And that pass went astray for the the Highlanders in Mt Maunganui on Saturday night.
With the Highlanders six points behind and pressing for a try with six minutes left, the ball went to replacement first five-eighth Mathew Berquist.
He tried a kick ahead but the ball - rather luckily - rebounded straight into his hands and he broke through the line.
He then drew the last man and threw a pass, but replacement flanker Tim Boys inexplicably dropped the ball.
If he had caught it, he would have scored, but he coughed it up and it was game over.
The pass would win no awards for accuracy, but it was one of those moments of the season.
One gets the feeling if the Highlanders had been nearer the top of the Super 14 table than the bottom, it would have stuck.
But it didn't, and the game joined a long list of gallant but unsuccessful Highlanders' efforts.
There was very little between the sides under a clear Bay of Plenty night.
The Chiefs looked lively but suffered from not making the most of line breaks, while the Highlanders had a scrum that was dominant at times but could not get enough continuity into their game.
The Highlanders hung in the game in the second half despite some increasing Chiefs pressure and a lack of possession. The southern side kept grinding away and stayed in the match, thanks to Israel Dagg's boot.
The Highlanders led 15-10 at the break after a solid opening 40 minutes.
Winger Fetu'u Vainikolo, who played his best game in a Highlanders jersey for at least a season and a-half, almost scored after nine minutes, from a 50m run during which he beat three defenders, but was pushed out in the corner.
The strong scrum led to the Highlanders' first try after 23 minutes.
They pushed the Chiefs off their ball and No 8 Steven Setephano made ground to about 2m from the line.
When he was held up the ball was moved to big lock Hayden Triggs, who dived over in the tackle of Chiefs prop Sona Taumalolo.
The Chiefs hit back soon after when Stephen Donald made the most of having more room at second five-eighth and pushed off an ineffectual Robbie Robinson tackle to run 35m and score.
Vainikolo had his try near the end of the first half.
He caught a kick, linked with his fellow backs then backed up centre Kendrick Lynn to take a pass and use his pace to outflank hooker Hika Elliot to score in the corner.
The Chiefs had more ball at the start of the second half and, after pressing the line for several phases, big No 8 Sione Lauaki scored wide out, after a nice cut-out pass from Donald.
The home side kept the pressure on as the Highlanders struggled to get anything going at the attacking end, and Taumalolo barged over when the Chiefs drove at the line.
Up by nine points, the Chiefs could have run away with the game but were stopped by some strong Highlanders defence.
Best for the Highlanders was Vainikolo, and Lynn also got through plenty of work.
Up front, prop Chris King got round the paddock and his scrummaging effort was excellent.
Hooker Jason Rutledge was his usual industrious self, and loose forwards Adam Thomson and Alando Soakai were never far from the ball.
Best for the Chiefs were Donald and loose forward Liam Messam, while Mike Delany did little wrong in his first hit-out this season in the No 10 jersey.
There were some surprising results in the competition at the weekend, NZPA reported.
The Waratahs have taken the competition lead following the eighth round, after caning the Cheetahs 40-17 in Sydney on Saturday night.
They fill the spot previously occupied by defending champions, the Bulls, whose first appearance out of South Africa also marked their first defeat in 13 matches, 32-17 to an impressive Blues in Auckland.
The Bulls and Waratahs are both on 28 points, but the Australians have a superior points differential, although they have yet to have their bye.
The Crusaders, who scored a contentious late try to draw 26-26 with the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday, remain third on 25 points, one ahead of the Stormers, who went down 16-15 to the Force in Perth after a late dropped goal by David Hill.
