Chiefs playmaker Damian McKenzie says his side is ready to put its disappointing record in Super Rugby Pacific finals behind it, with a new-look squad determined to reach new heights.
The Hamilton-based outfit has reached each of the past three Super Rugby Pacific finals but fell short against the Crusaders in 2023, the Blues in 2024 and the Crusaders again in 2025.
McKenzie and his teammates exorcised some demons by thrashing the Crusaders in last week's semi-final, while the Hurricanes dismantled the Blues to set up a showdown between the competition's top two seeds.
Despite winning the only regular-season meeting between the two finalists, the Chiefs head into tonight's decider as underdogs.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB, McKenzie said the team has learned valuable lessons from its previous finals defeats and believes those experiences have prepared them for this moment.
The Chiefs' dominant performance against the defending champions last weekend sent a strong message and highlighted their ability to perform under pressure when it matters most.
The Chiefs will take on the Hurricanes at 7.05 tonight.
Source: RugbyPass
