Being sent on the road, losing Liam Messam to ineligibility and yet more men to injury - nothing seems to faze these Chiefs.
Dave Rennie's side this morning booked their first semifinal berth since 2013, crushing the Stormers 60-21 in Cape Town to make a mockery of the apparent adversity they were facing.
The next challenge will be their toughest yet - a trip to Wellington to face the red-hot Hurricanes with a spot in the Super Rugby final on the line. And the difficulty level could yet be raised, given Stephen Donald (shoulder) and Sam Cane (possible concussion) both prematurely left the field.
But the Chiefs have remained unbowed by a mounting injury toll this season, so they're unlikely to start worrying now, especially with the way their attack was firing at Newlands.
The Stormers might be traditionally difficult to break down, and they might have come into the clash with the third-best defensive record in the competition, but that counted for nothing in their first sight of a Kiwi side all season.
It was difficult to guess where the Stormers, in hindsight, would fall on the issue. On one hand, playing New Zealand teams would have undoubtedly left them better prepared for meeting one in the playoffs.
On the other, based on the ease with which the Chiefs ran through them, a success of games against Kiwi opposition would have likely curtailed their campaign well before the post-season.
The Stormers were simply unable to cope with the varying attributes to Chiefs brought to their attacking play, attributes that have been on display throughout the season.
In scoring four first-half tries and racing to a lead they never threatened to lose, the Chiefs' skillset was astonishing, their catch and pass on a different level to what the Stormers were accustomed to facing.
They attacked with pace and verve and, as has been the case all year, their support play is what truly set them apart. Because for every seemingly impossible pass from Damian McKenzie - and there were three in the first 40 minutes alone - the fullback needed a teammate in the right place to maximise on the exchange.
There were some initial concerns for the Chiefs - they certainly didn't want the game to degenerate into a set piece battle, while the Stormers' physicality made them a threat on their rare forays inside the opposition 22.
But all of that was quickly forgotten every time the visitors had the ball in their hands.
Whether it was Brad Weber dancing around the fullback or James Lowe winning the chase for his own prod down the sideline, the Chiefs appeared unstoppable when in the mood.
It was breathless stuff and it extended to their defensive effort, placing an emphasis on line speed and building pressure at the collision. And, worryingly for the Stormers, that led to errors and turnovers, which was often when the Chiefs were at their most dangerous.
Vincent Koch's second on the stroke of halftime and Cane's subsequent substitution gave the home side some hope of mounting an unlikely comeback. But once the Chiefs' scrum demolished their counterparts to set up a score for McKenzie - ending with a his personal points tally of 25 - that was virtually extinguished.
Yet, even with the game sealed, the Chiefs simply refused to relent, crossing for three tries in the final three minutes to leave Rennie wryly shaking his head.
Bring on the Hurricanes.
Stormers 21 (Koch 2, Carr tries; du Preez 2 cons, Thomson con) Chiefs 60 (McNicol, Weber, Sanders, Lowe, McKenzie, Elliot, Koloamatangi, Kerr-Barlow tries; McKenzie 2 pens, 7 cons) Halftime: 14-34
- by Kris Shannon
