Brisbane - Reigning champions, the Reds, kept alive their Super Rugby title defence with an exhilarating 42-27 victory to end the Chiefs' nine-match winning run here on Sunday.

The Reds rocked the New Zealand Conference leaders with four tries in 11 minutes either side of half-time to grab a winning break and make up some ground on Australian Conference front-runners, the Brumbies.

The Chiefs looked set for a 10th consecutive win when they stormed to a 22-8 lead minutes before the interval, but the Reds kick-started a winning fightback with a converted try after the half-time siren.

Ben Lucas darted over wide out and in the 11 minutes after the resumption, the Reds powered on three more converted tries to race to a 36-22 lead.

That culminated a helter-skelter period of 47 points in 21 minutes as the Chiefs conceded their first four-try bonus point of the season against the rampant Reds.

The Chiefs got to within nine points with a 59th-minute try from winger Asaeli Tikoirotuma, but Mike Harris kept the home side handily in front with a drop goal and a penalty in the final 15 minutes.

Despite the loss the Chiefs increased their lead over the Crusaders to eight points in the New Zealand Conference with a four-try bonus point while the Crusaders went down in a boilover to the Rebels in Melbourne on Saturday.

Harris finished with 17 points from four conversions, two penalties and a drop goal, while Wallaby scrumhalf Will Genia scored the pick of the Reds' five tries with a 60m runaway effort.

Reds fullback Luke Morahan was fortunate not to receive a yellow card for a tip tackle on All Black Sonny Bill Williams when the linesman could not identify him as the offending player even though the Chiefs received the penalty.

Morahan further compounded the Chiefs' woes when he brought off two try-saving tackles in the 10 minutes when he should have been off the field in the sin bin.

"We had to really give it to them at the start of the second half and set it up and credit to our guys, we did that," Reds skipper James Horwill said.

"We knew they were a very good defensive side and they fan quite well, so we had to dent their defensive line and we did that close to the ruck."

The Chiefs paid further for only their second loss of the season with All Black outside back Richard Kahui coming off with a dislocated shoulder nearing half-time.

"We were definitely outplayed, especially just after half-time when the Reds got on a roll and took us on around the fringes and got a couple of tries," Chiefs skipper Craig Clarke said.

"I guess the areas where we will be working on are around the fringes of the ruck where they took us on and the lineout drive where they scored, but the other parts of our game were pretty good."

The Reds host the bottom-placed Lions next weekend, while the Chiefs have a bye.

Scorers:

Reds:

Tries: Dom Shipperley, Ben Lucas, Scott Higginbotham, Will Genia, Saia Faingaa. Conversions: Mike Harris (4). Penalties: Harris (2). Drop goal: Harris.

Chiefs:

Tries: Sonny Bill Williams, Liam Messam, Sona Taumalolo, Asaeli Tikoirotuma. Conversions: Aaron Cruden (2). Penalties: Cruden.

Referee: Marius Jonker (RSA)

Teams:

Reds:
15. Luke Morahan, 14. Dom Shipperley, 13. Anthony Faingaa, 12. Mike Harris, 11. Digby Ioane, 10. Ben Lucas, 9. Will Genia, 8. Scott Higginbotham, 7. Liam Gill, 6. Jake Schatz, 5. James Horwill (captain), 4. Rob Simmons, 3. James Slipper, 2. James Hanson, 1. Ben Daley

Substitutes: 16. Saia Faingaa, 17. Greg Holmes, 18. Adam Wallace-Harrison, 19. Ed Quirk, 20. Beau Robinson, 21. Nicholas Frisby, 22. Rod Davies

Chiefs:
15. Andrew Horrell, 14. Lelia Masaga, 13. Richard Kahui, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 11. Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 10. Aaron Cruden, 9. Brendon Leonard, 8. Alex Bradley, 7. Tanerau Latimer, 6. Liam Messam, 5. Michael Fitzgerald, 4. Craig Clarke (captain), 3. Ben Tameifuna, 2. Mahonri Schwalger, 1. Sona Taumalolo

Substitutes: 16. Hikawera Elliott, 17. Toby Smith, 18. Kane Thompson, 19. Sam Cane, 20. Augustine Pulu, 21. Jackson Willison, 22. Robbie Robinson