They will claim much of that was down to referee Keith Brown, who was merciless against them at the breakdown, but it mirrored the problems they were having in the second half against the Highlanders.
It goes without saying that the Chiefs will not beat the Crusaders with only 36 per cent possession.
The Crusaders were unusually sloppy when they escaped with a lucky win in a punishing opener against the Blues. They continued their lackadaisical form in Dunedin. Todd Blackadder is not a noted shouter, but the team would have received the hairdryer treatment after their Dunedin flop.
This is a home game for the Crusaders, partly as a "thank you" to Hawkes Bay for hosting this same fixture last year - but is a bold move by the Crusaders, taking the game much closer to Chiefs territory than their own.
The Crusaders won 25-19 last year.
2. COACH UNDER PRESSURE
Come on, guess. Here's a clue. When his surname is preceded by "The Silence of the" it sounds a lot like a 1991 thriller that dominated the Oscars.
The Blues are more horror than thriller, and have been written off by much of the public. It's a preposterously premature judgment as we are 12.5 per cent of the way into the season, but there are worrying signs for Mr Lam.
That lineout is a disgrace when you consider an All Black hooker is throwing to two All Black locks and an All Black loose forward. The preferred inside-back combination is anybody's guess and it looks like Lam has designated the first month of Super 15 as an extended pre-season trial.
Winning in Pretoria is not easy, but Lam and his flock must restore faith.
3. SAY WHAT?
"The situation with [Tony] Woodcock came on both the NZRU and ourselves after the teams were announced so we were not aware of his [late start] request. It is a contractual arrangement he had ... and he decided to use it post the naming of the team." Without explicitly saying he's hacked off, Blues chief executive Andy Dalton makes it clear he's pretty hacked off at the non-appearance of one of the key planks of his flagship team's forward pack.
4. ODDS ON
Highlanders 12 v Waratahs @ $2.90
The Highlanders host the Waratahs, who have a terrific record in Dunedin. But this is a really good Highlander team, so pick them to win, but it won't be by much.
The Highlanders at unders is our pick of the week.
5. FUTURE PROOFING
A quick glance at those who should be catching the eye of Hansen, Foster and Fox.
Aaron Smith, 23, appears to be Jamie Joseph's preferred No 9 at the Highlanders, so does Hansen trust his judgment or retain faith in Jimmy Cowan? Tawera Kerr-Barlow's form suddenly adds depth to a position that nobody has claimed as their own since the days of Justin Marshall.
Beauden Barrett, 20, is clearly going to be an All Black, though question marks remain over the consistency of his goalkicking.
Charlie Faumuina, 25, missed the Chiefs debacle and that's probably just as well. But he showed enough against the Crusaders to suggest he belongs in elite front-row company.
It's been a long-time coming, but surely the game-breaking ability of Robbie Fruean, 23, will be recognised this year.
6. STAT ATTACK
To stay on the goalkicking theme for another week, let's look at the leaders for those who, England-style, score the majority of their points in multiples of three and those who, Barbarians-style, don't. We'll discount the Brumbies, who have played only one game. The number is the percentage of points scored via penalties or drop goals.
KICK-AND-CLAPPERS
Sharks - 72 per cent
Cheetahs - 68.2 per cent
Lions - 65.4 per cent
Reds - 65 per cent
Rebels - 63.2 per cent
FREE-RUNNING RADICALS
Highlanders - 30 per cent
Chiefs - 31.3 per cent
Waratahs - 32.1 per cent
Bulls - 39.1 per cent
Blues - 46.9 per cent
