Crusaders vs Blues Predictions & Tips - Super Rugby semi-final to go to the wire

Ralph Staniforth

Editor

Last updated: 11 Jun 2025

Ralph Staniforth 11 Jun 2025

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Crusaders won 11 of 14 matches in the 2025 season.
Blues shocked the Chiefs and secured a semi-final spot.
Blues are backed to cover a +6.5 handicap or potentially win.

Expired

Crusaders beat the Blues by 3 points earlier this season. (Getty Images)

Crusaders vs Blues Preview

The Blues caused a major shock last weekend after pulling a huge performance out of the bag. While it will be tough to do twice in two weeks, they have the quality to pull it off.

Crusaders vs Blues Preview
Head to Head
Crusaders Form
Crusaders Injuries & Team News
Blues Form
Blues Injuries & Team News

Crusaders have won 7 of their last 8 matches.
Crusaders beat the Blues by 3 points earlier this season.
Blues have won 4 of their last 5 matches.
Blues beat the Chiefs away from home last weekend.

Head to Head

The Crusaders narrowly beat the Blues 25-22 earlier this season.

Crusaders Form

The Crusaders had a dismal 2024 but bounced back to finish second on the table in 2025, winning 11 of their 14 matches. They come into this semi-final having won seven of their last eight matches.

The only defeat the Crusadres suffered in this run came against the Chiefs. Since that loss, the Crusaders have beaten the Waratahs, Highlanders and Brumbies, two of them away from home.

Last week, in the quarter-final against the Reds, the Crusaders were too good on home soil. They won the game comfortably 32-12.

Crusaders Injuries & Team News

15 Will Jordan, 14 Chay Fihaki, 13 Braydon Ennor, 12 David Havili (captain), 11 Sevu Reece, 10 Rivez Reihana, 9 Noah Hotham, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 7 Tom Christie, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Antonio Shalfoon, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 George Bower.

Replacements: 16 George Bell, 17 Kershawl Sykes-Martin, 18 Seb Calder, 19 Jamie Hannah, 20 Cullen Grace, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 James O’Connor, 23 Dallas McLeod.

Blues Form

The Blues came into the 2025 Super Rugby campaign as defending champions but did little through the tournament to show they can defend it. They were inconsistent at best, but they did manage to scrape into the playoffs.

After beating the Western Force and Fijian Drua, the Blue lost to Moana. Fortunately, in their final round robin game, the Auckland side managed a 46-6 win over the Waratahs to send them into the quarters.

Qualifying sixth was never going to be ideal but the Blues showed that their class from 2024 still remains. They came out and beat the table topping Chiefs 20-19 to secure a semi-final berth, the first home defeat of the season for the Chiefs.

Blues Injuries & Team News

15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Mark Tele’a, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 AJ Lam, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papali’i, 6 Adrian Choat, 5 Laghlan McWhannell, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (captain), 3 Marcel Renata, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Joshua Fusitu’a.

Replacements: Kurt Eklund, Jordan Lay, Angus Ta’avao, Josh Beehre, Anton Segner, Sam Nock, Harry Plummer, Cole Forbes

Verdict

Crusaders v Blues

I am backing the Blues to get within the 6.5 handicap with a chance of an upset win.

Blues +6.5

Handicap

@10/11 - 3 Units

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