A potent start and strong finish by the Brumbies ended SA's play-off interests when they hammered the Sharks 38-13 in Canberra.
Three converted tries in the first 24 minutes were enough to end the game as a contest.
They added two late tries to embellish a complete play-off performance.
The hi-octane beginning was followed by a period of defensive consolidation in the second half to tame the expected second wind from the Sharks.
With the energy sapped from the travellers, the late touchdowns confirmed the trip to Buenos Aires to face the Jaguares.
In essence, rugby justice was done as the top four teams from a log perspective made the semis. For the first time in four years the SA teams will have to watch the play-offs from the comfort of their couches or bars.
It's a fair reflection of the state of the SA franchises.
For the first time in four years the SA teams will have to watch the play-offs from the comfort of their couches or bars
At no point did they look like teams who could dominate. But for the Sharks, this was a dire performance.
Robert du Preez's side were seen as SA's best title bet, but inconsistency, rumours of team disunity and a coach who struggled with criticism and favouritism towards his flyhalf son Robert crippled the team.
They never looked like they could fell the Brumbies, who've beaten all four SA teams.
The 24-6 halftime lead was well earned by the hosts. They scored an excellent first-minute try and controlled large parts of the first 40.
The Sharks, as is their wont when the coach's son plays at first receiver, were rudderless and devoid of any creative material.
The Brumbies, who now have the tough task of travelling across the Pacific Ocean to face first-time semifinalists the Jaguares, who beat the Chiefs 21-16 yesterday morning, had lock Rory Arnold and No 8 Peter Samu to thank for their opening try.
Arnold, who also assisted in the second try, slipped in a deft inside pass for his teammate, who hared 35m untouched for the early sucker punch.
Curwin Bosch, who was dreadfully kept away from the action by his selection at 15, landed a long-range penalty in the ninth minute, but the Brumbies landed another seven-point punch a minute later.
While wing Henry Speight was the recipient, hooker Folau Fainga'a's inside pass to fullback Tom Banks cut up the Sharks defence. Banks offloaded to the rangy Arnold, who passed to Speight.
Another Bosch penalty six minutes later narrowed the gap to 14-6 but Christian Lealiifano landed a 20th-minute penalty to restore the 14-point gap.
Robert du Preez's side were seen as SA's best title bet, but inconsistency, rumours of team disunity and a coach who struggled with criticism and favouritism towards his flyhalf son Robert crippled the team
Four minutes later, the Brumbies shifted from style to substance when Samu rumbled over from a rolling maul to give the Brumbies an 18-point buffer.
The Sharks asked better questions of the Brumbies physically in the second half.
However, they lacked the nous and the desire to dismember a driven Australian unit. They did cross the whitewash through Andre Esterhuizen in the 57th minute but that was all she wrote.
Brumbies scrumhalf Joe Powell booked the plane tickets in the 72nd minute with Matt Lucas giving the travel agents the go-ahead to book accommodation with his try six minutes later.
Lucas's try came from another inside pass, summing up not only the Sharks' disastrous defensive shape, but their overwhelmingly atrocious season.
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