The Chiefs have put their Super Rugby defence back on track, repelling a persistent Sharks side to secure a 37-29 bonus-point victory in Hamilton.

A fast start to both halves on Saturday proved the key for the Chiefs, who ended a run of two defeats and lifted themselves back to the top of the New Zealand conference.

Both sides scored four tries, but the Sharks conceded a last-second penalty to be denied a second bonus point.

Livewire Chiefs centre Tim Nanai-Williams grabbed two touchdowns to take his season’s haul to six, the most in the competition.

He also chased down Cobus Reinach three minutes from time, with the score at 34-26, to prevent the substitute halfback scoring an intercept try.

The Sharks did get a penalty from the ensuing breakdown, which five-eighth Patrick Lambie landed to give them a show of victory, but that was cancelled out by their late indiscretion.

In a rematch of the 2012 final, the Chiefs raced out of the blocks, with an early penalty followed by two tries from lineouts, with loose forward Liam Messam pivotal in both.

Winger Asaeli Tikoirotuma grabbed the first before Messam’s strong run and offload set up inside centre Bundee Aki for the second.

The Chiefs scored a third try just minutes later when Nanai-Williams pounced on a loose ball and scampered 65 metres to touch down.

Fullback Gareth Anscombe’s third conversion made it 24-0 after just 17 minutes, before the Sharks, with their strong set piece, swung the game around in the second quarter.

The hefty deficit meant they twice turned down handy penalty shots at goal and, both times, the decision paid dividends.

First, they drove from a lineout for flanker Derick Minnie to score.

Then, they worked a move from a scrum with Lambie’s step and offload producing a try for No.8 Lubabalo Mtembu.

Just out from halftime, another lineout drive led to a second try for Minnie, and Lambie added the extras to make the score 24-19 at the break.

Nanai-Williams opened out the gap in the 47th minute with his second try from an Aaron Cruden kick-ahead.

But the Sharks pulled themselves back into contention midway through the second half, when substitute loose forward Keegan Daniel streaked down the sideline to score in the 60th minute.