Chiefs vs Crusaders Tips - Crusaders value with a handicap start in Super Rugby

Ralph Staniforth

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Last updated: Thu 20 Feb 2025 10:09

Ralph Staniforth 20 Feb 2025

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Chiefs and Crusaders both opened the season with significant victories
Chiefs are favourites at home but face a tough game
Crusaders have started a strong and can cover the line

Expired

Tight contest expected in Hamilton (Getty Images)

Chiefs vs Crusaders Tips

These New Zealand sides both started the season with a win against the odds. This should be a close game and I'm favouring the Crusaders with a +7.5 handicap.

Chiefs vs Crusaders Tips
Head to Head
Chiefs Form
Chiefs Team News
Crusaders Form
Crusaders Team News

Chiefs reached the final of the 2024 Super Rugby tournament.
Chiefs won their last match.
Chiefs won their last home match against the Crusaders.
Crusaders won their last match by 8 points.

Head to Head

Last season these two met on two occasions, each winning their home game. The Chiefs won 33-29 at home while the Crusaders defeated the runners-up 37-26 on home soil in late March.

Chiefs Form

The Chiefs were not at their best last season but managed to pull off a major upset in the semi-final to reach the final. They lost comfortably to the Blues in the 2024 Super Rugby final.

This season, in a repeat of that final in Auckland, the Chiefs were very good, beating the Blues 25-14. From the off the Chiefs were superior and dominated large chunks of the game to deservedly win.

Chiefs Team News

15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Rameka Poihipi, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Xavier Roe, 8 Luke Jacobson (captain), 7 Jahrome Brown, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Josh Lord, 3 George Dyer, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Aidan Ross.

Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Jared Proffit, 18 Reuben O’Neill, 19 Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Quinn Tupaea, 23 Gideon Wrampling.

Crusaders Form

The Crusaders were determined to make a success of this season after having their worst ever season in 2024. They failed to make the playoffs, something unheard of for the seven-time champions.

After the failure that was 2024, the Crusaders began 2025 with a bang, beating the Hurricanes 33-25 on home soil in round one. The Canes, we remember, were dominant last season, so that was an impressive result indeed for the Saders’.

Crusaders Team News

15 Will Jordan, 14 Chay Fihaki, 13 Levi Aumua, 12 David Havili (captain), 11 Sevu Reece, 10 Taha Kemara, 9 Kyle Preston, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 7 Ethan Blackadder, 6 Cullen Grace, 5 Antonio Shalfoon, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Ioane Moananu, 1 Tamaiti Williams.

Replacements: 16 Manumaua Letiu, 17 George Bower, 18 Sam Matenga, 19 Tahlor Cahill, 20 Corey Kellow, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 James O’Connor, 23 Dallas McLeod.

Verdict

Chiefs v Crusaders

Both teams come off impressive victories in round one. I feel this will be a cracking contest with no more than a score separating the sides. Crusaders are backed on +7.5.