NZ lock up Super Rugby semis as Crusaders, Chiefs and Blues progress

June 6 : The Canterbury Crusaders and Waikato Chiefs joined the Wellington Hurricanes in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals on Saturday, taking the Auckland Blues through with them after the Queensland Reds failed to break Australia's playoff hoodoo.

Johnny McNicholl scored a hat-trick of tries as the Crusaders overpowered the Blues 52-31 in Christchurch before the Chiefs downed the Reds 46-24 in Hamilton to ensure the rest of the competition will be an all-New Zealand affair.

The Blues still progressed as the highest-ranked losing team and will travel to Wellington next Saturday to take on the top-seeded Hurricanes, who underlined their title credentials with a record 66-12 demolition of the ACT Brumbies on Friday.

The Chiefs, runners-up for the last three years, will stay in Hamilton to host the Crusaders in a re-match of last year's final on Friday.

The Reds gave it everything they had to try and keep the competition international by becoming the first Australian team to win a Super Rugby playoff in New Zealand at the 23rd attempt.

Lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto gave them the perfect start with a try in the sixth minute at a rain-soaked Waikato Stadium but 12 minutes later was sent to the sinbin for a high tackle on All Blacks number eight Wallace Sititi.

Hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho immediately crossed on the back of a rolling maul to give the Chiefs a 15-7 lead only for the Reds to hit back through prop Aidan Ross just before Salakaia-Loto returned.

A Carter Gordon penalty edged the Reds in front soon after Chiefs centre Kyle Brown had been shown a yellow card but winger Kyren Taumoefolau scored his second try just before the break to send the home side into halftime with a 22-17 lead.

Flyhalf Damian McKenzie extended it to