Cardiff's hopes of reaching the United Rugby Championship were ended as they went down to a heavy defeat to Connacht in Galway.
Dai Young's side travelled to Ireland sitting five points off Connacht in the table, making victory in the season's penultimate match crucial to reeling in the province and reaching the top eight.
Earlier in the week, Cardiff's players had acknowledged how their final two matches of the season basically resembled knockout rugby - such was the must-win nature of both.
But Connacht had wrapped up the bonus point by half-time, ending any hopes of Welsh representation in the URC play-offs. There is still the Welsh Shield and Champions Cup qualification to play for in the final round, though.
Diarmuid Kilgallen crossed for the opening try after 12 minutes following a break from fly-half Jack Carty. Things got worse for Cardiff as Wales flanker James Botham was sin-binned for a high tackle on Conor Oliver a few minutes later.
Almost immediately, Connacht extended their lead, with Dylan Tierney-Martin in place to profit from a driving lineout.
Oliver latched onto Caolin Blade's offload from close range to register Connacht's third try, before Cardiff hit back with their first score just after the half-hour mark as Seb Davies forced his way over the line.
However, Connacht would have the final say of the half as Mack Hansen sliced through the Cardiff defence four minutes before the break.
Cardiff opened the scoring in the second-half, with Thomas Young scoring from a driving maul.
There were concerning scenes around the hour mark as Owen Lane left the field receiving oxygen after being caught in the head by Hansen's knee while the Ireland wing jumped to claim a high ball.
As the match entered the final stages, Connacht turned to the maul for their fifth score - with the referee awarding a penalty try and sending Thomas Young to the sin-bin quarter of an hour from time.
Five minutes before the end, Connacht replacement scrum-half Kieran Marmion squeezed over in the corner to complete the rout - with Cardiff's play-off hopes having been extinguished long before.
Young got over for a second as the clock went red but it was little more than a consolation.
The Ospreys' heavy defeat against Edinburgh means that Cardiff still sit in pole position for the Welsh Shield and the Champions Cup qualification that accompanies it.
The two sides face each other next week at the Principality Stadium as Judgement Day brings a long and testing season to a close.
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