KEY POINTS:
Stormers 21 Chiefs 16
The Chiefs are just about the only side in the world that could have lost this game.
That might seem an overly harsh assessment but coach Ian Foster came close to acknowledging it.
Speaking to the Herald on Sunday from Cape Town, where
they lost to the similarly downtrodden Stormers, Foster lamented a catalogue of missed opportunities.
He could have picked from any of the following:
The second week in succession when a Steven Bates pass has ended up costing a try
Toby Lynn being sinbinned for a blatant foul
A crooked throw during an uncontested lineout on the Stormers' 5m
Bad defensive decisions by Roy Kinikinilau
A restart out on the full
Multiple failures to regather opposition restarts.
However, Foster had two pivotal moments of his own he highlighted.
"We had a great chance to go [20-14] up I think and, with the pressure the Stormers were under at home after last week, I think that would have been too much," he said.
A typical handling error ruined that move.
"Then, at the end, we had another opportunity but Niva Ta'auso came on to a short pass he didn't need to and dropped the ball," Foster said. "Those are the two key moments that stuck in my mind."
It doesn't get any easier, either. The Chiefs move up to altitude next week to take on the Bulls, who will be smarting after a shock loss to the Force yesterday morning.
Both Foster and captain Bates agree that the time together will be of utmost benefit to the competition's biggest underachievers.
"We've got to get a lot tighter," Bates said. "It's probably good that we're going to be away together for three weeks.
"We made enough breaks here to win two games but we made enough mistakes to lose two games."
Foster, too, bemoaned the lack of a killer instinct.
"It's heartbreaking. At the key moments we're not clinical enough," he said.
"It's frustrating. I don't think we're getting the rub of the green at the moment but, having said that, we're failing to land the killer blow.
"The effort's not lacking. We've got to keep faith in our gameplan and we're not too far away."
The Chiefs, on the back of a strong Waikato effort in the Air New Zealand Cup, were highly fancied at the start of the season. Now they are 0-3, despite looking the better side for long periods of each match.
When fullback Dwayne Sweeney scored after slick handling in the first half yesterday, it seemed the machine would click into gear. However, the Chiefs slipped back into neutral and allowed the previously winless Stormers a sniff of victory they seldom deserved.
While Foster's problems are myriad, one he might need to address immediately is the form of first five-eighths Stephen Donald. The pivot lacked sharpness yesterday, passed poorly and looks down on confidence.
While not singling out his No 10, Foster did acknowledge that some of his players were struggling with the step-up to Super 14.
"The newer guys are learning some harsh lessons about playing in the Super 14," Foster said.
Chiefs fans must hope they are fast learners.
Stormers 21 (B. Paulse, J. de Villiers tries, P. Grant 3 pens, con) Chiefs 16 (D. Sweeney try, S. Donald 3 pens, con). HT: 14-13.