Minutes before, the Hurricanes looked like they had won the match when reserve flyhalf Jimmy Gopperth rolled over the line and was awarded a try by South African referee Mark Lawrence.

Force fullback Drew Mitchell scored for the home team just four minutes into the match. Hurricanes skipper Tana Umaga replied for the visitors four minutes before half time for the Hurricanes to hold a 7-5 lead at half-time.

Much of the second half was a midfield running and kicking duel with Force winger Cameron Shepherd and Hurricanes flyhalf Blair Stewart swapping penalties and the lead, with the Force holding onto an 11-10 lead for most of the second half.

But the match finished in high drama when Gopperth grabbed a five-pointer and converted in the 77th minute before Shepherd scored in the corner with just 10 seconds left on the clock and then slotted the sideline conversion to win the game.

Western Force 18
Tries: Mitchell, Shepherd
Conversions: Shepherd
Penalties: Shepherd 2

Hurricanes 17
Tries: Umaga, Gopperth
Conversions: Stewart, Gopperth
Penalties: Stewart

Wallabies center Stirling Mortlock scored a try among 16 points for the ACT in the Brumbies' 26-6 win over South Africa's Stormers in a Super 14 rugby match Friday.

Mortlock returned from injury to contribute a second-half try, a conversion and three penalties to the Brumbies' third win in six rounds, but a vital four-try bonus point eluded the home side.

"It was a win but we're disappointed because we couldn't get a fourth try and we've seen in this competition how important those bonus points are," said Brumbies hooker Jeremy Paul.

The Brumbies had their third try through center Adam Ashley-Cooper after 50 minutes, but were held scoreless through the last 30 minutes of the match by determined Stormers' defense.

Handling errors and poor decision-making on attack cost the Brumbies the chance to turn their home win into a five-point boost to their championship standing.

ACT 26 (Mark Chisholm, Stirling Mortlock, Adam Ashley-Cooper tries; Mortlock conversion, 3 penalties), Stormers 13 (Fio Aplon try; Peter Grant conversion, 2 penalties). HT 14-6.

The Highlanders scored their second consecutive bonus-point win at Carisbrook on Friday night when they played controlled, intelligent rugby to decisively beat the Queensland Reds 33-17.

It was the Highlanders' third win in six games and lifted them, temporarily at least, into the top four of the Super 14.

But it was a poor night for the Reds, they showed some exciting spark in attack at times but, in the end, fell to their fifth consecutive loss and they remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the table.

The Highlanders were solid for most of the game, were always ahead, scored four tries to two and were much more organised than the youthful Reds outfit.

Highlanders 33
Tries: Aaron Bancroft, Lucky Muliopa, Glen Horton, Jason Macdonald.
Conversions: Evans 2
Penalty Goals: Evans 2
Dropped Goals: Bancroft 1.

Reds 17
Tries: Berrick Barnes, John Roe.
Conversion: Barnes 2.
Penalty Goals: Barnes.

Halftime: 18-10.

The Bulls brutally exposed the Waratahs numerous inadequacies when Bryan Habana and Fourie Du Preez each scored a pair of tries in an historic 32-19 bonus-point win at Sydney's Aussie Stadium on Saturday night.

Winger Habana and scrum half Du Preez scored a try in each half as the Bulls registered its first ever Super Rugby win in Sydney to remain on course for a semi-final berth.

Feeding on a multitude of errors gifted to them by a butter-fingered and mistake-riddled Waratahs team, the Bulls didn’t need to shift out of second gear as they cruised to a comfortable win.

Bulls 32
Tries: Habana (2), Du Preez (2)
Conversions: Hougaard (3)
Pen Goals: Hougaard (2)

Waratahs 19
Try: Beale
Conversion: Hewat (1)
Pen Goals: Hewat (4)

Crowd: 21,854
Half-time: Bulls 15-9

Sportal