A third try of the night to winger Darby Lancaster in the 91st minute earned the Waratahs a dramatic 22-17 win in Perth that sets up a do-or-die final-round clash next week with the Blues in Auckland.
With their season on the line, the Waratahs overcame a three-point half-time deficit and the second-stanza sin-binning of powerhouse Wallabies prop Taniela Tuopu to record a win for the ages at HBF Park.
After trailing 17-14 at the break, replacement flyhalf Jack Bowen slotted a 74th-minute penalty goal to level the scores with the only points of the second half on Saturday night.
Veteran replacement playmaker Kurtley Beale narrowly missed a 55-metre shot at goal after the full-time siren that would have given the Force victory in regulation time.
Then fellow replacement Alex Hartford shoved Beale aside to take an easier match-winning attempt late in "super point", only to leave the shot way short.
The Waratahs made the hosts pay when Lancaster touched down seven seconds after the extra-time siren sounded.
"Kurtley's shot and then the other one at the end there, there's not much we can do," said hat-trick hero Lancaster.
"We've just got to stand there and hope, and the rugby gods gave us one today."
The great escape leaves the Waratahs needing to beat the Blues for the first time at Eden Park since 2009 to scrape into the finals.
But they are at least alive after winning a dramatic, niggly derby, during which referee Angus Gardner had to lay down the law in the second half.
Gardner called the two skippers, the Force's Jeremy Williams and NSW caretaker captain Hugh Sinclair, for a dressing-down after reversing a penalty decision as tensions rose."You guys had the penalty - no arms-chop tackle," Gardner told Sinclair.
"No.1 has then thrown the ball into the Force player.
"Boys, boys, I want to make it real clear. I understand this is a local derby. I understand what's at stake for the players and I understand a lot of players used to play for each other.
"But guys, I am not going to accept fracas and scuffle for the rest of this game.
"We had it down there in the first half. It's finished now. Is that understood?"The Waratahs made a dream start to the match, with Lancaster crossing in the third minute after fellow winger Triston Reilly broke free from an intercept deep in his own half.
The Force hit back in familiar fashion when flanker Carlo Tizzano became the most prolific try-scoring forward in a single Super season ever when he snuck over on the right short side for his 13th five-pointer of the year.
Lancaster's second of the night, after great lead-up work from co-captains Jake Gordon and Sinclair, put the Waratahs up 14-5 after 19 minutes.
The Tahs looked set to take a handy lead into the break until fullback Mac Grealy and centre Hamish Stewart both crossed in the space of five minutes to give the Force a 17-14 half-time advantage.
Emotions boiled over - putting referee Gardner on alert - after Stewart's try, with a melee involving a dozen players, including several former NSW stars now plying their trade in the west.
Bowen jagged the only point in routine time of the second half, before throwing the money ball for Lancaster's match-winner to keep the Tahs' season alive.
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