Samipeni Finau on the charge. Photo: Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz
Chiefs v Brumbies
Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 14 June
FMG Stadium Waikato
Live blog updates on RNZ
The Chiefs might've suffered a shock loss last weekend to the Blues but still retain home ground advantage for this straight knock out game against the Brumbies. At stake is a place in next weekend's final in Christchurch, where the Crusaders lie in wait.
The Australians come in off the back of a very good win over the Hurricanes in their qualifying final
Team lists
Chiefs: 1. Ollie Norris, 2. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 3. George Dyer, 4. Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 5. Tupou Vaa'i, 6. Samipeni Finau, 7. Luke Jacobson, 8. Wallace Sititi, 9. Cortez Ratima, 10. Damian McKenzie, 11. Leroy Carter, 12. Quinn Tupaea, 13. Daniel Rona, 14. Emoni Narawa, 15. Shaun Stevenson
Bench: 16. Brodie McAlister, 17. Jared Proffit, 18. Reuben O'Neill, 19. Jimmy Tupou, 20. Kaylum Boshier, 21. Xavier Roe, 22. Josh Jacomb, 23. Gideon Wrampling
Brumbies: 1. James Slipper, 2. Billy Pollard, 3. Allan Alaalatoa, 4. Nick Frost, 5. Tom Hooper, 6. Rob Valetini, 7. Rory Scott, 8. Tuaina Taii Tualima, 9. Ryan Lonergan, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Corey Toole, 12. David Feliuai, 13. Len Ikitau, 14. Andy Muirhead, 15. Tom Wright
Bench: 16. Lachlan Lonergan, 17. Lington Ieli, 18. Feao Fotuaika, 19. Lachlan Shaw, 20. Luke Reimer, 21. Harrison Goddard, 22. Declan Meredith, 23. Ollie Sapsford
Chiefs selections
Quinn Tupaea and Gideon Wrampling celebrate. Photo: Jeremy Ward/Photosport
It's a welcome back to Quinn Tupaea in the Chiefs' midfield, he's back from injury so Gideon Wrampling moves to the bench. The loose forwards are reshuffled with Simon Parker out injured, so Wallace Sititi starts at number eight, with Samipeni Finau and Luke Jacobson on the sides of the scrum.
Brumbies selections
Stephen Larkham has named an unchanged 23 from the side that beat the Hurricanes last weekend.
Key stats
Chiefs Damian McKenzie is tackled by Brumbies Declan Meredith during the Super Rugby Pacific. Photo: Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz
The Chiefs will be looking to avoid back-to-back losses in Super Rugby Pacific for the first time this season.
The Brumbies have won four of their last five Super Rugby Pacific games, with two of their four wins in that span coming after they trailed at halftime.
Brumbies hooker Billy Pollard has scored nine tries across his last eight Super Rugby Pacific games, including two against the Hurricanes last weekend.
What they're saying
"If you sort of look at just about every game in Super Rugby this year, it's gone down to the wire. Even when you've got first place playing last, those games, it's come down to the wire as well. We've spoken about that, when you get into the finals, every team is fairly evenly matched and it will come down to those little moments." Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham.
"It might impact some individuals more than others, but we're pretty focused on winning what's directly in front of us. It's a bloody hard thing to win a Super Rugby competition. We've probably been good enough over the last five or six years to give ourselves a chance." - Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan.
The last time they met
Chiefs 49 - 34 Brumbies
This one could've gone either way at the hour mark, with the scores locked at 29-all on a glorious late summer afternoon in Hamilton. However, it was the Chiefs who managed to finish stronger with a couple of late tries, after Quinn Tupaea had made the first of a number of strong cases for an All Black recall this season.
What's going to happen
While both teams have a lot of try scoring ability, it is likely this game will feature a lot more kicking than the last time they played. Larkham already more or less confirmed that the Brumbies will be playing a heavy territory game, but the Chiefs arguably paid the price for going into their shells last weekend against the Blues. So really the key here is for Damian McKenzie to balance the game a bit more in their favour, or else they'll risk an ignominious exit.
