Chiefs 20 Waratahs 17

The Waratahs will return to Sydney today knowing they had their chances to win last night's Super 14 clash against the Chiefs, rather than extend their string of losses at Hamilton.

Both sides committed numerous errors, but NSW's 20-17 loss, sealed with a penalty kick in the last two minutes, could hardly be re-labelled "a win that was stolen" from them.

Nothing could hide the Waratahs' frustration when South African referee Marius Jonker failed to call on the television match official to review a 50-metre first-half try by Fijian winger Sitiveni Sivivatu, who was tackled on the line by Rocky Elsom and appeared to have been held up.

Sivivatu's try, gave the Chiefs a 10-0 lead and may have swung momentum away from NSW.

"I felt he didn't get the ball down because it was between my legs, but when I looked up [the referee] already had his hand up," Elsom said. "I didn't think it would help me if I started yelling at him."

Of course, NSW should not have allowed Sivivatu to run 50m before being tackled on the line.

Elsom, however, said it was no surprise that the Fijian broke through.

"You have to expect they are going to break the line," Elsom said. "They have some weaknesses, but ball running and breaking the line isn't one of them."

The Chiefs, playing before a small but vocal 11,000 home crowd at Waikato Stadium, were by far a more hungrier side than the one that lost to the Blues last week.

Playing the Chiefs at Hamilton is now a bogy fixture for NSW - they have not won there since 2002.

It might have been different if the Waratahs didn't give away 10 penalties in the first 20 minutes and blew their many chances.

"We had plenty of opportunities, particularly in the second half, to win the game," Waratahs captain Phil Waugh said. "We made ample errors. It was not a communication, but an execution thing. [It is] disappointing to go away with a loss … a draw may be okay, but a loss is disappointing."

The Chiefs started the second half with a 12-0 lead and extended their score after Richard Kahui crossed on the left flank in the 43rd minute.

The Tahs replied three minutes later with a converted try to Ben Jacobs. As the clock ticked down, they bombed two try-scoring chances. A converted try to reserve back Sam Harris in the 73rd minute then an unconverted Lote Tuqiri try in the 75th minute saw NSW draw even. But almost immediately from the kick-off NSW were pinged for an infringement and Chiefs goal-kicker Stephen Donald made no mistake with the 79th minute match-winner.

CHIEFS 20 (L Messam, S Sivivatu, R Kahui tries S Donald con, pen) beat WARATAHS 17 (B Jacobs, S Harris, L Tuqiri tries K Beale con) at Waikato Stadium. Referee: M Jonker (Rsa).