edit: response for kiap.
I've only watched the highlights. So not sure in general, but if there was a red card earlier in the game, it probably would have. So, likely yes. That's seven points and a player.
That "tip tackle" at the end was pretty marginal, he was basically already on the ground when his legs went up. Reckon worth a penalty, no more. Wrong side of halfway (should have kicked some easier ones) from what I hear. So there's a chance for them at the end.
When the Sharks smashed the Highlanders last week, the refereeing was pretty bad. Forward passes for trys, players in front of kicks, favourable scrum penalties. If the Highlanders weren't also terrible, it probably would have cost them.