The Highlanders will have to wait another week to seal their spot in the Super Rugby Pacific finals after a 32-20 defeat to the Waratahs in Dunedin on Sunday.
It is the visitors' first time they've beaten the Highlanders in Dunedin since 2008.
The Highlanders were fast out of the blocks but a red card to first-five Sam Gilbert after a horror off the ball tackle on Michael Hooper meant they were always chasing the game.
Josh Dickson dotted down just three minutes into the fixture after a series of penalty advantages supplied a great attacking platform for the big lock to crash over for the try.
Waratahs number eight Will Harris responded just 10 minutes after ill-discipline by the Highlanders allowed the visitors to set up a lineout mail inside their own 22. Harris showed great feet to beat a couple of defenders and score the try under the goalposts.
The visitors were playing with their tails up but a seemingly frustrated Gilbert brought play to a halt after he lifted Hooper well past the horizontal, with the Wallabies skipper landing on his head. It didn't take long for referee Nic Berry and the TMO to send off the rookie first-five.
Veteran Marty Banks would replace Gilbert after the mandatory 20 minutes, and immediately made an impact with a penalty goal 10 minutes into the second half to draw the Highlanders closer.
It was then the Waratahs turn to lose a player for foul play as tighthead prop Paddy Ryan was shown a yellow card for making contact with Dickson's head in an attempted ruck cleanout and the Highlanders would make them pay almost straight away.
Scott Gregory collected the ball on his wing after Ben Donaldson couldn't field Aaron Smith's kick, and showed great execution to dot down in the corner with a defender closing in.
But it was the Tane Edmed show from then on, with the first-five adding two penalty goals before scoring a try of his own.
The Waratahs combined brilliantly before Ned Hanigan showed great strength to step out of one tackle, before finding his first-five to send him over for his first career Super Rugby try.
Highlanders 20 (Dickson, Gregory, Coombes-Fabling tries; Gilbert conversion, Banks penalty)
Waratahs 32 (Harris, Nawaqanitawase, Hooper, Edmed tries, Edmed conversion x2, Edmed penalty x2
