The Melbourne Rebels couldn't keep hold of the ball and it cost them any chance against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night.
The Rebels' errors count (19) was ahead of their points tally for much of the evening with Canberra's cold winter making for slippery, dewy conditions, as the home side went on to win 32-3.
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Brumbies book home final
The Brumbies have secured top spot in the Australian Super Rugby conference with a 32-3 bonus point win over the Rebels in Canberra.
The Brumbies' win, which included a bonus point, locked in their place in the Super Rugby finals as winner of the Australian conference after the NSW Waratahs lost earlier on Saturday.
Amanaki Mafi, Toby Smith and Tom English battled strongly for the Rebels, as did Marika Koroibete, but the visitors couldn't string together enough play phases or possessions to truly threaten.
Jordan Smiler, Tevita Kuridrani, Wharenui Hawera and Nigel Ah Wong scored the tries for the Brumbies while Reece Hodge kicked the only points for the Rebels.
Like so many other Rebels games this year, their first-half performance was one of hope and blunder.
Their endeavour at breakdowns and rucks was exceptional, forcing penalties and turnovers despite the formidable Brumbies forward pack, but for each good moment there was one or more bad ones, this time in the form of errors and penalties.
Both sides struggled to attack early and the Brumbies held an early 6-3 lead.
But on the half-hour, the Rebels gave away a penalty close to their own try line and then could do little as the home side took a quick tap and attacked their line.
After drawing in the Rebels, the Brumbies forced it left where they had numbers with half-back Joe Powell lofting a pass to unmarked No.8 Jordan Smiler, who scored to make it 11-3.
Considering the visitors made nine errors to three in the first half, they should have been trailing by more but fought to restrict the home side.
That was the score at half-time but minutes after the resumption the Brumbies extended their lead.
After the Rebels earned a scrum right on their own try line, Powell made a timely tackle which forced a turnover and led to Kuridrani powering over to score a try and make it 18-3.
As the slippery, cold conditions took hold, the Rebels' chances of a comeback disappeared into the night and Brumbies five-eighth Hawera made sure of the win just before the hour mark.
Brumbies flanker Chris Alcock made a powerful run, shrugging off two tacklers to get within metres of the line, and then Hawera's tough run saw him over with the conversion making it 25-3.
Both sides rang the changes for the final 20 minutes and Mafi and Koroibete both made line breaks, only to be chased down.
Brumbies substitute winger Ah Wong scored a try in the final minutes.
Super Rugby now pauses for international rugby for the rest of the month, starting with the Wallabies playing Fiji at AAMI Park next Saturday.
The Rebels' next game is against the Western Force in Perth on July 7, with both sides fighting for their survival as the ARU has yet to decide which team will be cut from Australian rugby.
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