The Chiefs have made it to their third Super Rugby final in as many years, but have failed to win on the biggest stage in their previous two attempts.
They look to right those two wrongs tonight as the face the Crusaders in Christchurch to determine the champions of the 2025 Super Rugby Season.
Chiefs Fullback Shaun Stevenson joined Piney for a chat ahead of what is his last Chiefs game.
He told Piney that the team’s taking great confidence in their regular season wins, with the last one being down at the Crusaders’ home ground as well.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Super Rugby Pacific twenty twenty five kicked off here in
christ jur John Valentine's Day and just over four months
later we return to the very same venue tonight for
the climax of a thrilling eighteen week competition. Following a
forgettable and inexplicable twenty twenty four, the twelve time full
champion Crusaders are back in the Big Dance, seeking redemption
(00:34):
for last year and a return to the top of
the podium which has been so familiar to them in
the last couple of decades. They're joined in the decider
by the best team across the regular season and I
think almost certainly the most consistent team across the last
three years, the Chiefs, contesting a third straight final and
desperate to break their duck and send off a couple
(00:54):
of the club's most popular figures in style. It is
the Grand Final. Several were hoping for the Grand Final,
many predicted the Grand Final. Most would agree as an
accurate representation of the current professional power basis of Trans
Tasman and Pacific Rugby no more matches, No more mondays,
no more second chances, Just delight and delirium for the winners,
(01:17):
desolation and despair for the vanquished. Once more, into the
breach for the Crusaders and the Chiefs, as irresistible force
meets immovable object in a mouthwatering finale to a magnificent
Super Rugby season. One of the many potential game breakers
tonight is Chiefs full back Seawan Stephenson.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Big open field on the back to McKenzie. He goes
it to Stephenson and under the post, what a great
behind the back?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Well fint know out.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
For eight Seawan Stevenson joins us on Weekend Sport. Thanks
so much for taking the time, Sean. You've been cleared
to play, which is the main thing after your head
knock and you failed HIA last weekend. Was it friendly fired?
Did you collide with your mate Cortez Latimer as you
tried to stop that try early in the second half.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Has a big moldy head, got me a good one,
so I think I gave him a couple of stitches
and I just got a big, big egg on my head.
So yeah, but a friendly fire, and yeah, I think
it was marginal. My test. I mean, they could have
gone either way. But yeah, I'm just happy that I've
come out all good with the protocols and ready to go.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
What is the nature of the h I a test
that they give you in situations like that when you
go down the tunnel.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
It's actually pretty tricky. I'm not gonna lie whether. Yeah,
it's it's pretty tricky. Ten words. So they'll list off
ten words and you can say that they can any order,
and then you see if you do that three times,
and you obviously have to have a certain threshold because
you do a baseline it this other year, so they
(02:56):
normally refer but the back back to that. And then
after those three I guess there's three lots of ten words,
you go to numbers. So they'll say three example, two
one sex and then you have to stay backwards, so
six one two, So you do three numbers, four numbers,
five numbers, six numbers, all backwards in the right order.
And then one leg thirty seconds. So one leg, got
(03:20):
one leg on the ground, your non dominant foot with
your eyes closed, so you have to hold that for
twenty seconds without trying to move everywhere, and then one
for in front of it. Well, yeah, one your dominant
so your dominant foot in front of your non dominant foot,
close your eyes another twenty seconds, and then two minutes rest,
(03:40):
and then they get you to say those ten weds.
We'll try at least name all those ten words. You
sit at the start, and that's it. So yeah, it's
I mean, if you've got a hip baseline at the
start of the year, obviously it's pretty tricky because sometimes
even on a on a day that you feel like
you're on it's still pretty tricky trying to get everything right.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
I was just gonna say that even without a bangle
on their head, it sounds pretty tricky.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, yeah, one hundred of So the trek is to
try probably not have such a high baseline at this
stud of the year. So when you do get to
these situations like that, that's your freshold's got too high.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
All right, Well, all's well, that ends. Well, you're okay
to play and as the Chiefs, you've got the blueprint
to beat the Crusaders. You've done it twice this season,
including in christ. Will some of the stuff that worked
in the regular season be valuable to you tonight?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Yeah, one hundred per I mean, we can take great
conference with two wins, and I guess the last one
being down there as well at the home ground. Obviously
it's a different different story now it's final time. I
guess in some capacity that you know, it does change
a lot. Probably game gets a bit tighter as many moments,
(04:56):
I guess they're going to, you know, just be free.
