A sold-out Eden Park for an all-Kiwi Super Rugby Pacific Final -- does it get any better?
Well, maybe if you're an Australian fan, with a 10-year participation drought in the competition decider showing now signs of slowing. But for the supporters of the Blues and Chiefs, and the neutrals, Saturday night's clash could really be something special.
Read on as we preview the final game of the season and try and find a winner from the two New Zealand heavyweights.
Saturday, June 22
Blues vs.
Chiefs
Eden Park, Auckland, 7:05 [NZT] 5:05pm [AEST]
Blues: Stephen Perofeta, Mark Tele'a, Rieko Ioane, AJ Lam, Caleb Clarke, Harry Plummer, Finlay Christie; Hoskins Sotutu, Dalton Papali'i, Akira Ioane, Sam Darry, Patrick Tuipulotu (capt), Marcel Renata, Ricky Riccitelli, Ofa Tu'ungafasi.
Replacements: Kurt Eklund, Joshua Fusitu'a, Angus Ta'avao, Josh Beehre, Adrian Choat, Taufa Funaki, Bryce Heem, Cole Forbes.
Chiefs: Shaun Stevenson, Emoni Narawa, Anton Lienert-Brown, Rameka Poihipi, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Damian McKenzie, Cortez Ratima; Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson (capt), Samipeni Finau, Tupou Vaa'i, Jimmy Tupou, George Dyer, Tyrone Thompson, Aidan Ross.
Replacements: Bradley Slater, Jared Proffit, Reuben O'Neill, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Simon Parker, Xavier Roe, Quinn Tupaea, Daniel Rona.
Odds [tab.com.au]: Blues $1.42, -6.5 $1.90; Chiefs $2.80, +6.5 $1.90
Team news: The Blues have received a huge boost for the decider, with skipper Patrick Tuipulotu overcoming a medial ligament injury to take his place and lead his side on Saturday. The captain's return pushes Josh Beere to the bench, with James Thompson the unlucky man to drop out of the squad entirely as a result. The other change to the hosts' 23 sees Bryce Heem return in place of Corey Evans.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, have been dealt a heavy blow in the front-row with powerhouse hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho scratched because of an Achilles issue that saw him leave the field in last week's win over the Hurricanes. There is a further concern up front for the visitors with reserve hooker Bradley Slater also injured in that game, but he has, for now, been named on the bench. Tyrone Thompson will start in the No. 2 jersey in place of Taukei'aho. There is better news for the Chiefs in the backline with fullback Shaun Stevenson returning, his inclusion pushed Etene Nanai-Seturo back to the win with Daniel Rona dropping back to the bench.
Prediction: A capacity crowd will attend Eden Park on Saturday night and, after a year of half-empty arenas, that is a great result for Super Rugby Pacific. And this is a game that has everything required to produce a fitting finale, with both teams littered with quality playing personnel. The Blues will certainly look to assert their dominance at scrum time, particularly given the Chiefs injury woes at hooker, and the fact that they have regained skipper Patrick Tuipulotu. Just how fit the Blues lock is, though, is anyone's guess. Where the Chiefs may hold the edge is at No. 10, where Damian McKenzie has been in superb form, particularly from the kicking tee.
Both teams have the ability to score points from anywhere on the field, the outside backs some of the best finishers in the competition, while the No. 8 battle between Hoskins Sotutu and Wallace Sititi should be worth the price of admission alone. It may be that the duo is contesting for one spot in the All Blacks squad. This is an opportunity for both sides to exorcise their final demons of the past two years, with the Blues beaten in the 2022 decider and the Chiefs pipped at home last year -- both by the Crusaders. While the home crowd is a big plus for the Blues, the form of the Chiefs the past two weeks has been particularly impressive and if the visitors carry that on we have them going home with the trophy.
Tip: Chiefs by 3.