Rinse and repeat.
The Brumbies have crashed to another semifinal defeat across the Tasman, going down 37-17 to the Chiefs on Saturday evening in Hamilton.
Despite dominating the early proceedings and being firmly in the contest early in the second half after Corey Toole’s second try cut the deficit to 19-17, 18 straight points to the home side saw the Chiefs run away with the match to set up another all-New Zealand final in Christchurch against the Crusaders.
The defeat was the Brumbies’ fourth straight semifinal exit on New Zealand soil. It was also Australian rugby’s 21st straight loss to their trans-Tasman rivals on New Zealand soil.
“Another stumble at the second last hurdle,” Brumbies fullback Tom Wright said. “But the Chiefs had a really astute game-plan and they put us to the sword.”
Emoni Narawa scored twice for the Chiefs during their semifinal win over the Brumbies in Waikato on June 14, 2025. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
Two tries from All Blacks winger Emoni Nawara and a clinic from Damian McKenzie, who scored 22 points from the kicking tee, helped put the Chiefs into the final.
The Chiefs’ performance was best summed up by McKenzie’s freakish trysaver in the 66th minute.
After Wright won the kick restart following another Chiefs try, the Test fullback looked certain to score out wide but somehow McKenzie got his arm under his opponent and forced him dead in goal. It was a moment of sheer brilliance, which ensured there wouldn’t be any second half fade out like last week.
“It was a heck of a match,” said Chiefs skipper Luke Jacobson.
“In the first half we battled to get our hands on the ball, but we defended really well and then we were able to take some good chances in the second half.
“Credit to the Brumbies, they came out and they tested us. It was a good match right through the 80 minutes.”
Just how Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt views the performance on the eve of his first official Test squad of the year will be fascinating.
Few really shone, but hooker Billy Pollard surely sewed up his position in the squad.
Toole also had a strong showing despite one costly turnover in the 61st minute when the score was 32-17.
Rory Scott’s stocks didn’t go down either, with the hard-working flanker once again effective during his 55-minute showing.
Allan Alaalatoa reacts during the Brumbies’ defeat to the Chiefs in Hamilton, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
The Brumbies had complete territory and possession dominance during the best part of the opening 20 minutes, but only led 7-0 through 16 minutes despite holding a numerical advantage after Tupou Vaa’i was shown a yellow card for a high shot on Billy Pollard.
Making matters worse, the Brumbies lost Noah Lolesio after ten minutes following a failed HIA test. Curiously, the shot from Samisoni Taukei’aho wasn’t replayed.
But after Pollard’s opening try, the Chiefs bit back hard.
Nawara was the chief destroyer, catching the Brumbies napping around the ruck. He scored once by finding Nick Frost out and then got the home side firmly on the front-foot after another clever run from the base of the ruck.
Then it was a death by a thousand cuts, as McKenzie went to town. The flyhalf landed four first-half penalties, including one in the 42nd minute after James Slipper was pinged at the scrum, in-between a well-taken try by Toole to give the Chiefs a 19-12 lead.
Wallabies hopeful Toole then took a leaf out of Jonah Lomu’s playbook by sprinting down the left-hand touchline, bumping away McKenzie and showing the pace and strength to score out wide. Ryan Lonergan’s second missed conversion attempt from out wide meant the Chiefs led 19-17.
It was at that point the Chiefs went up a gear and the Brumbies failed to match their trans-Tasman rivals.
It started in the 46th minute when Vaa’i charged down Lonergan’s attempted exit via the box kick and forced Wright to scramble away a kick that failed to find touch and allowed the Chiefs to charge back onto attack.
One phase later McKenzie probed the line, offloaded in contact and sent Quinn Tupaea charging downfield. Two phases later, with the Brumbies on the back foot, Leroy Carter showed strength in contact and slipped away a pass to send Nawara in for his second.
The converted try was another immediate response and a coach killer.
Two more McKenzie penalties followed, before Josh Jacomb put the icing on the cake by diving over from a slick and well-taken backline movement to fire the Chiefs into a third straight final.
The Brumbies, meanwhile, were left to rue another missed opportunity as the visitors failed to play with the intensity and precision needed over 80 minutes to push New Zealand opposition deep in a big, knockout matches.
“What we spoke about all week was that we had to play close to the perfect game to come out here and get the result, and what we saw in the second half was that our accuracy let us down and, off the back of that, probably our discipline as well,” Brumbies skipper Allan Alaalatoa said.
“We gave the Chiefs too much ascendancy down our end and they capitalised on that. That’s what it came down to.”
Christy Doranhttps://https://ift.tt/YoUCcjx! Brumbies CRASH OUT in another Super semifinal on Kiwi shores despite Toole double, big name All Blacks stand up
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