The Highlanders never looked likely against the Waratahs - too many mistakes, too many tired players, and just too few chances.
The Waratahs were not on top of their game but did enough to win 33-7 in Sydney on Saturday night, prevailing over a team limping towards the end of the season.
The Highlanders are the sort of team which will never run you down from far behind - they simply have to be close to be in with a chance.
So when the visiting side went down 12 points with barely a quarter of an hour gone, the writing was on the wall.
The side knows it, even coach Jamie Joseph knows it: they have to stay in touch to be in with a chance.
But the closest it got was five points for about 10 minutes and the scoreline ballooned out in the final stages of the match when the Waratahs scored two tries getting round the outside of a tired-looking defence.
The match was played in poor conditions, with heavy rain coming down in the middle of the match, which made it an average spectacle.
Finding Atlantis would probably be easier than finding five minutes of highlights from the second half.
The Highlanders had a spell of about 10 minutes midway through the second half when it camped in the Waratahs territory but their attack was rather one-dimensional and the Waratahs defence just tackled any Highlanders who moved. The visiting side's set piece was also poor throughout the match.
Perhaps the Highlanders needed to go wide when they could not find a gap through the middle but the slippery conditions meant moving the ball was always going to be a lottery.
The Waratahs have a good defensive record in the competition but they were not really challenged by a tired-looking Highlanders attack.
The Highlanders really needed someone to do something out of the ordinary but no-one came forward.
Someone like Kurtley Beale.
The Waratahs fullback set up the first two tries for his side with his counter-attacking skills and ability to break the line.
He returned a poor Aaron Smith kick to almost the goal line, nudging through a sweet chip kick to set up centre Tom Carter for the first try.
Then Beale raced 50m, after a dropped Shaun Treeby ball, to set up flanker Dave Dennis for a try.
The Highlanders came back into the game when hooker Jason Rutledge scored after a concerted forward drive at the line on the half-hour mark.
They had a couple of chances, with Adam Thomson making a nice break, and Alando Soakai not quite getting on the end of a Tony Brown grubber kick.
Joseph rang the changes at halftime, changing the front row and his inside-back combination but it made little difference.
Carter helped himself to another try as the Highlanders were caught out on the flanks and, right at the end, replacement back Josh Holmes got on the end of a Beale cross kick to score a try with the first touch of the ball.
Best for the Highlanders was lock Jarrad Hoeata who never stopping running while Beale and hooker Tatafu Polota-Na stood out for the home team.
Waratahs v Highlanders
The scores
Waratahs....33
Tom Carter 3, Dave Dennis, Josh Holmes tries, Kurtley Beale 4 con
Highlanders.... 7
Jason Rutledge try, Tony Brown con
Halftime: 19-7
