Chiefs co-captain Sam Cane had no qualms with being shown a yellow card, as he was given his marching orders in Friday's 28-7 victory over the Highlanders.
In the second half of Friday's victory in Hamilton, and with his side 21-0 up, Cane was sent to the bin for 10 minutes in a potentially controversial decision, judged to be offside defending on the Chiefs' five-metre line.
The yellow card had an instant impact on the Chiefs, as Mosese Dawai scored the Highlanders' only try of the night from the restart, but any hopes of a comeback were ended by a double to fullback Shaun Stevenson.
As a loose forward, Cane's job leaves him having to walk a fine line of what he can and can't get away with, especially at the breakdown.
But in the immediate aftermath of the Chiefs' victory, the All Blacks' captain held his hands up over his moment of ill-discipline.
"I honestly did [think I was onside], but the referee is always right," Cane told Sky Sport post-match. "We'll have to have a chat in the review."
The yellow card was a blemish on an otherwise solid game for Cane, who made 15 tackles to nullify the Highlanders' attack - their only points coming when he was off the field.
Now with three wins from three, though, the Chiefs' run to start the season leaves them as the early frontrunners of the competition.
The Chiefs are the only side with three wins from three matches but could be joined by the Hurricanes and Brumbies when they play the Blues and Reds respectively on Saturday night.
To their credit, the Highlanders asked the Chiefs more questions than both the Crusaders and Moana Pasifika did in their opening two matches.
And for Cane, the Highlanders' 0-3 record this season doesn't reflect the opposition's true quality.
"We came up against a Highlanders side that's pretty desperate," he said. "We knew their first two weeks aren't a true reflection of where they are as a team.
"We were expecting a really tough battle, and that's exactly what we got.
"That first 50 minutes was an arm wrestle, they defended extremely well, [and] forced us into mistakes.
"We just couldn't get enough points on the board for the possession that we had. We managed to score a couple of quick ones, but they stayed in it."
Friday's win with a bonus point gives the Chiefs breathing room at the top of the table, with neither the Hurricanes (nine points) nor Brumbies (eight) able to catch them this week, even if they are to win with bonus points.
