Queensland Reds captain Tate McDermott concedes they had little answer for the might of the Crusaders as the most successful team in Super Rugby claimed another finals victim.
The Crusaders dominated the first hour of the game to take a 32-12 victory despite a late comeback by the Reds.
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It leaves Rob Penney's side unbeaten in finals since 2016, having missed the post-season in 2024 to the surprise of many.
On top of this, the Crusaders have won all 30 finals games in Christchurch, with McDermott and the Reds given little time for creativity across the 80 minutes.
"Really proud of this group and the season we had but, yeah, you've got to give credit to the Crusaders.
"They were all over us at the breakdown and collision area and we just couldn't get into our cycle.
"They're really good at disrupting your ball and slowing you down, and they did a good job at that, so you've got to take your hat off to them.
"It's obviously disappointing for our supporters as well. They've been with us this whole year and, again, we've fallen over at the quarter-finals, so we'll continue to work out what we need to do to go forward."
The win was built off the Crusaders' forwards according to captain David Havili, with All Blacks Scott Barrett and Tamaiti Williams both scoring in the first half.
"We had to really grind it out there at the end, but I think the way our forwards stepped up was huge, and the set piece went really well," he said.
Scrumhalf Noah Hotham was one of the hosts' best, feeling at home in the wet conditions as he delivered a lovely chip and chase try to seal the win in the second half.
Meanwhile, the Reds' exit from the finals leaves the ACT Brumbies as Australia's last team standing.
After finishing third in the regular season, the Brumbies host the fourth-placed Hurricanes in the third and last quarter-finals on Saturday night.
The match could be sudden death for both sides should the Blues upset the Chiefs, although a Chiefs win will see the teams battle to see whether they will play a semi-final in Hamilton or Christchurch.
