After 15 long weeks of super rugby action, it has finally come down to the last two teams who will battle it out on Saturday.
It’s the battle of the bombays, as the Chiefs go head to head with the Blues in front of an already sold out Eden Park, with an estimated crowd of 44,000 fans to pack out the arena.
The game is already shaping up to be a matchup for the decades with so much on the line including bragging rights, redemption and even possible international selections.
It will be the second time the two teams meet this year as they faced off a few weeks back, with Blues convincingly defeating the Chiefs 31-17.
But the past is the past, and for both Chiefs and Blues learning from the past is something they have focused on for Saturday.
In 2022, Blues dismantled any competition in its way throughout the whole season, only to fall short in the final against the Crusaders. Last year was also a repeat of this, with the Chiefs losing also to the Crusaders in the final after dominating all year.
Now at the end of this year’s competition, both teams have another shot at the title, this time hoping to take it one step further.
“I remember that year (2022) very clearly” Blues skipper Dalton Papalii stated after their semi final victory over the Brumbies.
“We went on a 15 game winning streak and I think we kind of thought that to win the final was going to just happen automatically. The couple of losses this year however has been good reminders to our team that we cannot leave anything unchecked”.
“So heading into this final, complacency has been a big thing, and we will leave no stone unturned”
