Chiefs 2015
Results
| Year | Date | Versus | Venue | Result | F | A | |
| 2015 | 14 Feb | Blues | Albany | W | 23 | 18 | |
| 2015 | 20 Feb | Brumbies | New Plymouth | W | 19 | 17 | |
| 2015 | 28 Feb | Crusaders | Hamilton | W | 40 | 16 | |
| 2015 | 6 Mar | Highlanders | Hamilton | L | 17 | 20 | |
| 2015 | 15 Mar | Stormers | Cape Town | W | 28 | 19 | |
| 2015 | 22 Mar | Sharks | Durban | L | 11 | 12 | |
| 2015 | 28 Mar | Cheetahs | Hamilton | W | 37 | 27 | |
| 2015 | 4 Apr | Blues | Hamilton | W | 23 | 16 | |
| 2015 | 17 Apr | Crusaders | Christchurch | W | 26 | 9 | |
| 2015 | 24 Apr | Force | Hamilton | W | 35 | 27 | |
| 2015 | 2 May | Rebels | Melbourne | L | 15 | 16 | |
| 2015 | 16 May | Hurricanes | Wellington | L | 18 | 22 | |
| 2015 | 22 May | Bulls | Rotorua | W | 34 | 20 | |
| 2015 | 30 May | Highlanders | Invercargill | L | 9 | 36 | |
| 2015 | 6 Jun | Reds | Brisbane | W | 24 | 3 | |
| 2015 | 13 Jun | Hurricanes | New Plymouth | L | 13 | 21 | |
| 2015 | 20 Jun | Highlanders (qf) | Dunedin | L | 14 | 24 |
Overall results
Played 17, won 10, lost 7
Points for 386, against 323
Chiefs finished 5th out of 15 teams and lost a quarter-final
The format was the same as in recent seasons, with three conferences operating. Each team played all others in its own conference home and away, while they met four opponents from the other two conferences, two home and two away. The conference winners qualified in the first three places regardless of whether other sides had superior records or not, and then the next three filled out the quarter-finals, which were only played between 3rd and 6th, and 4th and 5th. The top two sides had a free weekend.
The Chiefs won all four matches against the Blues and Crusaders, the first time this had happened against the only other New Zealand teams to have won Super Rugby at that stage, but lost all five to the Highlanders and Hurricanes, who were still looking for their first titles (the Highlanders did beat the Hurricanes to win in 2015).
The Chiefs had a better record than the South African conference winning Stormers, who were placed third; if the placings had been determined solely on log points the Highlanders (4th) would have been second, also ahead of the Australian conference winning Waratahs, the Chiefs would have been fourth, the Brumbies fifth, the Crusaders sixth and the Stormers would not have qualified for the playoffs. Despite home ground advantage, both the Stormers (quarter-final) and Waratahs (semi-final) were eliminated in their first playoff games by teams with superior records.
Match scorers
| Versus | Tries | Con | PG | DG |
| Blues | Lowe, Heem | D McKenzie (2) | D McKenzie (3) | |
| Brumbies | Ngatai | Cruden | Cruden (4) | |
| Crusaders | Williams, Pulu, Ngatai, T Marshall, Lowe | Cruden (3) | Cruden (3) | |
| Highlanders | penalty try (2) | Cruden (2) | Cruden | |
| Stormers | Cruden, Lowe, Cane | Cruden (2) | Cruden (3) | |
| Sharks | Cane | Cruden (2) | ||
| Cheetahs | Leitch, Messam, Cane, Horrell | Cruden (4) | Cruden (3) | |
| Blues | Lowe, T Marshall | Cruden (2) | Cruden (3) | |
| Crusaders | Leitch, Lowe, Squire | Horrell | Cruden, Nanai-Williams, Horrell | |
| Force | Ngatai, Elliot, Nanai-Williams, penalty try | M McKenzie (3) | M McKenzie (3) | |
| Rebels | Ngatai, Leitch | D McKenzie | Horrell | |
| Hurricanes | Ngatai, Cane | D McKenzie | D McKenzie (2) | |
| Bulls | Pulu (2), Messam, Heem, Nanai-Williams | D McKenzie (3) | D McKenzie | |
| Highlanders | D McKenzie (3) | |||
| Reds | Heem, Messam, Ngatai | Horrell (3) | Horrell | |
| Hurricanes | Heem | M McKenzie | M McKenzie (2) | |
| Highlanders | Retallick | Horrell (3) |
For the first time since the Reds match in 1998, and only the second time ever, the Chiefs had three successful goal-kickers in one match – against the Crusaders at Christchurch. Uniquely, all three kicked a penalty goal.
