1
Chiefs vs Brumbies takes: Tupaea bruises Brumbies, bomb squad wobbles
By Ned Lester
The Brumbies had a mighty challenge on their hands as they took the field in Hamilton to face Super Rugby Pacific’s form team thus far in the young season.
ADVERTISEMENT
The round three contest saw two of the most hard-nosed teams in the competition lock horns in bright, sunny conditions in what would turn into another high-scoring affair.
While the Chiefs looked to launch another second-half onslaught after scores were tied heading into the break, the Brumbies wouldn’t let momentum slip too far from their grasp and responded with three second-half tries of their own.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the Chiefs’ stars had come to play, and it was the hosts who ran in the most points by the final whistle. Final score: 49-34.
Here are four takeaways from the contest.
Quinn Tupaea is world-class
Barnstorming runs, crisp distribution skills when needed and loose-forward-esque defence and breakdown work are the hallmarks of a good midfielder, and that description is absolutely fit for purpose in the case of Quinn Tupaea.
The 25-year-old has been influential in the Chiefs’ second-half surges in 2025 and was so again on Saturday, making a linebreak six minutes into the second half before placing a chip kick behind the final Brumbies defender and winning the race to the ball for his third try of the season.
While the 14-time All Black’s running game is well known, it was his passing game in the face of the Brumbies’ aggressive defensive line that really highlights how his skillset is ready for the next level.
ADVERTISEMENT
After his first linebreak of the game, Tupaea was ankle-tapped and was still able to fire a superb ball out to the wing, bypassing chasing defenders. Later, as the Brumbies defence sprinted out to cut down the wide channel, Tupaea threw a bullet that landed just ahead of his man and gave him the forward moment to beat the defender.
A clearance from within the Chiefs’ 22 was punched into the Brumbies’ 22 on the full, showing even more of Tupaea’s world-class skill set.
James Slipper, take a bow
The Brumbies veteran equalled Aaron Smith’s record of 185 Super Rugby caps on Saturday afternoon, good for second on the all-time list. The Wallaby now trails only Wyatt Crockett, who played 202 Super Rugby games.
ADVERTISEMENT
In his milestone match, Slipper helped his side to a near flawless set piece performance, also contributing eight carries and tackles.
In the Brumbies’ 55th-minute rolling maul try, the Wallaby ruptured the Chiefs’ defence by wriggling and wrestling his way between players, breaking the connection and creating the opportunity for his fellow forwards to part the seas and score.
A diluted bomb squad
Across the opening two weeks, the Chiefs have enjoyed a flurry of impact performances from All Blacks entering the game in the final 30 minutes.
Samipeni Finau and Cortez Ratima were both deployed off the bench in each of the opening two rounds, and in round one, they were joined by Anton Lienert-Brown, Tupou Vaa’i and Emoni Narawa.
The international injections were a big part of the Chiefs’ success down the winning stretches of those games. The club headed into the Brumbies clash with a remarkable 51-10 record in second halves this season.
Against the Brumbies, there was another second-half push, but it was both teams running up the scoreboard. Narrowing in on the second half specifically, the Brumbies managed to score just shy of twice the number of points the Blues and Crusaders did combined.
The Chiefs were without a number of their best talents, something that was sure to hurt them when the bench entered the game. But, while they boast perhaps the best depth in the competition, the bomb squad tactic is proving effective for a reason.
In 2024, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson learned the hard way the importance of distributing your experience and X-factor across the matchday 23. The Chiefs, rich in talent as they are, also look the better side when they have starpower coming off the bench.
Samisoni Taukei’aho makes seamless return
The long-awaited return of Samisoni Taukei’aho lasted 25 productive minutes that will have fans across New Zealand smiling.
Once seen as the clear heir to Codie Taylor’s throne, the hooker’s injury in the Chiefs’ semi-final against the Hurricanes last season ruled him out of the entire 2024 international season. In his place, Asafo Aumua matured as an international player, and George Bell got his first taste of the bright lights of All Blacks rugby.
Taukei’aho’s return performance indicates his injury won’t hold him back.
The bulldozing front-rower rumbled forward with his carries, looking hungry for work and slotting back into his role as a go-to guy with ball in hand for his team.
One lineout was picked off, but outside of that, the set-piece game looked strong and provided the launchpad for the Chiefs’ backs to produce scoring plays.
News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!
👍🏼