2024 Super Rugby Pacific final

2024 Super Rugby Pacific final
2024 Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final
Event2024 Super Rugby Pacific season
Chiefs Blues
10 41
Match details
Date22 June 2024
VenueEden Park, Auckland
Man of the MatchPatrick Tuipulotu (Blues)[1]
RefereeNic Berry (Australia)
Attendance44,035[2][3]
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The 2024 Super Rugby Pacific final was the twenty-ninth Super Rugby final and penultimate rugby union match of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season. It was contested between the Chiefs and the Blues at Eden Park on 22 June 2024 to decide the champion of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season. The match, attended by over 44,000 spectators, was won by the Blues in a dominant performance, marking the franchise's fourth Super Rugby title. The title also ended a twenty-one year drought,[4] ending the longest premiership drought in Super Rugby history. Patrick Tuipulotu was named "Man of the Match".

Background

The final was the first meeting between the two New Zealand teams.[4] Both held a win percentage above sixty-four percent, and a stellar home record (Chiefs, 5–1 (83%); Blues, 6–0 (100%)). However, between the two sides the Blues significantly outperformed the Chiefs in the regular season.[5] The Blues had won three more matches than the Chiefs, scored more tries, and had the best defensive record in the competition for 2024.[5]

Road to the final

2024 Super Rugby Pacific ladder
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Hurricanes 14 12 0 2 480 281 +199 70 38 7 1 56 Qualification to quarter-finals
2 Blues 14 12 0 2 488 233 +255 72 31 6 1 55
3 Brumbies 14 12 0 2 410 311 +99 54 41 4 0 52
4 Chiefs 14 9 0 5 486 311 +175 66 43 5 2 43
5 Reds 14 8 0 6 444 340 +104 66 46 4 4 40 Qualification to quarter-finals
6 Highlanders 14 6 0 8 305 402 −97 37 54 2 2 28
7 Drua 14 6 0 8 325 427 −102 40 60 1 1 26
8 Rebels 14 5 0 9 341 488 −147 49 67 4 2 26
Source: Super Rugby

Bracket

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finals
 
          
 
7 June – Hamilton
 
 
 Chiefs43
 
15 June – Wellington
 
 Reds21
 
 Hurricanes19
 
 
 Chiefs30
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14 June – Auckland
 
 
 Brumbies20
 
8 June – Auckland
 
 Blues34
 
 Blues36
 
 
 Drua5
 

Final

22 June 2024
19:05 NZST (UTC+12)
Chiefs10–41Blues
Try: Parker 66' c
Con: McKenzie (1/1) 67'
Pen: McKenzie (1/2) 19'		ReportTry: A. Ioane 12' c
Clarke (3) 22' c, 51' c, 62' c
Lam 73' c
Con: Plummer (5/5) 13', 22', 52', 63', 74'
Pen: Pummer (2/2) 16', 40'
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 44,035[2][3]
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Chiefs
Blues
FB 15 Shaun Stevenson downward-facing red arrow 61'
RW 14 Emoni Narawa
OC 13 Anton Lienert-Brown
IC 12 Rameka Poihipi downward-facing red arrow 53'
LW 11 Etene Nanai-Seturo
FH 10 Damian McKenzie
SH 9 Cortez Ratima downward-facing red arrow 64'
N8 8 Wallace Sititi downward-facing red arrow 61'
OF 7 Luke Jacobson (c)
BF 6 Samipeni Finau downward-facing red arrow 51' upward-facing green arrow 61'
LL 5 Tupou Vaa'i
RL 4 Jimmy Tupou downward-facing red arrow 61'
TP 3 George Dyer Yellow card 50' downward-facing red arrow 61'
HK 2 Tyrone Thompson downward-facing red arrow 64'
LP 1 Aidan Ross downward-facing red arrow 53' upward-facing green arrow 65'
Substitutes:
HK 16 Mills Sanerivi upward-facing green arrow 64'
PR 17 Jared Proffit upward-facing green arrow 53' downward-facing red arrow 65'
PR 18 Reuben O'Neill upward-facing green arrow 51' downward-facing red arrow 61' upward-facing green arrow 61'
LK 19 Manaaki Selby-Rickit upward-facing green arrow 61'
FL 20 Simon Parker upward-facing green arrow 61'
SH 21 Xavier Roe upward-facing green arrow 64'
CE 22 Quinn Tupaea upward-facing green arrow 53'
CE 23 Daniel Rona upward-facing green arrow 61'
Coach:
Clayton McMillan
FB 15 Stephen Perofeta
RW 14 Mark Tele'a
CE 13 Rieko Ioane
SF 12 AJ Lam
LW 11 Caleb Clarke downward-facing red arrow 77'
FH 10 Harry Plummer
SH 9 Finlay Christie downward-facing red arrow 63'
N8 8 Hoskins Sotutu
OF 7 Dalton Papali'i downward-facing red arrow 65'
BF 6 Akira Ioane downward-facing red arrow 78'
LL 5 Sam Darry
RL 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (c) downward-facing red arrow 58'
TP 3 Marcel Renata downward-facing red arrow 63'
HK 2 Ricky Riccitelli downward-facing red arrow 70'
LP 1 Ofa Tuʻungafasi downward-facing red arrow 42'
Substitutes:
HK 16 Kurt Eklund upward-facing green arrow 70'
PR 17 Josh Fusitua upward-facing green arrow 42'
PR 18 Angus Taʻavao upward-facing green arrow 63'
LK 19 Josh Beehre upward-facing green arrow 58'
FL 20 Adrian Choat upward-facing green arrow 65'
SH 21 Taufa Funaki upward-facing green arrow 63'
CE 22 Bryce Heem upward-facing green arrow 77'
FB 23 Cole Forbes upward-facing green arrow 78'
Coach:
Vern Cotter

Man of the Match:
Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues)[1]

Assistant Referees:
Damon Murphy (Australia)
Jordan Way (Australia)
Television match official:
Brett Cronan (Australia)

References

  1. ^ a b "'Inspirational' Patrick Tuipulotu shrugs off injury to lead Blues to Super Rugby glory". Stuff. Stuff Ltd. 22 June 2004. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Blues hammer Chiefs to win Super Rugby Pacific final". Stuff. Stuff Ltd. 22 June 2024. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. The anticipation and expectation was palpable as 44,035 packed into a sold-out Eden Park and there was a sense of disbelief as Cotter's men dispatched the Chiefs 41–10, with Caleb Clarke crossing for a hat-trick in a one-sided final.
  3. ^ a b Reive, Christopher (23 June 2024). "Super Rugby Pacific final: Blues starving Chiefs of possession too much to overcome, says Clayton McMillan". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. A strong contingent of Chiefs fans had made the drive up the Waikato Expressway; the sound of cowbells rang out and flags of both teams were waved proudly among the 44,035-strong crowd.
  4. ^ a b "Blues beat Chiefs to break 21-year Super Rugby title drought". The Guardian. 22 June 2024. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Super Rugby Stats – 2024 Super Rugby Pacific". super.rugby. SANZAAR. Archived from the original on 9 September 2024.