Jeepers - talk about a comeback from the dead.
Roaring back from a 21-point deficit, the Highlanders snatched a last-gasp 36-33 victory over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein yesterday.
Three tries inside six minutes paved the way for the victory and the game was sealed by a sweet kick from replacement goal kicker Chris Noakes.
But as the score suggests it was a close-run thing.
For 55 minutes it looked like it was going to be a easy victory - for the Cheetahs that is.
But the Highlanders had a purple patch in the middle of the second spell, and tied the game up 30-30.
Each side then traded penalties before the climax in the final three minutes.
Cheetahs goalkicker Sias Ebersohn somehow managed to miss a penalty straight out in front that he could have thrown over.
But Noakes did not have the same problem when he smacked over a 48m penalty with a minute to go to win the game.
It just went over - but that is all it has to do and the Highlanders held on to claim their seventh victory of the season.
But after 50 minutes of the match, a Highlanders win looked about as likely as a Kim Dotcom sub-four minute mile.
The Cheetahs were up 30-9, and in cruise control.
They had the wood over the Highlanders in all phases of play, and their first five-eighth, Johan Goosen, was running the cutter with aplomb.
The Highlanders quite simply had no ball and territory, and played poorly in the opening half, coughing up ball, and making too many errors.
The Cheetahs made the advantage line with ease and scored their first try after just 11 minutes when big prop Coenie Oosthuizen barged over from a ruck close to the line.
Discipline from the visiting team was poor and after a warning from referee Marius Jonker, hooker Andrew Hore was yellow-carded for a indiscretion in a ruck.
He was joined on the sideline shortly after by flanker James Haskell, who threw a punch when he was held at a scrum.
Haskell has been cited and is likely to spend some time on the sideline.
With two men on the sideline, the visitors were forced to pack a six-man scrum and ran out of defence as big Cheetahs lock Andries Ferrira went over.
When Goosen ran 60m to score eight minutes into the second half, the game looked all but over.
He injured his shoulder though in scoring the try, was forced off, and his absence hurt the Cheetahs.
With a mass of substitutions, the Highlanders finally put it together and after a nice Ben Smith break, Noakes scored under the bar after 58 minutes.
Jimmy Cowan then bagged a brace of tries within two minutes.
He firstly burrowed his way over from 2m out and then straight from the kick-off the Highlanders outside backs broke down the right and Cowan took an inside ball to run 30m and score under the bar.
With Noakes' conversion the game was tied up, and then thanks to Ebersohn's miss and Noakes' accuracy the cards fell the Highlanders way.
Tribute had to be played to the bench players who transformed the game for the Highlanders, while backs Tamati Ellison and Smith always looked dangerous.
Up front, captain Jamie Mackintosh got through a power of work, while lock Jarrad Hoeata continues to improve.
Super 15
The scores
Highlanders 36
Jimmy Cowan 2, Chris Noakes tries; Noakes 3 con, 2 pen, Mike Delany 3 pen
Cheetahs 33
Coenie Oosthuizen, Andres Ferrira, Johan Goosen tries; Goosen 2 con, 3 pen, Sias Ebersohn con, pen
Halftime: Cheetahs 23-9
