Edinburgh sealed their return to the United Rugby Championship play-offs for the first time in three seasons with a bonus-point 47-17 victory at home to Ulster, who were already out of the running.
Sean Everitt's side needed to win and hope other results went their way and Cardiff’s defeat to the Stormers, combined with a seven-try victory, saw them book their place in the top eight and also qualify for next season’s Champions Cup.
Ulster, who suffered their 11th defeat of the season, kept it competitive in the first half by scoring twice through a penalty try and Werner Kok before Edinburgh eased away after the interval to a comfortable win as Darcy Graham completed his hat-trick.
It was the home side who got on the board first after a cagey start.
Wes Goosen collected an Ulster kick forward then picked out Graham, who took the pass and darted through a hole for a try converted by Ross Thompson.
Edinburgh landed a second score when Magnus Bradbury fastened on to a short pass from Ali Price and powered his way past three Ulster defenders to get the ball down.
Edinburgh’s momentum, though, was disrupted when they conceded a penalty try and lost a man to the sin-bin.
Jack Murphy’s pass wide was headed for Zac Ward clear on the wing until Graham stuck out a hand and was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.
Ulster were soon level. Goosen failed to control Murphy’s kick in to the Edinburgh 22, allowing Kok to burrow his way over.
It was end-to-end and Edinburgh soon landed their third try of a frenetic first half shortly before Graham returned from the sin-bin.
Ewan Ashman was the man to get it, the hooker picking up the loose ball from his own line-out and barrelling his way past some half-hearted tackles to score, with Thompson adding the extras.
Graham thought he had landed his second try of the game – and Edinburgh’s fourth – only to be denied by a brilliant Kok tackle in the corner.
But the home side did land the bonus point soon after when Bradbury was driven over the line for his second try following a tap-and-go penalty.
Edinburgh were well on top by this stage and Pierre Schoeman stretched for the line for their fifth try, again converted by Thompson, to make sure of the win.
Ulster landed their first try of the second half when Jude Postlethwaite (above) ran the length of the pitch to score.
Edinburgh hit back when Graham scrambled over for his second then completed his hat-trick with the clock in the red, both tries converted by Ben Healy.
Cardiff's hopes of snatching a United Rugby Championship play-off place were cruelly dashed as they lost 34-24 to the Stormers in Cape Town as both sides ended with 14 men.
Matt Sherratt’s side appeared on course to secure the two losing bonus points that could have kept their season alive after replacement hooker Dafydd Hughes’ late try, crucially converted by Callum Sheedy, reduced the deficit to 31-24.
But Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s penalty in the closing moments extended the Stormers’ lead to 34-24 – more than seven points – and Cardiff were left with just one losing bonus point through their four tries.
Cardiff, for whom victory at the DHL Stadium would have secured a top-eight finish, were outscored by five tries to four and a tough task was made even harder when try-scorer Danny Southworth was sent off in the first half.
Stormers full-back Damian Willemse was shown a red card in the second, with both players guilty of dangerous, head-high tackles.
The South Africans, beaten only once at home all season, had already secured their play-off spot and wings Leolin Zas and Suleiman Hartzenberg both went over twice before second row Connor Evans’ late effort.
Cardiff, who had briefly led in the first half after Southworth had crashed over, scored further tries through wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb and centre Harri Millard before Hughes’ late score proved in vain.