But then there's also going to be moments, a couple
of moments that teams are going to have to ice
when it really matters. So but yeah, we can take
a great conference even from the I guess I guess
the game means the Brumby's in the last couple of
times we've played guest for Staders.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
I think we all probably know that in finals football,
this isn't going to be an open, free scoring affair.
We're not looking at a sort of a forty nine
to forty two situation tonight. It'll be a lot tighter
than that. I think everybody expects. Anyway you reckon, you'll
do quite a bit of kicking in this one tonight.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Yeah, I think both teams will, to be honest, the
best part of Finals forty is no one wants to
be playing down in the air, you know, the side
of the half every once we're playing down the other end.
Both teams got awesome full packs, which you know you
don't want to be putting pressure on then when from necessaries, Yeah,
(05:55):
there's going to be a lot of kicking from both sides,
so you try to use our boot as much as
possible and put us down the right end of the field.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Everybody knows the Crusaders finals record in christ Church, they've
never lost a finals game down there, thirty one without defeat.
Do you use the fact that you can be the
ones to break that long standing record as a bit
of extra motivation.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, it's just an exciting challenge. Yeah, we we've talked
about it, you know, we've talked about it the other week,
and I guess that's the whole I guess the who
doo around, you know, bringing a couple of finals and
we've lost. So hey, I think we're mentally prepared for
this week. We're just going to win each day, each moment,
(06:39):
each oil, each minute we're in camp here and you're
just in pay as much as best as possible. We
know we've got the team to do it. So that's
an exciting challenge your head. So yeah, yeah, just one
the weekend then just ripping in.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
A slightly unique, in fact very unique situation for you. Surean,
it'll be your one hundred and tenth and final match
for the Chiefs before you head off to Japan. Have
you had time to reflect on your time with the
Chiefs and its entirety or will that likely come after
the weekend?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Yeah, that come come after the weekend. I mean, hey,
I'm not gonna ses a little bit of emotional I
guess driving and see from New Stadium for the last time,
and yeah, I guess that they've really hit home that
this was going to be the last time playing at
home after the Stator's a bit the blues, but yeah,
that's that was just I guess, a chance to soak
up the last time playing on that stadium. And obviously
(07:35):
it doesn't didn't turn up the probably the way that
I wanted to and in coming off, but it was
still it was still, I guess, unbelievable feeling just soaking
that up. But yeah, we've got a job to do
this week and then once over the time after the final, Yeah,
definitely probably to be a couple of times I'll probably ever, Yeah,
(07:57):
I guess it's better to stay around, you know, all
the good times and what the last ten years have
meant to me.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Has it struck you all this week that every time
you do something it'll be the last time that you
do it. The last gym session, the last team meeting
on a Wednesday, the last captain's run, all of that
sort of thing. Has that kind of struck you this week?
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yeah? One dred percent. I mean you don't really think
about it time and then sometimes it just pops into
your head. And last Tuesday gym session, you know, like
that's going to be my last ever. But yeah, I
guess it's just going to move with the times and
stand the present. So yeah, it's a weird feeling, but
a good feeling as well, knowing it's Grand final week
(08:42):
and hopefully can go out to winner.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
And you're not the only one who's leaving the franchise.
You coach Clayton McMillan is off too to his next
adventure at Munster. You're probably the wrong person to ask
this question, but do you think the other members of
the squad will use your departure and Clayton's departure as
any sort of extra fuel for them?
Speaker 1 (09:01):
No?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
I don't think. No, I don't think as well, especially
so I can speak for myself, but I think as
well as for Platon as well, that we just want
the boys to get the week right. You know, the
the celebrations will come after the after the game, and
we don't want to be you know, it's not about us.
It's about the team and our fans, our family, our friends.
