Chiefs v Crusaders STAT CHAT: The numbers behind a rivalry that never stops giving

The Chiefs and Crusaders rivalry brings out a different edge, and as we head into Round 3, the numbers tell a story of two teams on very different early‑season paths, but still on a course that promises plenty. 

The Chiefs have come out of the gates humming. They’ve banked two strong wins, and if history is anything to go by, they love playing us at FMG Stadium Waikato.  

Hamilton has never been a place you stroll into lightly. Across 27 meetings there, the record sits almost perfectly balanced: Chiefs 14 wins, Crusaders 13.  

Even the last five games at FMG Stadium Waikato tell the same story, with the Chiefs scraping ahead 3–2, though one of our wins was the 2023 Final. 

Last season these two sides finished as the competition’s top‑scoring teams, with the Chiefs averaging 36.2 points, just ahead of our 31.8. They were second in red‑zone efficiency, we were first. Two teams who didn’t just find their way into the 22, they punished you for letting them in. 

The Chiefs have won five of the last six regular season games against us, and that alone lights a fire within us. We know exactly what we’re walking into. 

But before anyone writes their narrative too early, let’s not forget what this group is made of.  

Will Jordan’s already shown what he’s capable of, dragging the Crusaders attack forward with over 270 carry metres in his first two games.  

Leicester Fainga’anuku is wreaking havoc in contact again, beating more defenders than anyone else in the competition. Ethan Blackadder’s tackling like a man possessed, topping the entire comp, and Jamie Hannah is stealing lineouts on the weekly. 

And while the results haven’t dropped our way yet, the effort and intent have been there. Sometimes the climb back into rhythm takes a little time, but you can feel something starting to settle. 

That’s why this matchup matters, it’s more than a Round 3 fixture. It’s a chance to sharpen the edges and to remind the competition what Crusaders rugby looks like when it’s fully switched on. 

The Chiefs will come hard, they always do. But that’s what makes these weeks so good. It’s what fans live for, and it’s exactly the kind of challenge that brings out the best in us. 

This is a rivalry built on respect, intensity and history. It’s a rematch of two teams who were the benchmark last season.  

And it’s an opportunity for the Crusaders to remind everyone that slow starts don’t define us, our response does.