Five-eighth Giteau scored all 16 points to ensure the Force won their first game following the sacking of his long-standing friend Matt Henjak just over 12 hours earlier.

The Force dominated possession for much of the game, but were thwarted by errors at critical moments combined with strong defence from the Cheetahs, who made double the amount of tackles.

The injury-ravaged Brumbies outlasted the lowly rated Highlanders 22-20 in Canberra on Saturday night to rebound from last week's drubbing by the Crusaders.

The Canberra-based side joined fellow Australian franchise the Western Force in posting their first win of the season while opening round winners NSW and Queensland suffered losses.

In a pointer to the tightness of the competition - at least behind New Zealand's Crusaders and Blues - no Australian side won or lost by more than five points.

The Queensland Reds fear they may have lost jinxed Wallabies forward Hugh McMeniman for the bulk of the Super 14 season after a bruising 23-18 loss to the Hurricanes.

The injury-plagued McMeniman sustained a worrying high ankle strain and wore the look of a man expecting the worst in the Wellington carnage.

It was an all-too-familiar blow for the Reds and the rugged flanker who suffered the very same "syndesmosis" injury in the corresponding round two match in New Zealand last season.

NSW got out of jail only to be incarcerated again at the death, the Waratahs suffering a dramatic 20-17 Super 14 rugby loss to the Chiefs in Hamilton.

Down 17-0 early in the second half, the Waratahs fought back to level the match at 17-17 with four minutes to go.

However, a costly kick out on the full by replacement back Sam Harris gave the Chiefs field position and eventually an offside penalty which was coolly converted by five eighth Stephen Donald with a minute to go.

It was the Waratahs' fourth loss in five Super matches in Hamilton and their third in a row there under coach Ewen McKenzie.

AAP