(09:24):
You know, it's as much about them as as it
is about us. So yeah, we wen't really touched on
on that at all. So yeah, we're just going to
go by our week when each like I said, one
each day, enjoy, enjoy the moment, enjoy what we're doing
with each other, because yeah, it is the last time.
But yeah, we'll celebrate accordingly after the game.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
And I know you are only focused on the Grand Final, Sean,
but your next adventure will take you to Japan. You
had some time there earlier this year and that's your
next your next full time rugby challenge. How much are
you looking forward to the next chapter.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to the next adventure for sure.
I mean, yeah, I guess that's all I've known as
Chiefs Rugby for the last ten years and I've absolutely
loved that. I met so many great people along the way,
so many of you were people to think and yeah,
I think the best way to probably do that is
to come out of a champion this weekend. So yeah,
(10:24):
they'll yeah it's exciting, but yeah, like you said, I
was going to focus on this week ahead and then
I'll turn my attention to Japan. So yeah, it's gonna
be exciting, but also very cool to I guess I
enjoyed this last week as a Chief.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
It feels like we should have seen you much more
often in an All Blacks jersey, especially in twenty twenty
three when you were superb for the Chiefs, just utterly brilliant.
Is there any sense of disappointment at all that you
played just the one test?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Yeah? Yeah, I think there's always disappointment, but I guess
one test as one more than you know, most people,
so I can be very proud that I did get
the opportunity to the All Blacks. Obviously you're very good
at that. I couldn't get any more test matches, but
I'm not the i'm not the coach, I'm not the selectors,
so that's that's up to them. So yeah, I mean, yeah,
(11:24):
like I said, it's that it was a dream come
true to represent all bleacks and even though it was
the only the one test, that's you're like, I see
one more tests and I could ever dreamed of. So yeah,
think it with a better green and sold I guess.
But yeah, it's one of those things. And you just
keep moving on, moving on with his life, and you
just yeah, just keep keep moving forward.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Great attitude, mate, great attitude. Thanks so much for chatting
to us on on game day, Sean, all the best
tonight for the game and for your swan song from
the Chiefs. Really appreciate you taking the time for a
chat mate.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
No, awesome, mate, Appreciate the chat and thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
No, thank you, Sean. Sean Stevenson there joining us on
that game day. Out of the Chiefs.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Can for more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen
live to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Super Rugby Pacific twenty twenty five kicked off here in
christ jur John Valentine's Day and just over four months
later we return to the very same venue tonight for
the climax of a thrilling eighteen week competition. Following a
forgettable and inexplicable twenty twenty four, the twelve time full
champion Crusaders are back in the Big Dance, seeking redemption
(00:34):
for last year and a return to the top of
the podium which has been so familiar to them in
the last couple of decades. They're joined in the decider
by the best team across the regular season and I
think almost certainly the most consistent team across the last
three years, the Chiefs, contesting a third straight final and
desperate to break their duck and send off a couple
(00:54):
of the club's most popular figures in style. It is
the Grand Final. Several were hoping for the Grand Final,
many predicted the Grand Final. Most would agree as an
accurate representation of the current professional power basis of Trans
Tasman and Pacific Rugby no more matches, No more mondays,
no more second chances, Just delight and delirium for the winners,
(01:17):
desolation and despair for the vanquished. Once more, into the
breach for the Crusaders and the Chiefs, as irresistible force
meets immovable object in a mouthwatering finale to a magnificent
Super Rugby season. One of the many potential game breakers
tonight is Chiefs full back Seawan Stephenson.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Big open field on the back to McKenzie. He goes
it to Stephenson and under the post, what a great
behind the back?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Well fint know out.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
For eight Seawan Stevenson joins us on Weekend Sport. Thanks
so much for taking the time, Sean. You've been cleared
to play, which is the main thing after your head
knock and you failed HIA last weekend. Was it friendly fired?
Did you collide with your mate Cortez Latimer as you
tried to stop that try early in the second half.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Has a big moldy head, got me a good one,
so I think I gave him a couple of stitches
and I just got a big, big egg on my head.