The Chiefs were the second team to be awarded two penalty tries in a Super Rugby match when they got both their tries in this manner (and only a few minutes apart) in round four, while the Highlanders struggled to cope while their scrum was a man down.
Season scoring
| Player | T | C | P | D | Pts |
| Cruden, Aaron | 1 | 14 | 20 | 93 | |
| McKenzie, Damian | 7 | 9 | 41 | ||
| Horrell, Andrew | 1 | 4 | 6 | 31 | |
| Ngatai, Charlie | 6 | 30 | |||
| Lowe, James | 5 | 25 | |||
| McKenzie, Marty | 4 | 5 | 23 | ||
| Cane, Sam | 4 | 20 | |||
| Heem, Bryce | 4 | 20 | |||
| Leitch, Michael | 3 | 15 | |||
| Messam, Liam | 3 | 15 | |||
| Pulu, Augustine | 3 | 15 | |||
| Nanai-Williams, Tim | 2 | 1 | 13 | ||
| Marshall, Tom | 2 | 10 | |||
| Elliot, Hikawera | 1 | 5 | |||
| Retallick, Brodie | 1 | 5 | |||
| Squire, Liam | 1 | 5 | |||
| Williams, Sonny Bill | 1 | 5 | |||
| penalty try | 3 | 15 | |||
| TOTALS | 41 | 29 | 41 | 0 | 386 |
After years of relying on one main kicker – Stephen Donald, Aaron Cruden or Gareth Anscombe – the Chiefs used five different men in 2015.
For the first time since 2004 the Chiefs leading scorer did not reach 100 points for the season.
Appearances
| Player | Blu | Bru | Cru | Hig | Sto | Sha | Che | Blu | Cru | For | Reb | Hur | Bul | Hig | Red | Hur | Hig | Ttl | Repl |
| Alainu'uese, Brian | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Allardice, Michael | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||
| Bardoul, Johan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | |||||||||
| Cane, Sam | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | |||
| Crosswell, Mitchell | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Cruden, Aaron | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||||
| Elliot, Hikawera | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | |||
| Filipo, Ross | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Firth, Jarrod | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| FitzGerald, Michael | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 3 | ||
| Gear, Hosea | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||
| Graham, Mitch | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | ||||||
| Heem, Bryce | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 3 | |
| Horrell, Andrew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 8 | |||
| Koloamatangi, Tevita | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Leitch, Michael | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 1 | ||||
| Lienert-Brown, Anton | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Lowe, James | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | |||||||
| MacDonald, Quentin | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 11 | ||||
| Mackintosh, Jamie | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Manu, Pauliasi | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 6 | |
| Marshall, Rhys | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Marshall, Tom | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 2 | |||
| McKenzie, Damian | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 7 | |
| McKenzie, Marty | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | ||||||||||
| Messam, Liam | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||||
| Nanai-Williams, Tim | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | ||||||||
| Player | Blu | Bru | Cru | Hig | Sto | Sha | Che | Blu | Cru | For | Reb | Hur | Bul | Hig | Red | Hur | Hig | Ttl | Repl |
| Ngatai, Charlie | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | |||||||
| Polwart, Sean | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Pulu, Augustine | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 10 | |
| Retallick, Brodie | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||
| Squire, Liam | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Symons, Matt | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 1 | |||
| Tamanivalu, Seta | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | |||||||||||
| Tameifuna, Ben | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 3 | ||
| Tokolahi, Siate | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 12 |
| Vaipulu, Ma'ama | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 6 | |||||||
| Weber, Brad | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 6 |
| Williams, Sonny Bill | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
The Chiefs used 39 players in 2015, the most in any season to date.
Hikawera Elliot made his 100th Super Rugby appearance in the quarter-final against the Highlanders, but this total included 12 for the Hurricanes.
For the fourth consecutive season the Chiefs had a player make 12 appearances off the bench; this time it was Siate Tokolahi, a first-year prop who joined Sam Cane (2012), Augustine Pulu (2013) and Josh Hohneck (2014) as co-holders of the team record.
At the end of the season the following were Chiefs records:
Highest score: 72 v Lions at Johannesburg 2010
Biggest winning margin: 42 points (54-3) v Cheetahs at Hamilton 2013
Most tries in a match: 4 by Sitiveni Sivivatu v Blues at Hamilton 2009
4 by Asaeli Tikoirotuma v Blues at Albany 2012
Most conversions in a match: 9 by Stephen Donald v Lions at Johannesburg 2010
Most penalty goals in a match: 6 by Glen Jackson v Reds at Rotorua 2001
6 by Stephen Donald v Crusaders at Christchurch 2007
Most points in a match: 32 by Stephen Donald v Lions at Johannesburg 2010
Most appearances: 144 by Liam Messam 2006-15
