Rugby: Nerves for Chiefs over Kahui's bad tackle

Richard Kahui of the Chiefs (L) is tackled by Jacques-Louis Potgieter of the Cheetahs. Photo / Getty Images

Four of the five New Zealand Super rugby teams remain in the title hunt after a round punctuated by upsets.

Former pacesetters the Sharks and Waratahs both lost for the second week running, while the Chiefs went top after grinding out an impressive victory over the Cheetahs in Kimberley.

Although celebrating a first win on African soil for four years, the Chiefs would have endured a nervous 24 hours as they waited to discover the fate of key centre Richard Kahui and prop James McGougan, both in the dock overnight after being cited for foul play.

Kahui's predicament will have been of particular concern after the All Blacks centre was fingered for a dangerous throw on Cheetahs replacement Frans Viljoen two minutes from the end of the 28-10 victory.

Viljoen was lifted by Kahui and his head slammed into the ground in a tackle that was unintentionally made worse by the intervention of Toby Lynn. There appeared to be little intent from either player, something the Chiefs will surely argue in mitigation.

The likelihood, however, is that they will lose Kahui for at least this Sunday's match against the Bulls in Pretoria.

Brendon Leonard is also in doubt, with the halfback leaving the field after receiving a blow to the throat.

With key strike players Sitiveni Sivivatu and Lelia Masaga already sidelined with injuries, the loss of Kahui and Leonard is the last thing the Chiefs need. But they will have been boosted by their display of depth in yesterday's franchise-record sixth straight victory, when all three tries were scored by replacement players.

"We're pretty stoked and I take my hat off to the bench, they were probably the difference today," captain Mils Muliaina said.

Having dominated the Cheetahs for much of the match, the Chiefs will be ruing their failure not to claim a four-try bonus point.

First five-eighths Stephen Donald went close on three occasions, once dropping the ball cold in an attempted grounding and twice being denied by a cruel bounce of the ball.

But the Chiefs also had a large slice of good fortune, with Serge Lilo's clinching try fortunate to have been awarded after Tanerau Latimer looked to have been bundled into touch in the build-up.

The visitors trailed 7-6 at the break before replacement hooker Hika Elliot finally unlocked the Cheetahs defence two minutes into the second spell with a dummy and 30m dart from the base of a ruck.

The Cheetahs closed the gap to three with a Jean-Louis Pottgieter penalty but Lilo's fortunate score kicked the Chiefs clear with 11 minutes remaining.

Mike Delany added a fine solo effort four minutes from the end.

"We were unfortunate not to get that bonus-point try but I'm pretty stoked with how the boys went," Muliaina said. We haven't won in South Africa for a very long time so we'll definitely enjoy it."

That winless streak in Africa stretched back to 2006, a run of six defeats and a draw.

A much improved lineout and an ability to control the ball in the tight exchanges laid the platform for a breakthrough victory that delighted coach Ian Foster. "It was a big psychological win for us in South Africa and now we just want to keep on trucking," he said.

The Crusaders also produced a vital result in South Africa, pipping previous leaders the Sharks in Durban thanks to an Andy Ellis drop goal.

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw marked his return with a first-half try as the Crusaders squeaked home 13-10. The win leaves the champions in eighth, but just three points out of the top four with matches against the bottom three sides the Cheetahs, Lions and Reds to come in successive weeks.

A bonus-point victory over the Stormers in Wellington lifted the Hurricanes to fourth, while the Blues are just a point back in fifth after defeating the Highlanders on Friday night.

Highlanders captain Jimmy Cowan will face the judiciary tonight after being sent off for a late, high hit on Blues five-eighths Jimmy Gopperth in that 26-6 defeat.

Across the Tasman, the once high-flying Waratahs' season now looks in disarray after they were beaten in Sydney, 15-14 by the Western Force. The defeat dropped the Waratahs to sixth with a bye and a three-match tour of South Africa to come.