With one round left the Chiefs are in the best position of the teams currently not in the top eight of the Super Rugby competition. A bonus point win against the Melbourne Rebels will see them sneak into the playoffs, which begin next week.
It's a far cry from where Colin Cooper's men were after the opening month of the competition. With four losses and a draw in their first five matches, the Chiefs were headed towards an NZ conference wooden spoon.
The squad have come back into camp after a week off with an extra spring in their step. Cooper says it's "been great for the confidence and it's been great for the team going into a massive week and a big opportunity for our group to get into the quarters."
The two-time champions have been in must-win territory for the better part of the last six weeks of the competition.
While they have had their fair share of stumbles along the way, Cooper says they have shown their character in that time.
"This team has been fighting and refusing to die for the last month. We've had some good wins and we've had some poor losses. I think now it's just about moving on from all that," he says,
Their last match, a come-from-behind 40-27 win over the Crusaders in Fiji, serves Cooper's men with some confidence ahead of the final regular season game.
"You saw what we can do when we get it right, I guess it's trying to bottle that and take that over to Melbourne and release it," Cooper said today at the Chiefs training.
Despite being on the receiving end of a Crusader's backlash during the weekend, the Rebels are still sitting in eighth position. A win will move the Chiefs ahead of the Rebels but will have them sweating on other results.
A bonus point win, however, will guarantee them a quarterfinals berth.
Having relied on results to go their way to stay in the hunt, Cooper says "the stars are aligning for the Chiefs" and that is set to continue this week with the team welcoming back co-captain Brodie Retallick this week, joining Sam Cane on the field for the first time this year.
Cooper is looking forward to seeing what the two All Blacks can add to the squad.
"The boys have been working hard without those two and to add those two in there- it's that leadership, it's that confidence that they bring when points are down and you're behind your goalposts. They can deliver it like no-one else and that helps the younger men stand up again and play again."
The Chiefs play the Rebels at Aami Park, Melbourne on Friday night.