Captain Liam Messam must have wished he'd failed his concussion test mid-afternoon-either that or he felt woozy again when the Chiefs reached the sheds and listened to the withering words of the coaching staff.
The Highlanders did a great job hanging tough for much of the half against the weight of possession and territory. They had more grit than the trucks deliver to combat midwinter conditions in the deep south but the Chiefs were ragged.
Maybe they were dragged down a level as the Black Caps discovered when they struggled to beat an inferior opponent like Scotland in the World Cup. Perhaps, maybe, possibly. They're either reasons or excuses with the strong money on the latter.
Good teams do not get as sloppy and rattled as the Chiefs were especially on their home turf. The Chiefs jumped out of the barrier effectively this season and then found every way of making standard rugby look as tough as completing a Rubiks Cube blindfolded.
For once it gives validity to the regular post match comments about work-ons.