Staff Reporter.
The Stormers secured their place in the United Rugby Championship play-offs on Friday as they beat Cardiff 34-24 at Cape Town Stadium.
Both Stormers and Cardiff were reduced to 14 men due to dangerous tackles, with Cardiff prop Danny Southworth shown a 30th-minute red card before Stormers full-back Damien Willemse was dismissed just before an hour.
Stormers wings Leolin Zas and Suleiman Hartzenberg both scored two tries, while replacement lock Connor Evans also scored for the hosts.
John Dobson’s men await the final outcome of Saturday’s results as to whether they remain in the Republic or travel to Scotland for their quarter-final clash on the weekend of 30 and 31 May.
The fourth-placed team on the standings – currently the Sharks – at the end of round 18 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 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 the game turned when Southworth received a red card for a dangerous tackle on tighthead Neethling Fouche.
Zas capitalised immediately, claiming his ninth try of the season with a clever tap-kick ahead to extend the hosts’ lead.
Cardiff narrowed the gap to five 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 Mannie Libbok’s pinpoint cross-kick, securing the bonus point. Cardiff responded through centre Harri Millard, keeping themselves in contention as Willemse received his marching orders for a dangerous tackle on Hamer-Webb, leaving both sides with 14 men.
Substitute Connor Evans’ try sealed the contest after Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s clever aerial work, though Dafydd Hughes’ late try gave Cardiff hope.
Sheedy’s conversion brought the Welshmen within striking distance before Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s late goal-kick denied seventh-placed Cardiff a losing bonus point in the race to the final eight.