by Brendan Bradford - The two-time defending Super Rugby champion Chiefs have made a habit of pulling results out of the bag over the past three years, but the Hamilton-based side couldn't find the winning touch in a 29-25 loss to an impressive Highlanders outfit in Dunedin on Friday night. The home-side Highlanders trailed 13-10 at halftime but stormed out of the sheds in the second half with 16 unanswered points before the Chiefs mounted a late comeback which ultimately fell short. After clawing a couple of draws from impossible situations in South Africa earlier in the season and relying on late heroics in semi-final matches against the Crusaders each of the last two years, the Chiefs are left with 36-competition points and have only a slim mathematical chance of making the finals with