The Highlanders' faint hopes of a Super Rugby playoffs place are over after the Queensland Reds survived a huge scare from the Dunedin-based side to win their elimination match 19-13 in Brisbane on Friday night.
The visitors were keen to send halfback Jimmy Cowan off in style in his last match for the team - the Highlanders have the bye in next week's final round of the regular season - but their last-gasp bid for the try-line was thwarted by Reds flanker Jake Schatz who forced a turnover after the siren to secure the win.
Schatz poached the ball out of captain Jamie Mackintosh's grasp just shy of the line to end the Highlanders' playoffs campaign but give the reigning champions hope of snatching a wildcard berth in the final round of the season.
The Reds need to beat the New South Wales Waratahs at home next week and hope the Hurricanes lose to the Chiefs in the final round of the regular season next week.
Meanwhile the Durban-based Sharks are one bonus-point victory away from the play-offs after defeating fellow South Africans the Bulls 32-10 at Kings Park on Saturday morning.
They host Cheetahs next Saturday in another South African derby and another bonus-point triumph will assure them of place in the knockout phase, possibly at the expense of title holders Queensland Reds.
The Bulls can also qualify with a bonus-point home win over bottom-of-the-table Lions, while the Stormers are set to top the South African conference and secure a bye into the semi-finals.