So yeah, but a friendly fire, and yeah, I think
it was marginal. My test. I mean, they could have
gone either way. But yeah, I'm just happy that I've
come out all good with the protocols and ready to go.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
What is the nature of the h I a test
that they give you in situations like that when you
go down the tunnel.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
It's actually pretty tricky. I'm not gonna lie whether. Yeah,
it's it's pretty tricky. Ten words. So they'll list off
ten words and you can say that they can any order,
and then you see if you do that three times,
and you obviously have to have a certain threshold because
you do a baseline it this other year, so they
(02:56):
normally refer but the back back to that. And then
after those three I guess there's three lots of ten words,
you go to numbers. So they'll say three example, two
one sex and then you have to stay backwards, so
six one two, So you do three numbers, four numbers,
five numbers, six numbers, all backwards in the right order.
And then one leg thirty seconds. So one leg, got
(03:20):
one leg on the ground, your non dominant foot with
your eyes closed, so you have to hold that for
twenty seconds without trying to move everywhere, and then one
for in front of it. Well, yeah, one your dominant
so your dominant foot in front of your non dominant foot,
close your eyes another twenty seconds, and then two minutes rest,
(03:40):
and then they get you to say those ten weds.
We'll try at least name all those ten words. You
sit at the start, and that's it. So yeah, it's
I mean, if you've got a hip baseline at the
start of the year, obviously it's pretty tricky because sometimes
even on a on a day that you feel like
you're on it's still pretty tricky trying to get everything right.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
I was just gonna say that even without a bangle
on their head, it sounds pretty tricky.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, yeah, one hundred of So the trek is to
try probably not have such a high baseline at this
stud of the year. So when you do get to
these situations like that, that's your freshold's got too high.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
All right, Well, all's well, that ends. Well, you're okay
to play and as the Chiefs, you've got the blueprint
to beat the Crusaders. You've done it twice this season,
including in christ. Will some of the stuff that worked
in the regular season be valuable to you tonight?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Yeah, one hundred per I mean, we can take great
conference with two wins, and I guess the last one
being down there as well at the home ground. Obviously
it's a different different story now it's final time. I
guess in some capacity that you know, it does change
a lot. Probably game gets a bit tighter as many moments,
(04:56):
I guess they're going to, you know, just be free.
But then there's also going to be moments, a couple
of moments that teams are going to have to ice
when it really matters. So but yeah, we can take
a great conference even from the I guess I guess
the game means the Brumby's in the last couple of
times we've played guest for Staders.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
I think we all probably know that in finals football,
this isn't going to be an open, free scoring affair.
We're not looking at a sort of a forty nine
to forty two situation tonight. It'll be a lot tighter
than that. I think everybody expects. Anyway you reckon, you'll
do quite a bit of kicking in this one tonight.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Yeah, I think both teams will, to be honest, the
best part of Finals forty is no one wants to
be playing down in the air, you know, the side
of the half every once we're playing down the other end.
Both teams got awesome full packs, which you know you
don't want to be putting pressure on then when from necessaries, Yeah,
(05:55):
there's going to be a lot of kicking from both sides,
so you try to use our boot as much as
possible and put us down the right end of the field.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Everybody knows the Crusaders finals record in christ Church, they've
never lost a finals game down there, thirty one without defeat.
Do you use the fact that you can be the
ones to break that long standing record as a bit
of extra motivation.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, it's just an exciting challenge. Yeah, we we've talked
about it, you know, we've talked about it the other week,
and I guess that's the whole I guess the who
doo around, you know, bringing a couple of finals and
we've lost. So hey, I think we're mentally prepared for
this week. We're just going to win each day, each moment,
(06:39):
each oil, each minute we're in camp here and you're
just in pay as much as best as possible. We
know we've got the team to do it. So that's
an exciting challenge your head. So yeah, yeah, just one
the weekend then just ripping in.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
A slightly unique, in fact very unique situation for you. Surean,
it'll be your one hundred and tenth and final match
for the Chiefs before you head off to Japan. Have
you had time to reflect on your time with the
Chiefs and its entirety or will that likely come after
the weekend?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Yeah, that come come after the weekend. I mean, hey,
I'm not gonna ses a little bit of emotional I
guess driving and see from New Stadium for the last time,
and yeah, I guess that they've really hit home that
this was going to be the last time playing at
home after the Stator's a bit the blues, but yeah,
that's that was just I guess, a chance to soak
up the last time playing on that stadium. And obviously
(07:35):
it doesn't didn't turn up the probably the way that
I wanted to and in coming off, but it was
still it was still, I guess, unbelievable feeling just soaking
that up. But yeah, we've got a job to do
this week and then once over the time after the final, Yeah,
definitely probably to be a couple of times I'll probably ever, Yeah,
(07:57):
I guess it's better to stay around, you know, all
the good times and what the last ten years have
meant to me.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Has it struck you all this week that every time
you do something it'll be the last time that you
do it. The last gym session, the last team meeting
on a Wednesday, the last captain's run, all of that
sort of thing. Has that kind of struck you this week?
