By CHRIS RATTUE
Chiefs coach Ian Foster said he was "stoked" with the win over the Bulls last night which ensures that his side will remain in the top four going into the final round match against the Brumbies.
A semifinal place is still not assured this morning, but whatever happens over the rest of this weekend, at least Foster's side are in control of their own destiny going into the last match.
The 24-22 victory was a scrambling effort, but has kept the Chiefs positioned to make the semifinals for the first time.
Foster labelled the Bulls the best South African team the Chiefs had faced this year.
Foster said: "We certainly did make some mistakes but to be exposed to that and to come through was tremendous ... although I'm not going to overly praise our performance.
"We were pretty stoked ... it was a very gutsy performance."
The result left Bulls coach Rudy Joubert virtually speechless and put his side out of the Super 12 running.
It was a result that would have been even harder to take, given that they outscored the Chiefs three tries to two.
The Chiefs now get a welcome eight-day break before taking on the Brumbies in Hamilton on Saturday afternoon.
The big hope for them will be that lock Keith Robinson recovers from a back injury, because their lineout especially needs bolstering. Centre Keith Lowen, who has had a hamstring problem, is also likely to come back into calculations.
An indication of the increased interest in the Chiefs' campaign this year came from last night's crowd figure of 17,000. It was a touch below what the franchise had hoped for, but still well above the 10,000 who watched the Chiefs play the Bulls in Hamilton two years ago.
And momentum is now likely to build as the Brumbies, who are a big drawcard being full of Australian stars, head to town and the semifinals loom.
The Chiefs also escaped last night's game without any additions to their already lengthy list of serious injuries.
* Visit nzherald.co.nz throughout the weekend for Super 12 updates.
2004 Super 12 draw, results and points table
New Zealand squads and information
Australian squads
South African squads
Foster praises gutsy showing
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