KEY POINTS:
If you are a Chiefs fan it's time to pick up the calculators and be super positive.
So first, here's what the points table tells us after the seven-point loss to the Blues:
* The Chiefs are 11th, eight points behind the fourth-placed Sharks.
* If they win
their five remaining games with maximum points, they will get to 42 points. That's four more than the Bulls needed to finish fourth qualifier last year, the only other Super rugby season which holds any relevance in points table computations.
* In theory, the Chiefs remain in business. But it has become mightily difficult because of the number of teams they must climb above and the number of results which will need to go their way.
The Chiefs could have won it, but then that's a familiar story this season. Another bonus point? Scant reward, and it had all begun so encouragingly.
The Chiefs had the ascendancy through the first half. All the important numbers were going their way, bar the lineout count.
The Blues had not helped themselves with a steady flow of missed tackles and handling boo boos. "Whose turn is it to drop the next one?" a wag along the row muttered.
But in the second half, they added a dose of starch to the defensive work, became more focused, put the heat on and the valiant Chiefs had no solutions.
The lineouts again were a problem, the Blues pinching six on the Chiefs' throw. One in the first half fell into Jerome Kaino's hands 5m out and he forced his way across.
The Blues got another try off their own throw, a drive to the line for Keven Mealamu to burrow over the line. And in the final moment, with the Chiefs needing a lineout win and seven-pointer for the draw, Blues lock Greg Rawlinson capped a strong night by sticking a meaty paw up to flap down a Chiefs throw on the blue side of the line.
"This was a war of attrition from start to end," Chiefs coach Ian Foster said.
"To me, it was a real shift up in intensity from anything we've played this year."
Dead right. Plenty of intent and tough, rugged defence from both teams, but offensively at times more thud and blunder than classically structured football. Too often a case of heart more than head, but there was no doubting the desire.
The Chiefs try, scored by former Blues man Tasesa Lavea, was a reward for patience and persistence. There could have been others.
Ben Atiga got a critical hand on Sitiveni Sivivatu to slow his momentum as he was about to set off 55m away with a clear run to the line early in the second half; and Doug Howlett capped a memorable night by stopping tighthead prop Nathan White at the left corner.
There was a time when prop versus wing 5m out was a no-contest. Not any more.
One positive for the Chiefs was that lock Keith Robinson, centre Richard Kahui and, in his 24 minutes off the bench, Jono Gibbes came through the match unscathed.
In this season of strains, sprains and bandages that was a big tick in the credit column.
Robinson is an energising presence. His lineout work got better as the night wore on and his galvanising presence kept the Chiefs in the contest until the end.
Foster talked about the Chiefs still being in control of their own destiny. He's right in the sense that if they win their final five games they won't be far away, and might - just might - be in the top four in what has become a season of peculiar results.
But as they visit Sydney and Christchurch in the last two rounds, don't bet on it.
