In doing so, the Chiefs broke the six-time defending champion Crusaders’ five-match winning revival.
Anticipation gripped Waikato Stadium as locals flocked to see whether their unbeaten side could repeat the heavy round one defeat they inflicted on the Crusaders in Christchurch.
A 23,000 sellout crowd – buoyant by the end – is a clear signal that when the best plays the best, and the elite players are not resting, interest remains. Unfortunately for Super Rugby, these occasions are the exception.
Thankfully, this headline billing lived up to the hype.
Two late tries from Shaun Stevenson and Tyrone Thompson sealed a victory for the Chiefs that maintains their place atop the Super Rugby table and leaves them on course to host all-important finals fixtures.
While they were unlucky at times, particularly in the first half, the Crusaders’ third defeat this season further dents their credentials.
Damian McKenzie shook off an error-riddled first half to firmly inject his influence on the contest straight after the break to spark two telling tries and finish with 19 points.
With a typically jinking run and offload that put Stevenson into space and finished with Brodie Retallick coasting over, McKenzie had the Chiefs in pole position to kick on.
The Chiefs were perhaps fortunate to savour their 19-7 advantage but, at that point, this match appeared to be following a similar script to the opening round.
The Crusaders, though, had other ideas.
As they so often do the Crusaders turned to their strengths; first gaining a penalty try through a maul that also earned Luke Jacobson a yellow card.
Jacobson’s absence cost the Chiefs another try, with Fergus Burke finishing a Braydon Ennor inside ball in the corner, after a fortuitous deflection from Etene Nanai-Seturo, to wrestle a 21-19 lead.
McKenzie and Richie Mo’unga traded penalties to heighten tension into the closing stages but the Crusaders lacked attacking spark when it mattered.
McKenzie instead stepped up to slice through and send Stevenson over for the match-turning moment.
Despite dominating the first half the Crusaders trailed 12-7 at halftime. Hulking prop Tamaiti Williams crashed over for the opening try after Leicester Fainga’anuku busted through McKenzie, who endured several shaky moments early.
The Crusaders controlled all the early running through shallow, contestable kicks that held up in the strong breeze and dominating territory. That allowed the Crusaders to impose their attrition-based game through their forward pack.
McKenzie’s compelling form this season deserted him in the first half as the Crusaders applied consistent defensive line speed pressure to force regular errors, including a charge down and left-foot kick that rocketed into Jacobson’s head, from the playmaker.
The Crusaders were denied two first-half tries – the first after Ennor was deemed to have knocked on while flattening McKenzie. Scott Barrett was then called back for a marginal Dominic Gardiner spill.
With those calls going against the Crusaders, frustration crept into their ranks as they gave away a series of penalties that allowed McKenzie to eventually steal an unlikely lead after the Chiefs barely threatened to score.
Mo’unga, meanwhile, missed two penalties – one from 40 metres out right in front.
There will be contrasting moods as the camps ponder this result. Scott Robertson won’t panic but there must be worries the Chiefs have the Crusaders’ number.
Clayton McMillan will conversely stick to the tried-and-true grounded approach that underpins this year’s title favourites.
Chiefs 34 (Brodie Retallick, Shaun Stevenson, Tyrone Thompson tries; Damian McKenzie 2 cons, 5 pens)
Crusaders 24 (Tamaiti Williams, penalty try, Fergus Burke tries; Richie Mo’unga 2 cons, pen)
HT: 12-7
