The Western Force came away with a 19-15 win over the Fijian Drua but their finals hopes are over.
They needed a bonus point win, however, their late pushes for the necessary tries came up short, leading to a strange atmosphere post-game.
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So what did we learn?
With the Force unable to claim the winning bonus point, the top six is locked in ahead of the finals in a fortnight.
The Force went searching for it late but couldn’t break down the Drua as they struggled to take their chances.
Jeremy Williams summed it up best when he felt ‘weird’ after the game, happy with the win but gutted that their finals dream is over after their late push.
While the top two are confirmed, there’s still plenty to sort out in terms of that final qualifying host and who plays where.
The Crusaders-Hurricanes game remains massive, while the ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds will be out to build momentum as they fly the Australian flag.
If you want to look for the turning moment in the game, it’s something that happened well away from the ball.
With the Force languishing and looking sluggish after the break, Brandon Paenga-Amosa delivered a timely spray that fired up their forward pack.
The result was instant, winning the tight head scrum and setting up Vaiolini Ekuasi to put them in front.
Paenga-Amosa was strong across the park and his influence on and off the field is evident.
A special mention to Kurtley Beale as he goes into third overall for Super Rugby caps in his 186th game.
Beale came on in the 51st minute to set himself clear of Aaron Smith, only trailing Wyatt Crockett and James Slipper.
It’s a remarkable achievement for the veteran, especially after his recent return from an Achilles injury.
He says the passion is still there to keep improving, with all eyes now on a potential double century next year.
If the Drua were to pull the upset off, then Kitione Salawa deserved all the praise after he was sensational across the 80 minutes.
Salawa led the charge at ruck time as the Drua caused chaos for the Force, constantly turning the ball over.
He came up with the decisive tackle to stop Nic Dolly right on the line, whilst also recording three turnovers.
Even if the Western Force - NSW Waratahs game can’t decide finals as hopes for both teams, it’s still a fascinating contest given what’s to come.
Both teams are stacked with Wallabies hopefuls that can make a statement, with the hopeful return of Ben Donaldson and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii particularly noteworthy.
The wing battle is very exciting, while the set-piece contest is one to watch.
On top of this, there’s a storied history between the teams of classics, with the corresponding fixture last year ending in an 89th minute try.
