While admittedly not on the same level as New Zealand's top two sides, Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan is confident his side has more in the tank, as Super Rugby Pacific shifts into its trans-Tasman stage.
At the halfway stage of the new format, the Chiefs sit sixth overall, with five wins and three defeats from their first eight games - five points off a top-four spot after Saturday's 45-12 victory over Moana Pasifika - but the table doesn't tell the whole story.
McMillan's side came within one missed kick of defeating the table-topping Blues and were the first team to defeat the Crusaders with a last-minute try at Christchurch.
Persistent injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak haven't helped the Chiefs, culminating in a 25-0 loss to the Blues last week, but McMillan thinks his side can make up ground on the top NZ sides, as they prepare to meet their Australian counterparts from next week.
"I think the Crusaders and the Blues demonstrated that they're a couple of levels above everyone else in New Zealand at this stage," McMillan said. "We feel like we can get there, we've demonstrated we can match it with those guys.
"We've lost a little bit of flow in our game - partly that's been around COVID, partly that's been around injuries, trying to get the same team out on the park.
"Going to Australia, for us, is an opportunity to reset the dial... we go over there, connect as a group, hopefully, string a couple of performances together and we come back here to play against the Brumbies in three weeks' time with a couple of wins in the bank."
That said, though, McMillan isn't taking the six Australian-based teams lightly - even after last year's Super Rugby Trans-Tasman resulted in just two Kiwi defeats.
"If you underestimate the Australians, you do that at your own peril," he added. "They play a different style of rugby and their officiating is a bit different as well.
"It's about adapting quickly and respecting each opposition you come up against."
But the Chiefs could end up counting the cost of Saturday's win, with two more players now under injury clouds. Winger Shaun Stevenson was forced from the field in the second half with a knee injury, while halfback Brad Weber also left the field, clutching his shoulder.
Should either be ruled out of next week's clash against the Waratahs away from home, they'd join All Blacks trio Brodie Retallick, Anton Lienert-Brown and Josh Ioane in the casualty ward.
"It looked like a knee injury, looked relatively serious," McMillan said of Stevenson. "It's just another thing for us to try and patch up, especially in our outside backs - [we have] a number of them down and out at the moment.
"Hopefully, it's not as bad as what we anticipate and 'Shooter' is back on the field quickly, but my initial thoughts [are] it wasn't pretty."
McMillan is more hopeful for co-captain Weber, who came off the bench against Moana Pasifika, before picking up his knock.
"He got a stinger on his shoulder and that's sort of affected his neck, a nerve thing.
"Hopefully, again, that's not too serious and he bounces back quickly."
The Chiefs face the Waratahs and Reds on their Australian tour, before returning to host the Brumbies next month.
Join us for live updates of the NZ Super Rugby Pacific fixtures next weekend
