The Southern side won 26-13 in Hamilton, putting together its best performance of the season and showing talk its title defence is on the skids was premature.
Boosted by the return of star winger Waisake Naholo - who coach Jamie Joseph described afterwards as "such a good footballer'' - the Highlanders were in control for almost all the game on Saturday night.
Naholo helped himself to two tries and boosted those around him and the Highlanders' dominance grew as the game went on.
Joseph was proud of his team, saying its game plan went perfectly.
"Good teams have to bounce back in this competition. I was really proud of the guys. Up against the Chiefs, a quality outfit at home, it was going to be a difficult task. But we had a plan and we executed it pretty much to the tee,'' Joseph said.
"I was pleased with the composure, which is a good sign. In the Sharks game, there was no doubt about the desire and the determination but that affected the way we played.
"That is an area we wanted to improve on.''
The Highlanders kicked the ball to the Chiefs a lot, which Joseph said was deliberate.
"We wanted to draw the Chiefs out and have a go at us. We wanted to force their mistakes.''
The decision to only give Chiefs midfielder Charlie Ngatai a yellow card at the end of the first half when he tipped over Highlanders loose forward Elliot Dixon had Joseph wondering.
"It was interesting, wasn't it? If you go back two weeks ago [when Highlander Jason Emery was red-carded], it was unintentional, careless and dangerous.
"The difference between that and Charlie's is that Elliot fortunately did not fall on his head. As for the criteria, you'll have to ask the refs about that.''
Joseph was full of praise for Naholo.
"What can I say, in terms of the way he performed. The message to him was not to push things. But he is such a good footballer.
"Our concern was fitness levels and whether he could get through 80 minutes. He could have played another 80 minutes, which is another sign of a quality player. His presence really lifted the guys around him.''
Naholo himself, who celebrated his 25th birthday yesterday, said his leg felt fine but the lungs were the issue.
"I think I am beyond done. I think I was promised 40 minutes but it was good to get through 80 minutes. At 60 minutes, I was telling the physio I was cramping up and had to go. Then I had another five minutes and that just kept going,'' Naholo said.
"The leg feels good but it is my lungs now. To get through that 80 minutes just showed the coaches trusted me and would leave me out there to do my job. I just had to keep going. Five minutes more, I kept thinking.''
With the victory, the Highlanders consolidate their presence in the top eight.
The side takes on new competition leaders the Crusaders this Friday at Forsyth Barr Stadium, and Joseph is wary of them.
"The Crusaders have been hellishly consistent. They put away the Reds with ease. The forward pack is pretty much the All Black forward pack. So we go up against a really tough team.
"But we are at home next week, get in our own beds and get ready for the Crusaders. We love playing in Dunedin.''
In other games over the weekend, the Brumbies beat the Bulls 23-6, the Waratahs beat the Cheetahs 21-6, the Sharks beat the Hurricanes 32-15, the Force beat the Sunwolves 40-22 and the Blues beat the Kings 34-18.
