Stormers lash Cardiff to lock in fifth

The Stormers secured their URC playoff seeding with a victory over Cardiff in the final home match of their regular season at Cape Town Stadium on Friday night.

Wingers Suleiman Hartzenberg and Leolin Zas scored a brace of tries apiece as the Stormers converted a 19-12 half-time lead into a 34-24 bonus-point win, locking in fifth spot on the log prior to the conclusion of the final round of league action. 

However, the Welsh tourists fought to the final whistle to sustain their playoff dream, but a late penalty goal from Stormers replacement flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu put the result beyond doubt in a match that saw red cards shown to Cardiff loosehead prop Danny Southworth and Stormers fullback Damian Willemse.

John Dobson’s men were set to await the final outcome of Saturday’s matches to discover whether they remain in the Republic for the quarter-final or travel to Scotland on the weekend of 30 and 31 May.

So clean! #STOvCAR #iamastormer @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/bgTPjw0lTT

— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) May 16, 2025

The fourth-placed team on the final standings – currently the Sharks – will host the Stormers, but John Plumtree’s charges would leapfrog Glasgow Warriors by beating Scarlets and clinch third spot, if the defending champions lose to log-leaders Leinster in Dublin.

Zas opened the scoring on Friday night with a well-worked try following Willemse’s pin-point 50:22 kick to set up an attacking lineout for the home side. Cardiff responded through Southworth, with Callum Sheedy’s conversion giving the visitors a brief lead. 

Man of the Match Hartzenberg then celebrated his 50th appearance with a clinical finish, and Willemse added the extras before Southworth was dismissed for a dangerous tackle on tighthead Neethling Fouche. 

Zas capitalised immediately, toeing ahead a loose ball before winning the race to dot it down and claim his ninth try of the season.

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Cardiff narrowed the gap to seven points before the break with No 11 Gabe Hamer-Webb scoring from Sheedy’s cross-kick, but the latter’s successful conversion was disallowed for exceeding the time limit.

Hartzenberg claimed his second try early soon after the restart from Manie Libbok’s pinpoint cross-kick, securing the bonus point. Cardiff responded through centre Harri Millard, remaining in contention as Willemse received his marching orders for a shoulder to Hamer-Webb’s head, leaving both sides with 14 men.

Superb aerial play from Feinberg-Mngomezulu set up a try from substitute lock Connor Evans to extend the hosts’ lead, though Dafydd Hughes’ late touchdown gave Cardiff hope of gleaning two log points.

Sheedy’s conversion brought the Welshmen within striking distance before Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s last-gasp penalty denied seventh-placed Cardiff a losing bonus point in the race to the final eight.

The more we celebrate the more we celebrate. #STOvCAR #iamastormer @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/PJeQ96IzZS

— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) May 16, 2025

Photo: @THESTORMERS/Twitter