
Chiefs (Home team):
| Result | Date | Competition | Opponent | Score |
| Won | 6th June 2026 | Super Rugby | Reds | 46-24 |
| Won | 30th May 2026 | Super Rugby | Blues | 59-34 |
| Loss | 22nd May 2026 | Super Rugby | Crusaders | 36-32 |
| Won | 15th May 2026 | Super Rugby | Highlanders | 42-12 |
| Won | 8th May 2026 | Super Rugby | Reds | 21-31 |
The Chiefs have only lost one game in their last 10 matches, although that game came against the Crusaders. They scored 42 or more points in three of the last four matches and have scored 30 or more points in each of the last six games. In the first round of the playoffs, they won confidently over the Reds. The game was relatively tight at halftime as a last-play converted try put the Chiefs 22-17 ahead. The Chiefs then scored three second-half tries, while only conceding one, to win by 22 points.
Crusaders (Away team):
| Result | Date | Competition | Opponent | Score |
| Won | 6th June 2026 | Super Rugby | Blues | 52-31 |
| Won | 29th May 2026 | Super Rugby | Hurricanes | 47-14 |
| Won | 22nd May 2026 | Super Rugby | Chiefs | 36-32 |
| Won | 8th May 2026 | Super Rugby | Blues | 36-20 |
| Loss | 1st May 2026 | Super Rugby | Hurricanes | 38-31 |
The Crusaders have won four games in a row, although have lost their last three away matches. In the last round, they picked up a strong and famous victory over the Blues. While the game was tied after 28 minutes at 14-14. They would then score four tries without reply, either side of halftime, putting them in a dominant position. The margin of 21 points was comfortable, with Caleb Clarke scoring a late try for the Blues to bring it to that margin.
Chiefs vs Crusaders head-to-head record (last five matches):
| Date | Competition | Winner | Score |
| 22nd May 2026 | Super Rugby | Crusaders | 36-32 |
| 28th February 2026 | Super Rugby | Crusaders | 33-43 |
| 21st June 2025 | Super Rugby Playoffs | Crusaders | 16-12 |
| 10th May 2025 | Super Rugby | Chiefs | 19-35 |
| 21st February 2025 | Super Rugby | Chiefs | 49-24 |
The Crusaders have won both meetings this season and won the final of Super Rugby last season. The Chiefs won the two regular-season games in 2025. The last three games have been won by 10 points or less, while the Chiefs were able to win the two matches before this by 16 points or more.
