Chiefs head to South Africa for the finals
25 May 09
Waikato Draught has been a proud supporter of the Chiefs through good times and bad, but we were especially proud on Friday night as our boys turned in a fantastic performance to beat the Hurricanes and book our first ever final appearance in the Super 14. The atmosphere inside a packed Waikato Stadium was awesome as the Chiefs showed that the Hurricanes were just full of hot air, holding out for a tense 14-10 win. An already legendary evening was made even more unforgettable when a thick fog rolled in with a couple of minutes to go, with the 'Canes camped on the Chiefs tryline. Who knows what heroics were performed on the goalline, as the only ones who could see through the pea souper were the 30 players on the field.
A home final even looked on the cards for a while as the Crusaders had a handy lead over the Bulls in the first half of the second semi. But the men from Pretoria came back strongly to defeat Blackadder's boys, securing the final in South Africa. So the Chiefs head to the Republic as underdogs, and not many teams have come away from Loftus Versfeld with a win. It's been a massive achievement to get this far, but we at Waikato Draught reckon our boys can go one better and knock the mighty Bulls over in their own patch. Let's set those alarms early and cheer the Chiefs on, and let's hope an already great season will become an unbelievable one