Chiefs captain Sam Cane says his team can't rely on defence to win games, after they made more than 240 tackles in their 19-13 win over the Reds in Hamilton.
The Chiefs kept their Super Rugby playoff hopes alive with victory, as they ran in three first-half tries to build a comfortable advantage, before Queensland came storming back in the second half with 84 percent possession.
The Reds got over the line as the full-time hooter sounded, but more epic defence saw the Chiefs hold the ball up, cueing referee Angus Gardner to blow the final whistle.
There was a sigh of relief among the Chiefs players, who looked shattered after match, with 16 of the 23 players making over 10 tackles each - Pita Gus Sowakula and Jesse Parete made 25 and 22 respectively.
In total, the Chiefs made 155 more tackles than the Reds.
"You can't be mad at a side, when guys are getting up and putting their bodies on the line, time and time again," said Cane. "But we can't keep playing rugby like that, because it will just kill us.
"We've got to look at ways we can get the ball down their end of the park better, trap them down there and force turnovers from it, because at the moment, we're just playing in our half or defending.
"We're used to the Kiwi encounters being physical, but that was right up there tonight."
The win lifts the Chiefs off the bottom of the New Zealand conference, now one point above the Blues, although the Auckland side have two games in hand.
The match was also the Chiefs' last in Hamilton of the season and coach Colin Cooper was pleased they could get the win for the home crowd.
"I'm happy we won here, at home, in front of our fans, and we did it courageously," said Cooper. "We missed out on a bonus point, but that gives us a platform to head to Fiji to prepare for the Crusaders.
"I've never seen that. I'm proud of them as the head coach, I'm proud of the way these guys have stuck together and that is a sign the players are working together."
The Chiefs now travel to Fiji, where they face the league-leading Crusaders in Suva.
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