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yeah? One dred percent. I mean you don't really think
about it time and then sometimes it just pops into
your head. And last Tuesday gym session, you know, like
that's going to be my last ever. But yeah, I
guess it's just going to move with the times and
stand the present. So yeah, it's a weird feeling, but
a good feeling as well, knowing it's Grand final week
(08:42):
and hopefully can go out to winner.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
And you're not the only one who's leaving the franchise.
You coach Clayton McMillan is off too to his next
adventure at Munster. You're probably the wrong person to ask
this question, but do you think the other members of
the squad will use your departure and Clayton's departure as
any sort of extra fuel for them?
Speaker 1 (09:01):
No?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
I don't think. No, I don't think as well, especially
so I can speak for myself, but I think as
well as for Platon as well, that we just want
the boys to get the week right. You know, the
the celebrations will come after the after the game, and
we don't want to be you know, it's not about us.
It's about the team and our fans, our family, our friends.
(09:24):
You know, it's as much about them as as it
is about us. So yeah, we wen't really touched on
on that at all. So yeah, we're just going to
go by our week when each like I said, one
each day, enjoy, enjoy the moment, enjoy what we're doing
with each other, because yeah, it is the last time.
But yeah, we'll celebrate accordingly after the game.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
And I know you are only focused on the Grand Final, Sean,
but your next adventure will take you to Japan. You
had some time there earlier this year and that's your
next your next full time rugby challenge. How much are
you looking forward to the next chapter.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to the next adventure for sure.
I mean, yeah, I guess that's all I've known as
Chiefs Rugby for the last ten years and I've absolutely
loved that. I met so many great people along the way,
so many of you were people to think and yeah,
I think the best way to probably do that is
to come out of a champion this weekend. So yeah,
(10:24):
they'll yeah it's exciting, but yeah, like you said, I
was going to focus on this week ahead and then
I'll turn my attention to Japan. So yeah, it's gonna
be exciting, but also very cool to I guess I
enjoyed this last week as a Chief.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
It feels like we should have seen you much more
often in an All Blacks jersey, especially in twenty twenty
three when you were superb for the Chiefs, just utterly brilliant.
Is there any sense of disappointment at all that you
played just the one test?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Yeah? Yeah, I think there's always disappointment, but I guess
one test as one more than you know, most people,
so I can be very proud that I did get
the opportunity to the All Blacks. Obviously you're very good
at that. I couldn't get any more test matches, but
I'm not the i'm not the coach, I'm not the selectors,
so that's that's up to them. So yeah, I mean, yeah,
(11:24):
like I said, it's that it was a dream come
true to represent all bleacks and even though it was
the only the one test, that's you're like, I see
one more tests and I could ever dreamed of. So yeah,
think it with a better green and sold I guess.
But yeah, it's one of those things. And you just
keep moving on, moving on with his life, and you
just yeah, just keep keep moving forward.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Great attitude, mate, great attitude. Thanks so much for chatting
to us on on game day, Sean, all the best
tonight for the game and for your swan song from
the Chiefs. Really appreciate you taking the time for a
chat mate.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
No, awesome, mate, Appreciate the chat and thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
No, thank you, Sean. Sean Stevenson there joining us on
that game day. Out of the Chiefs.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Can for more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen
live to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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