The Chiefs have overcome a series of errors to pull off a 20-7 upset over the Highlanders in a rugged Super Rugby match on Saturday.

The Chiefs fought back from 7-0 down early in the match and trailed 7-6 at halftime, before finishing strongest at Waikato Stadium to keep their remote play-off hopes alive.

The turnover count was high as both sides threw caution to the wind in their must-win game, the Highlanders needing to stay in touch with the competition leaders and the Chiefs knowing another loss would end their season.

The Highlanders, who have proved themselves true contenders this year, finished with only 14 players on the field after being rocked by injuries in the bruising encounter.

Chiefs coach Ian Foster described the match as "messy and physical" with fierce forward clashes, one of which forced Highlanders star Adam Thomson out of the game with a head wound just on halftime.

Thomson's absence weighed heavily on the Highlanders, allowing the Chiefs to command both a territorial and possession advantage in the second half when they scored two unanswered tries.

"It wasn't pretty but thankfully we were on the right end of it," was the summation of Chiefs captain Mils Muliaina, who was playing his 99th Super Rugby match and 50th for the Chiefs.

Highlanders skipper Jamie MacIntosh said his side let themselves down with too many mistakes, especially at ruck time.

"We wanted to attack their wide ruck and they got into us and it was pretty physical, and we definitely let ourselves down with our composure and holding onto the ball. We're disappointed."

The Highlanders, who beat the Chiefs 23-13 in Dunedin earlier in the season, scored the sole try of the first half when Jimmy Cowan wrong-footed the Chiefs with a deft dummy and then changed the direction of play.

He sent Lima Sopoaga into a gap and the flyhalf put wide-ranging hooker Jason Rutledge over for the try.

Robbie Robinson landed the conversion but missed two penalties, while Stephen Donald landed two from three shots for the Chiefs as the Highlanders led 7-6 at the break.

With the injured Thomson not returning for the second half, the Chiefs began to take more control and, within three minutes of the restart, Brendon Leonard had scored their first try, diving around a ruck.

Donald landed the conversion before suffering a nightmare 10 minutes in which he squandered four scoring chances, starting with a misdirected penalty from in front.

He then threw a forward pass when the Chiefs had an overlap on the Highlanders line, dropped the ball when diving for a try and was outsprinted by Highlanders' centre Ben Smith in a race for a ball bobbling on the tryline.

With luck not running Donald's way, Dwayne Sweeney took over the kicking and he, too, missed a handy penalty before replacement fullback Tim Nanai-Williams was handed the ball to convert Liam Messam's try on fulltime.

It was the Chiefs fourth win from 11 matches and the Highlanders fourth loss.

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