2022 Super Rugby Pacific final

The 2022 Super Rugby Pacific Final was played between the Blues and the Crusaders, both of New Zealand. It was the 25th final in the Super Rugby competition's history, and the first since 2019 after the 2020 Super Rugby season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and regional tournaments were played in the 2021 Super Rugby season. The Blues had qualified in first place on the regular season standings, while the Crusaders had qualified in second place. Both teams hosted quarter-final and semi-final matches.

2022 Super Rugby Pacific Final
Event2022 Super Rugby Pacific season
Date18 June 2022
VenueEden Park, Auckland
Man of the MatchSam Whitelock (Crusaders)
RefereeBen O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
Attendance45,000 [1]
2019
2023

The final was won by the Crusaders who beat the Blues by fourteen points. The Crusaders stretched their record number of Super Rugby wins to eleven, while also stretching their number of titles won to thirteen, having won both the 2020 Super Rugby Aotearoa season and 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season.[1]

Road to the final

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Finals Series qualifying teams
Top 8 finishers
Pos Team W D L PD BP Pts
1   Blues 13 0 1 188 6 58
2   Crusaders 11 0 3 202 8 52
3   Chiefs 10 0 4 105 5 45
4   Brumbies 10 0 4 98 4 44
5   Hurricanes 8 0 6 111 7 39
6   Waratahs 8 0 6 48 6 38
7   Reds 8 0 6 15 3 35
8   Highlanders 4 0 10 3 7 23
Source: [2]

The 2022 season was a 12-team competition. The conference system from previous years was removed, with a single table introduced instead. Two new teams debuted in the 2022 season, with the Drua, representing Fiji, and Moana Pasifika, representing Pacific Islands heritage players, joining the five New Zealand sides and five Australian sides, following the full-time return of the Force to the competition. The top 4 sides in the competition earned home quarter finals, with the following four sides in the table playing against them.

The Blues had finished top of the overall table, having won thirteen of their fourteen fixtures round robin fixtures, and had won fifteen fixtures in a row heading into the final. The Crusaders had finished second overall having won eleven of their round robin fixtures. Heading into the fixture, Stephen Perofeta of the Blues was the competition's top points scorer, with 127 points, while Leicester Fainga'anuku and Will Jordan, both of the Crusaders, were the competition's top try scorers, both with ten tries.

In the quarter-finals the Blues beat fellow New Zealand team the Highlanders while the Crusaders beat the Reds. For the semi-finals, it was the Blues defeating the Brumbies in Auckland and the Crusaders defeating the Chiefs in Christchurch. Because of being the higher-placed team in the regular season log standings, the final was held in Auckland.

 
QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal
 
          
 
4 June – Auckland
 
 
Blues 35
 
11 June — Auckland
 
Highlanders 6
 
Blues 20
 
4 June – Canberra
 
Brumbies 19
 
Brumbies 35
 
18 June — Auckland
 
Hurricanes 25
 
Blues 7
 
3 June – Christchurch
 
Crusaders 21
 
Crusaders 37
 
10 June – Christchurch
 
Reds 15
 
Crusaders 20
 
4 June – Hamilton
 
Chiefs 7
 
Chiefs 39
 
 
Waratahs 15
 

Quarterfinals

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3 June 2022 Crusaders 37–15 Reds Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch  
19:05 (GMT +12) Try: Jordan 15'
Mo'unga 57'
Reece 65'
Williams 74'
Con: Mo'unga (4/4) 16', 58', 66', 76'
Pen: Mo'unga (3/3) 10', 32', 39'
Report Try: Vunivalu 25'
Daugunu 43'
Con: Creighton (1/2) 44'
Pen: Creighton (1/1) 6'
Referee:   Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
4 June 2022 Chiefs 39–15 Waratahs FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton  
16:35 (GMT +12) Try: Weber (2) 6', 64'
L. Jacobson 22'
Nankivell 34'
Sowakula 71'
Con: Gatland (4/5) 7', 23', 36', 72'
Pen: Gatland (2/2) 3', 40+1'
Report Try: Pietsch 8'
Harris 46'
Con: Edmed (1/2) 10'
Pen: Edmed (1/1) 19'
Attendance: 10,121[3]
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
4 June 2022 Blues 35–6 Highlanders Eden Park, Auckland  
19:05 (GMT +12) Try: A. Ioane 31'
Barrett (2) 35', 48'
Lam 59'
Tuivasa-Sheck 69'
Con: Perofeta (5/5) 33', 37', 49', 60', 70'
Report Pen: Banks (2/2) 5', 30'
Cards: Makalio   22'
Attendance: 23,500[4]
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
4 June 2022 Brumbies 35–25 Hurricanes GIO Stadium, Canberra  
19:45 (GMT +10) Try: Fainga'a 25'
Simone 31'
Banks 64'
Wright 74'
Con: White (1/1) 33'
Lolesio (2/3) 66', 76'
Pen: Lolesio (3/3) 8', 48', 61'
Cards: Ikitau   23'
Report Try: Moorby (2) 17', 39'
Pen: Barrett (5/5) 4', 11', 23', 35', 42'
Cards: Franks   25'
Rayasi   73'
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)

