A hat-trick to centre Tom Carter and another scintillating display from full-back Kurtley Beale lifted the Waratahs back into the top six with their five-try rout.
NSW should clinch a play-off spot with a home victory over the out-of-contention Brumbies next Saturday night.
Only an unlikely sequence of results in South Africa over the last two rounds would deny the Tahs their fifth finals appearance in seven years should they topple the Brumbies.
While Carter savoured his first, three-try haul for the Waratahs, Beale was once again the standout.
The classy full-back lit up the Sydney Football Stadium on an otherwise drab winter's night with two magical runs that led to NSW's first two tries and 12-0 advantage.
First he beat three defenders in a mazy 30-metre raid before grubber-kicking for Carter to score in the ninth minute.
He topped that by initiating a brilliant 80m team try seven minutes later.
From nothing, Beale sped 50 metres downfield before kicking for half-back Luke Burgess, who off-loaded to hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, who in turn found flanker Dave Dennis in support to finish off the movement.
Like most at the ground, NSW coach Chris Hickey could only marvel at Beale's five-star display.
"He shows he's a world-class player, doesn't he," Hickey said.
"Some of the things out there tonight that came off for him - and some that don't necessarily come off still create opportunities.
"He's playing with a great deal of confidence and we certainly want to keep him in the game."
Despite the desperate Highlanders throwing everything at them, the Waratahs were never headed and the eighth-placed Highlanders were eliminated from finals contention.
The successful return from nagging hamstring injuries of skipper Phil Waugh and powerhouse No.8 Wycliff Palu only added to NSW celebrations.
Waugh was his workaholic self until being replaced at half-time while Palu's energy and destructive defence was a highlight of the Waratahs' win.
The only downer was Berrick Barnes trudging off in the 35th minute, the luckless midfielder believed to have copped a heavy knock to the back.
"Berrick just wasn't feeling quite right. He felt a little bit ill so we thought it was better to replace him," Hickey said.
Palu hurt his shoulder but Hickey was hopeful it was only a "stinger" injury needing a couple of days for recovery.
After spurning a couple of penalty goal attempts in search of something more, the Highlanders were rewarded in the 29th minute when hooker Jason Rutledge burrowed over and fly half Tony Brown converted to reduce the margin to five points.
Carter steamed on to an inside ball from five-eighth Daniel Halangahu to crash over just before the break, with Beale's conversion giving the home team a 12-point buffer at half-time.
The Waratahs defended doggedly for most of the second half to retain their lead, before sealing victory with late tries to Carter and replacement winger Josh Holmes.
"It's important to recognise how good a team the Highlanders are," Waugh said.
"Often the opposition gets overlooked but they've been a quality side this year and to come up out the way we did, score five tries on the back of coming back from South Africa, I think is a pretty big effort from the guys."
Waratahs: 33 (Tom Carter 3, David Dennis, Josh Holmes tries; Kurtley Beale 4 cons)
Highlanders: 7 (Jason Rutledge try; Tony Brown con)
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, nsw, sydney-2000 First posted June 11, 2011 21:42:00
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