Chiefs vs Reds takes: The Rassie Erasmus influence, back row stars

Super Rugby Pacific round eight got underway at a wet FMG Stadium in Hamilton on Friday night. The wet conditions and surface played a massive part in the top-of-the-table clash, with the Chiefs eventually beating the Queensland Reds 27-15.

A late flurry of tries by the Chiefs bench proved to be the difference in an error-ridden 80 minutes of Super Rugby Pacific action.

The Reds travelled to Hamilton leading the competition after three straight wins, while the Chiefs received exciting news this week, with star playmaker Damian McKenzie re-signing with the club and New Zealand Rugby until 2029. 

Here are five takeaways.

The Rassie Erasmus influence

Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan won’t admit it, but his bomb squad is one of the big reasons his side are now top of the Super Rugby Pacific table.

On multiple occasions in the 2025 season, the Chiefs’ bench impact has been the difference between winning and losing games. Friday evening’s contest with the Reds was no different, with Samipeni Finau, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tupou Vaa’i and Xavier Roe all entering the game in the 47th minute. 

This was when the Chiefs started to shift the momentum their way, as some of their All Blacks contingent rolled up their sleeves and took the game by the scruff of the neck.

Replacement playmaker Josh Jacomb’s introduction also helped the Chiefs put more pressure on the Reds defence, highlighted perfectly when he kicked a long-range 50/22 shortly after coming on the field. 

Taukei’aho’s introduction also helped their lineout efficiency, as the Chiefs replacement hooker was at the heart of their lineout maul try in the 70th minute, extending the lead to ten points with under ten minutes to go.

Erasmus might not be the one pulling the strings for the Chiefs, but it’s safe to say his way of coaching has changed the way teams use their bench. 

Reds stick with their plan

The Reds are the only team in Super Rugby Pacific not to take a penalty so far in the first seven rounds of the competition, and they kept it that way in Hamilton on Friday evening.

It all went to plan the first time of asking, as they opted to go to the corner instead of taking the easy three, before a Matt Faessler lineout special put the Reds in for their first try.

In the second half, they went for the same option, this time the Chiefs pack held strong by holding up the lethal Reds lineout drive. This proved costly for head coach Les Kiss’s side, as the Chiefs went down the other end to capitalize on the Reds’ missed opportunity. 

The Reds taking the lineout option didn’t cost them the game, but it sure could have been a different last 30 minutes if they had taken the points on offer early in the second half when down to 14 men.

Fascinating battle of loose forward trios

It only took less than three minutes for All Blacks loose forward Luke Jacobson to cross the line for the game’s first try, showing fans at home that his loose forward trio was up for the task.

There’s been plenty of discussion regarding the Reds loose forward trio of Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson and Joe Brial, who in their own right, are one of the best combinations in the competition. The back row matchup in Hamilton was one of the most important on the night, where all six loose forwards were heavily involved.

McReight was busy around the park making a game high 23 tackles, and Wilson was ever present on both sides of the ball, carrying 15 times.

Joe Brial, the uncapped international from the Reds trio, scored a brilliant solo try in the dying minutes of the first half. After a high ball drop by McKenzie, Brial kicked the ball ahead and found himself in a foot race with Chiefs speedster Emoni Narawa. Brial reached the ball first as it stopped perfectly right before the dead ball line, where Brial dived and used the wet surface to his advantage, levelling the scores heading into halftime. 

Both teams’ loose forwards were physical throughout, and despite the challenging conditions, they still managed to impose themselves on the game. 

A game for the rugby purists

It wasn’t a pretty game. The backs had little to no ball, and set-piece time was the difference.

There were errors, a yellow card, and multiple TMO interventions, much to the despair of the 9,882 home fans, who, for large parts of the match, were frustrated with the stoppages and errors from both sides. Both teams made over 15 errors.

The highlights package won’t be the most exciting watch of the season, but McMillan will be more than pleased with his side’s effort. Especially after bye week, where teams often struggle to hit the ground running after a week off.

Milestone man struggles

Shaun Stevenson would have hoped the nasty weather wouldn’t impact the game as much as it did, as the electric fullback’s skills weren’t on show in his 100th game for the Chiefs.

Stevenson is the 11th Chiefs player to reach 100 caps, alongside club legends like Liam Messam, Brodie Retallick and Sam Cane.

On top of an early deflected kick that fell straight into Filipo Daugunu’s hands, Stevenson had two errors in the first 25 minutes, not starting his milestone game as well as he would’ve liked.

The Chiefs fullback had little impact with ball in hand, mostly to do with his side’s attitude to roll the sleeves up and attack the Reds with pick and go’s.

It will be a game to remember for Stevenson and his family, but he might not want to remember much of the action on the park.