Semifinals

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10 June 2022 Crusaders 20–7 Chiefs Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch  
19:05 (GMT +12) Try: Grace (2) 23', 35'
Con: Mo'unga (2/2) 25', 37'
Pen: Mo'unga (2/3) 6', 9'
Cards: Matera   20'
Matera   32'
Report Try: Ta'avao 27'
Con: Gatland (1/1) 28'
Cards: Tupaea   8'
Attendance: 15,000[5]
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
11 June 2022 Blues 20–19 Brumbies Eden Park, Auckland  
19:05 (GMT +12) Try: Sotutu 23'
Tele'a 34'
Con: Perofeta (2/2) 24', 36'
Pen: Perofeta (2/2) 10', 21'
Cards: Eklund   52'
Choat   75'
Report Try: Simone 3'
L. Lonergan (2) 59', 76'
Con: Lolesio (2/3) 4', 78'
Attendance: 26,900[6]
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)

Match

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The final was held at Eden Park in Auckland. Weather conditions were wet with persistent drizzle.[7] It is thought to be the first major rugby union final where both sides have been captained by brothers, with Beauden Barrett captaining the Blues and Scott Barrett captaining the Crusaders. Two other sets of brothers also played in the fixture, with the Goodhue brothers (Jack for the Crusaders and Josh for the Blues) and the Ioane brothers (Akira and Rieko both for the Blues) joining the Barrett brothers in the fixture.

Details

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18 June 2022
19:05
Blues7–21Crusaders
Try: Christie 59'
Con: Perofeta (1/1) 60'
Report
Match Summary
Try: Hall 39'
Reece 76'
Con: Mo'unga (1/2) 40+1'
Pen: Mo'unga (2/3) 30', 46'
Drop: Mo'unga 13'
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 45,000[1]
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Blues
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crusaders
FB 15   Stephen Perofeta
RW 14   AJ Lam
OC 13   Rieko Ioane
IC 12   Roger Tuivasa-Sheck   45'
LW 11   Mark Tele'a   78'
FH 10   Beauden Barrett (c)
SH 9   Finlay Christie   72'
N8 8   Hoskins Sotutu   40'   44'
OF 7   Adrian Choat   47'
BF 6   Akira Ioane
RL 5   Tom Robinson
LL 4   Josh Goodhue   45'
TP 3   Nepo Laulala   54'
HK 2   Kurt Eklund   54'
LP 1   Alex Hodgman   54'
Substitutes:
HK 16   Soane Vikena   54'
PR 17   Karl Tu'inukuafe   54'
PR 18   Ofa Tu'ungafasi   54'
LK 19   Luke Romano   45'
LF 20   Dalton Papalii   40'   44'   47'
SH 21   Sam Nock   72'
CE 22   Bryce Heem   45'
FB 23   Zarn Sullivan   78'
Coach:
  Leon MacDonald
FB 15   Will Jordan
RW 14   Sevu Reece
OC 13   Jack Goodhue
IC 12   David Havili   68'
LW 11   Leicester Fainga'anuku   68'
FH 10   Richie Mo'unga
SH 9   Bryn Hall   59'
N8 8   Cullen Grace
OF 7   Tom Christie   78'
BF 6   Pablo Matera   78'
RL 5   Sam Whitelock
LL 4   Scott Barrett (c)
TP 3   Oli Jager   52'
HK 2   Codie Taylor   59'
LP 1   George Bower   59'
Substitutes:
HK 16   Brodie McAlister   59'
PR 17   Tamaiti Williams   59'
PR 18   Fletcher Newell   52'
LK 19   Quinten Strange   78'
LF 20   Corey Kellow   78'
SH 21   Mitchell Drummond   59'
CE 22   Braydon Ennor   68'
WG 23   George Bridge   68'
Coach:
  Scott Robertson

Man of the Match:
Sam Whitelock (Crusaders)[8]

Assistant referees:
Nic Berry (Rugby Australia)
Stu Curran (New Zealand)
Television match official:
Shane McDermott (New Zealand)

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Clinical Crusaders boss Blues 21-7 to secure Super Rugby Pacific championship". Stuff.co.nz. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  2. ^ "2022 Super Rugby - Sanzar". super.rugby. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Chiefs take down Waratahs 39–15 in Super Rugby Pacific quarterfinal in Hamilton". Stuff.co.nz. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Blues bash Highlanders 35–6 to cruise into Super Rugby Pacific semifinals". Stuff.co.nz. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Crusaders beat Chiefs 20–7 in semifinal despite red card to Pablo Matera". Stuff.co.nz. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Blues edge Brumbies 20–19 to set up Super Rugby Pacific final against Crusaders". Stuff.co.nz. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Super Rugby Pacific final: Crusaders beat Blues 21-7 to claim 11th title". BBC Sport. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Crusaders player ratings: Ruthless Sam Whitelock destroys Blues' lineout". Stuff.co.nz. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
Preceded by Super Rugby Pacific Final
2022
Succeeded by