The attack showed signs of revival and the scrum was as strong as it's been all season but the Chiefs' win over the Rebels also brought a hefty dose of bad news.
No 8 Michael Leitch has been ruled out for two months after dislocating his thumb in the second half of Saturday night's 36-15 victory, requiring surgery that will cast doubt over his involvement for the remainder of the campaign.
The upcoming international break will account for the majority of Leitch's time on the sidelines but he will still be unable to return until the season-ending clash with the Highlanders, at the earliest.
And the Japanese captain's absence will be a big blow for a Chiefs pack that has been ravaged by injuries this season. The base of the scrum was one area of certainty for coach Dave Rennie, with Leitch playing almost every minute since being introduced in round two, starting nine straight games while providing strength in the carry and experience in the set piece.
The table toppers will lean on Tom Sanders and Maama Vaipulu for at least the rest of the regular season, causing disruption to a pack that had recently assumed a settled quality. Such continuity in selection saw the Chiefs produce one of their best performances at scrum time while easing past the Rebels, enjoying ascendancy over the visitors' pack no matter who was feeding the ball.