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He would be in a small minority in Perth, but Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper still believes the Western Force will make the Super 14 finals this year, despite the demoralising 28-27 loss to the Kiwi cavaliers at Subiaco last night.
Four tries, some of the best rugby ever played under John Mitchell's tutelage and an 11-point lead with five minutes on the clock was still not enough to take the Force to back-to-back home wins, thanks to Cory Jane's buzzer beating late try.
The sight of the Force troops from one to 22 slumped on their haunches after the whistle was the most apt image of a night which started on such a rare high and ended with a even harsher low.
But Cooper said despite the desolation his troops had caused, he was still convinced the Force could make the finals for the first time in their history.
"These guys are going to make the top four I believe, that is how good we rate them," Cooper said.
"Anyone can knock anyone off, it is a mental game and the travel factor is a massive factor in this competition. I certainly believe the Force will be there."
After Nick Cummins broke his personal duck with a double in the first half, Scott Staniforth and Ryan Cross just after half time looked to have put the Force in control.
But despite a short turnaround from a trip to South Africa, hot temperatures and the Force's first home crowd of over 20,000 this year, the Hurricanes still prevailed.
Some crucial missed tackles by Drew Mitchell allowed David Smith to bring the visitors within four, and with time expired Jane danced over to reverse the one point win the Force recorded for the first ever home win two years ago.
John Mitchell said after dominating large portions of the game, the increasing pressure told.
"They went to another level (in the first half), they looked like they were enjoying themselves," Mitchell said.
"We just spent a lot of time absorbing a lot of defence and we could not quite get control of possession or the game.
"But we are expected to defend that is part of the game. That is part of our job.
"You feel for them. But it is a test of our character, how we move forward - we can take a lot of goodness out of it.
With the Waratahs to come in Sydney next week - and a chance to complete a triple crown over the other three Australian teams - Sharpe said he did not think the finals equation would be solved until the final weeks of the competition.
"Who knows, it is just going to be one of those things that materialises in the last couple of weeks," Sharpe said.
"An extra three points would have been handy. That is the situation we are in, and we have got to make the most of it."
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