The Bulls will play the Crusaders in Pretoria and the Chiefs will host the Hurricanes after the Super 14 semi-finalists were decided by a thriller in Durban on Saturday.

Despite being outscored four tries to three, Bulls five-eighth Morne Steyn's two drop goals earned a heartstopping 27-26 win over the Sharks for his side to go top of the standings with 46 points.

The Sharks had needed a victory with a bonus point to sneak into the semis, and they scored a fourth try on the stroke of fulltime only to fall just short and finish sixth.

The Chiefs finished second on 45 points, the Hurricanes third on 44 and the Crusaders fourth on 41.

Australia's involvement in this year's finals ended when Queensland went down to the Hurricanes 37-28 in Brisbane, meaning NSW could not make the play-offs.

The Waratahs were watching the game nervously in Johannesburg after scoring a tense 38-33 victory over the Lions on Friday to go to provisional third on the ladder with 41 points.

Phil Waugh's men needed two of either the Crusaders, Hurricanes or Sharks to slip up and in the end fell agonisingly short.

The Tahs won one more game than the fourth-placed Crusaders, whose bonus points took them to equal with NSW on the ladder.

Despite becoming the first Australian side to win all three games in South Africa, the Waratahs will rue allowing the Lions to get so close with the points differential between NSW and the Crusaders just four.

Australia will be unrepresented in the Super rugby semi-finals for only the third time in the 14-season history of the competition.

The Waratahs finished fifth, the Brumbies seventh after their 10-7 loss to the Chiefs, the Western Force eighth after a 33-28 win over the Hurricanes, and Queensland 13th.

The Bulls did enough with their no-frills game, managing to score when it mattered, and, on two occasions when their attacks were halted by the Sharks defence, Steyn was in position to snap over the drop goals.

It was a close-run South African derby, though one that was marred by injuries to two front-runners for call-ups to the Springboks squad to face the British and Irish Lions later this month.

Sharks flyhalf Ruan Pienaar was helped off with a knee injury and Bulls inside centre Wynand Olivier left the field in the first half, also because of a knee problem.

The Bulls' physical approach to the game led to three tries - one each from fullback Zane Kirchner, winger Akona Ndungane and replacement lock Danie Rossouw - that proved enough of a cushion to hold off a furious Sharks rally.

The Sharks scored their tries in spectacular fashion with their third the pick of the lot as a sweeping movement led to lock Steven Sykes going over.

The scoring sequence began with Pienaar sending Odwa Ndungane loose down the right, with fullback Stefan Terblanche making up further ground. He found a rampaging prop forward in Tendai Mtawarira in support, who, astonishingly, made it around the cover defence.

Pienaar was on hand to go even further and, when he stumbled in sight of the line, he popped the ball up for a flying Sykes to crash over.

With time running out, the Sharks launched one final frantic effort and No.8 Ryan Kankowski scored but it was not enough as the final whistle sounded when the Kockott conversion went over.

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