Round 15 of Super Rugby Pacific saw the Waratahs' slim finals hopes stay alive with a thrilling win over the Western Force, and the Reds fall short to a red-hot Hurricanes outfit.
Wins by the Chiefs and Crusaders also saw the Brumbies drop down to third, though all three sides remain a chance of topping the Super Rugby Pacific ladder going into the final round.
Catch every game of SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific live and on-demand via Stan Sport.
Rugby.com.au selects its Team of the Week from the Australian teams in Round 15.
He may have come off the bench and only played for 31 minutes, but reserve prop Tom Lambert made the most of it for the Waratahs.
In that time, he produced more carries than any other Australian prop with 24.5 post-contact metres, four tackle busts and two offloads.
The former England international continues to deliver in periwinkle blue - and his latest Force outing showed exactly why he's considered a Wallabies bolter in 2025.
While the Reds' Richie Asiata also had a perfect night at the lineout with seven lineouts from seven, Dolly went one better, hitting twelve lineout throws for twelve wins alongside 11 tackles and five carries.
It wasn't a perfect night up front for Zane Nonggorr against Hurricanes ace Tyrel Lomax but his scrummaging was the only blemish on a tireless night for the tighthead prop.
The Reds and Wallabies rookie put in a Herculean effort across his 79-minute performance, making nine carries and 12 tackles without a miss.
Josh Canham should also be shouted out for helping contribute to a solid night at the lineout against the Hurricanes - but Fergus Lee-Warner was clinical against a Force team with one of the best lineouts in the competition.
The Waratah had a big night against his old side with 11 carries for 21 post-contact metres, and 22 tackles made - the second-highest by an Aussie player and one of only three players across the weekend to achieve more than twenty tackles - and topped the lineout win count to boot.
There were nearly 40 lineouts that took place between the Waratahs and Western Force on Saturday night - and while Lee-Warner did stand tall for the Tahs, it was a far from perfect night, with the Force stealing five lineouts.
Darcy Swain was one of the chief villains in that regard, having really come into his own in the west alongside Jeremy Williams.
In addition, with seven carries, a perfect defensive night with 11 tackles and offload and a line break, he was one of the standout performers for the Force set piece.
While Hugh Sinclair also had a blinder for the Waratahs, it was had to go past Queensland Red Joe Brial, who played one of his best matches in maroon on Friday night.
His ten carries, a perfect defensive record, a line break and three tackle busts were capped off with a try for his efforts.
The battle for the number seven jersey between Fraser McReight and Carlo Tizzano is one of the most exciting in the Wallabies set up right now - and Tizzano edges out his Queensland counterpart by the slimmest of margins this week
The Force loose forward bested McReight in carries, post-contact metres, discipline and tackles made - and picked up his 13th try of the season in the process.
This is the right sort of problem for Joe Schmidt to have.
This was a tough placing to pick - Langi Gleeson tied in first for the most number of carries of the round (19), with 48 post-contact metres, while Nicholas Champion de Crespigny pulled off an insane 28 tackles with no misses at all.
Yet, when it comes the question of who wears the Wallabies number eight jersey, Harry Wilson is still the frontrunner - and his return from injury saw him pick up right where he left off.
While his 12 carries and 18 tackles didn't best his other Aussie counterparts, Wilson pulled off the best all-round performance - and his work off the ball with the Reds around him reiterated why he is the current Wallaby captain.
Tate McDermott has an stranglehold on the halfback jersey - and his performance against the Hurricanes made him stand out by a country mile this weekend.
Two tries, a perfect defensive record, a line break and a whopping six defenders beaten, McDermott is now firmly knocking on the door to be the starting Wallaby for Joe Schmidt's side.
The Reds and Wallabies flyhalf just edges ahead of his Force counterpart Ben Donaldson here following a tough round for Aussie playmakers.
Lynagh's kicking from the spot and out of hand were quality - three from three and 330m gained - and his line break assist was quality but the Queenslander struggled defensively with five missed tackles.
Meanwhile Donaldson produced a key turnover, two tackle busts and a line-break assist but struggled with the boot against NSW, missing two from three and a crucial touchfinder.
A clear winner on the left wing, Lancaster's two-try haul kept NSW's season alive.
His acrobatic finish in the 90th minute capped a masterful performance including a line-breaks, two tries and seven tackles.
Australia's standout performer from the weekend past, Stewart issued a classy reminder to Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt ahead of Lions selection.
The inside centre beat six defenders and laid to two line break assists to go with his 43rd minute try and three breakdown penalties.
The Reds rookie gets a nod at 13 here following another physical display against the Hurricanes.
While Pakeho might not have shone in attack, his 13 tackles against a star-studded backline helped keep the 'Canes at bay for 66 minutes.
The Waratahs' top metre-eater in Perth, Reilly's early intercept try from a loose Ben Donaldson pass ultimately proved the difference in Perth and sees him edge out Queensland's Filipo Daugunu.
Reilly continued to plague the Force's backline with multiple intercepts, 92 run metres (76 post-contact) and four tackle busts in tough conditions.
Aside from a forgettable fumble in the lead-up to Cam Roigard's try, Jock Campbell was among Queensland's best at Suncorp Stadium.
The four-cap Wallaby carried 11 times for 73 metres with five tackle busts, a line break, a line break assist and a try assist for McDermott's second.
