AT A GLANCE

(Solomon Alaimalo, Shaun Stevenson, Brad Weber, Damian McKenzie, Lachlan Boshier, Quinn Tupaea, Kaleb Trask tries; McKenzie 3 con, Trask con ) (Garth April, Jaba Bregvadze, Shogo Nakano tries; April con). 24-12.

A smiling Solomon Alaimalo was so grateful to McKenzie, he handed his fullback a try despite already being across the line, but the relief later was palpable when Quinn Tupaea and Kaleb Trask’s first tries in Chiefs colours grabbed a bonus point in the final minutes.

The Sunwolves demonstrated they won’t disappear quietly into the night in their final Super Rugby campaign, but too many errors and some soft tackling ruled out another shock victory in an entertaining tussle.

This was a different challenge after second-half comeback wins over the Blues and Crusaders. Still, it was a third successive victory in a fine start to the season.

The Chiefs got a taste of their own medicine in the opening

Chiefs 43

Sunwolves 17

HT:

minutes as the Sunwolves held them up and won turnover ball for Garth April wrestled his way over the line.

The home crowd’s joy was short-lived as the Chiefs responded with two quick tries from both wings, Alaimalo and Shaun Stevenson, following razor-sharp passes from McKenzie.

The fullback then went from provider to saviour with a magnificent try-saving tackle on centre Keisuke Moriya.

The Chiefs cavalry arrived and stole the ball before Trask was hit high by prop Conrad van Vuuren, who was fortunate referee