The Blues are gearing up for a historic showdown against the Crusaders in the Super Rugby playoffs. Coach vern Cotter acknowledges the immense challenge, as the crusaders have never lost a playoff game at home as the competition’s inception in 1996, holding a formidable 30-0 record.

“Nothing lasts forever, so it’s just our job to prepare as best we can, adn it’ll be what will be,” cotter said. “We’ll certainly be resolute to back the performance up this week.”

Cotter remains optimistic, stating, “They’re a tough team, but one day they’ll lose down there in the playoffs – and if it can be against us, well, we’ll be certainly pushing as best we can for that.” He also anticipates a possibly nail-biting finish, adding, “It may come down to the 85th minute again next week.”

With only six days to prepare, Cotter sees the tight schedule as an advantage. “The six-day turnaround is good for us,” said Cotter. “No time to sit around and dawdle.”

He emphasized the importance of recovery, cohesion, and excitement within the team. “It’s recovery, keeping that cohesion, excitement. What I saw this week was enjoyment, being together and creating somthing,” Cotter explained. “We’ll get straight back into it on Monday, low-intensity Tuesday, day off Wednesday, speed it up, then fly Thursday.Not a lot of time to ask questions.”

Chiefs Reflect on Close Call Against Blues

“We wanted to win this game and put the blues to be bed, because, you know, wins like this will just fuel more confidence,”

Meanwhile, Chiefs coach McMillan addressed his team’s recent performance against the Blues, were they narrowly escaped defeat. The Chiefs held a 13-point lead in the second half before the Blues mounted a comeback, eventually taking the lead with a last-minute conversion by Beauden Barrett after Beehre’s try.

“We probably did the Blues a bit of a favour last year by winning a semifinal, so maybe they could do the same,” McMillan said. “But we will just worry about ourselves and the rest will take care of itself.” McMillan also refuted any suggestions of complacency within his squad, despite knowing the Chiefs were guaranteed a home semifinal irrespective of the game’s outcome.

“It’s always what is directly in front of us. I think we have been pretty consistent with that and our preparation, the effort we put in … was reflective of a team that really wanted to win,” mcmillan stated.