A valiant display from Cardiff Rugby proved in vain as the Stormers battled their way to a 34-24 United Rugby Championship victory at DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
Matt Sherrat’s side were seeking a win that would seal a first-ever play-off spot in the league but they are now left relying on results elsewhere to squeeze into the play-offs.
Both sides were reduced to 14 men in a frantic and physical affair with both sides refusing to give an inch in a titanic battle.
Despite making 10 changes to the side that thrashed Dragons, the Stormers showed their intent from the outset. Stormers left winger Leolin Zas opened the scoring in the 10th minute after he sliced through a dog leg defence untouched.
The visitors his back within four minutes when prop Danny Southworth ploughed over after a dummy from Taulupe Faletau opened up the Stormers defence. Sheedy added the extras to put Cardiff 7-5 ahead.
Suleiman Hartzenberg then put his side back in front on his 50th appearance for the Stormers when he zigged and zagged past four Cardiff defenders to score a fine solo try.
The opening half was played at a frantic pace but Cardiff weren’t helped with a poor kicking game, gifting the Stormers with possession when keeping the ball in hand may have been a better option.
Cardiff were then dealt a hammer blow when Southworth received a red card for making contact with the head of Neethling Fouche leaving the visitors a man down with 50 minutes still remaining.
Zas scored his second try of the game when a retreating Cameron Winnett was unable to mop up a bouncing ball in the dead ball zone and the inform winger pounced to put the Stormers 19-7 ahead.
Three minutes from the halftime whistle Cardiff edged themselves back into the game when Callum Sheedy kicked across field for Gabriel Hamer-Webb to touch down. Sheedy then added the conversion but the referee ruled he took too long so the extra two points went begging.
The Stormers gained their bonus point try with Hartzenberg collecting Manie Libbok’s cross field kick with ease to put the home side 24-12 ahead after 48 minutes.
Cardiff refused to go quietly and put a cat among the pigeons when Harri Millard went over in the corner after being put clear by Hamer-Webb. Damian Willemse, in the act of trying to deny Hamer-Webb passing, received a red card for a blow to the winger’s head to reduce both sides to 14 men for the final 20 minutes.
Having dragged themselves back into the game, Cardiff then got out of jail when the Stormers blew a clear cut chance on the blind side.
But a lucky bounce put Cardiff on the back foot for Connor Evans to streak over. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s conversion put the Stormers 31-17 clear.
Dafydd Hughes gave Cardiff an unlikely lifeline three minutes from time when he ploughed over from a well drilled line-out. Sheedy’s conversion gave Cardiff two points from the game but a last minute penalty from Feinberg-Mngomezulu left Cardiff ruing what might have been.