Rugby: Depleted Chiefs ready for rematch

A defeat in Wellington may have handed the Hurricanes home advantage in the playoffs but the Chiefs will hold no fear if a rematch eventually decides the season.

Though they walked away losers on Saturday night, the Chiefs were one debatable decision away from knocking off the table-toppers with a severely under-strength side.

Dave Rennie's men blunted the Hurricanes' high-powered attack, executing a defensive game plan that restricted the home side to their second-lowest points total of the season.

They shrugged off the withdrawal of two of their main attacking weapons - James Lowe and Sonny Bill Williams - and they played 45 minutes without a recognised lock after Michael Fitzgerald and Michael Allardice succumbed to injury.

And had Augustine Pulu's late try been awarded, as replays suggested it should have, the Chiefs would have emerged with one of the more impressive regular-season victories of Rennie's tenure.

That the result went against them confirmed two things: first, the Hurricanes are almost certain to finish top of the New Zealand conference and seal a home semifinal, at least. And second, the Chiefs will be more than happy to head back to Wellington deep in the playoffs.

They have to get there first, with three of their final four matches coming against sides currently sitting inside the top six. But if they do punch their ticket to the post-season - and if the likes of Lowe, Williams, Tim Nanai-Williams, Brodie Retallick and Matt Symons return from injury - the finals-hardened Chiefs will welcome the challenge of facing a Hurricanes franchise whose last trip to the playoffs came in 2009.

Having a couple of fit locks will certainly help their cause. Retallick could recover from his shoulder injury in time to face the Bulls on Friday night, while Symons' second concussion of the season was providing some concern.

Fitzgerald's corked thigh shouldn't be a long-term issue but Allardice was ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his medial ligament. The pair's problems left Liam Messam and Liam Squire in the second row - "hopefully never again", joked the Chiefs captain - and young Waikato lock Brian Alainu'uese could receive a callup this week.

The Chiefs' pack still held its own against the Hurricanes and Messam was proud of the way his charges responded to the injury adversity.

"We've got huge character in our group and we just had to get on with the job," he said. "The boys showed big ticker and took it all the way to 80 minutes - it was just disappointing to come away without the result."