Two late tries - one of which was sparked by some classic Damian McKenzie magic - has got the Chiefs home in a thrilling contest against the Crusaders to keep their unbeaten season alive.
The Chiefs finished up with a 34-24 win in Hamilton this evening after a classic Kiwi derby against the reigning champions who were seeking revenge for their earlier loss in Christchurch this season.
The Crusaders showed that intent early on, setting up camp deep in Chiefs territory and snaring an early lead through a Tamaiti Williams try.
But as it has all season, the defence of the tournament frontrunners was ready for the task and after their initial slip-up, made tackle after tackle to keep the Crusaders at bay and allowed only one score in the opening 20 minutes.
McKenzie sniped three points in reply when he could as the Crusaders' discipline got them into trouble time and time again and eventually he carved his side a 9-7 lead in the 30th minute - the consistent decision to go to the tee instead of the corner showing the near-Test level status this clash had.
Richie Mo'unga had a chance to reply before halftime but dragged his attempt from about 40 metres out to the left and the Chiefs made them pay with another McKenzie penalty of their own to end the first 40 minutes.
A messy Crusaders lineout to start the second half gave the Chiefs their first real attacking chance of the night as McKenzie pounced on an overthrown ball to take his side close to the line. Another McKenzie run soon after created the space his side needed with Brodie Retallick crashing over in the corner.
It was a rare highlight for the Chiefs' forwards in an otherwise challenging evening against the Crusaders' renowned pack but McKenzie and the backline - particularly Shaun Stevenson and Rameka Poihipi - were on fire when they had the ball.
But that was the problem - they needed the ball and the Crusaders weren't keen on letting them have it.
Instead, they responded with some classic Crusaders rugby and were rewarded handsomely with a penalty try off a maul that Luke Jacobson was deemed to have dragged down near the line.
That resulted in Jacobson heading to the bin for 10 with his teammates looking to defend a 19-14 lead but this is the six-time reigning champions we're talking about and they know how to work an advantage.
Using scrums to earn penalties and metres, the Crusaders eventually snared the lead with a Fergus Burke try in the corner which Mo'unga converted.
With penalties then traded by McKenzie and Mo'unga, the match headed to the final 10 minutes with just two points in it.
Enter Damian McKenzie.
The Chiefs took in a Mo'unga high-ball on their 10 and worked it to the midfield for their star playmaker and he spotted the gap between Brayden Ennor and David Havili and as he always has, he never looked back.
McKenzie sliced through the pair and put the afterburners on before finding Stevenson in support and flung him the ball to finish in the corner for a superb try that had the Hamilton crowd partying.
The Crusaders looked to respond but lost the ball doing so, allowing the Chiefs to put the nail in the coffin moments later with a Sowakula dagger.
The result is massive in terms of the landscape of the season with the Chiefs now a real chance of going unbeaten into the playoffs with five games left in the regular season.
The first of those games is next week in Dunedin against a Highlanders side limping home from two losses on the road to the Force and Waratahs.
For the Crusaders, who now sit fifth on the table after the Blues and Hurricanes picked up wins this weekend, they'll look to bounce back against the Force at home next week with an 0-2 record against the Chiefs looming in the back of their minds.
Chiefs 34 (Brodie Retallick, Shaun Stevenson, Tyrone Thompson tries; Damian McKenzie 2 cons, 5 pens)
Crusaders 24 (Tamaiti Williams, penalty try, Fergus Burke tries; Richie Mo’unga 2 cons, pen)
HT: 12-7
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