NSW looked as though they’d done enough to keep their Super Rugby season alive, only for the Bulls to steal a 27-24 victory in the dying minutes in Sydney on Friday night.
The Waratahs, who are thirteen points off top spot in the Australian Conference, led 24-20 with two minutes remaining before self-destructing at a vital scrum five metres out from their own line.
It seemed NSW had already gained a reprieve from the dire situation on their own line when, at the previous set-piece, the Bulls were pinged for not throwing the ball in straight from a line-out.
However from the ensuing scrum, Waratahs forward Lopeti Timani, who was playing No.8, picked the ball up off the back of the scrum and was forced back into his own in-goal by the surging Bulls.
It gave the competition leaders a last-ditch chance to clinch the result which they took to virtually extinguish NSW’s finals ambitions.
Lock Juandre Kruger forced his way over off the back of the scrum win and the Waratahs were left to lament where it all went wrong.
Michael Foley’s men depart on a two-match tour to South Africa on Saturday and, while it looked as though they’d take a glimmer of hope with them to the rainbow nation, they’re now looking at a long trip.
To add insult to the result, Wycliff Palu left the field hobbling and although Benn Robinson did eventually return to the action, the prop too was forced off with injury.
The only silver lining is Drew Mitchell passed a fitness test on Friday to be available for selection on the tour.
NSW five-eighth Berrick Barnes was outstanding for the home side, engineering their two tries with a superb passing game.
Barnes took the ball to the line off a line-out in the 16th minute and cut-out decoy runners Adam Ashley-Cooper and Tom Kingston to put outside centre Rob Horne into a gaping hole and on a 30-metre dash to the line to give the Waratahs a 10-3 lead and the edge at halftime.
Bulls winger Akona Ndungane gave the visitors a 17-16 advantage heading into the final 20 minutes, but Barnes again responded to put Atieli Pakalani over and give the Waratahs the lead going into the final stretch.