The Stormers had a try chalked off by the TMO with the final move of the game, as they lost 21-15 to the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship at Kings Park on Saturday.
The visitors finished the game celebrating what seemed to be a remarkable win after Manie Libbok had scored after the hooter, but he hadn’t because TMO reviews revealed that the self-same Libbok had knocked the ball on at the base of a ruck some phases before.
It was heartbreak for coach Jon Dobson and his team, as they lost to the Sharks for the first time in this competition.
In fact, such was the Stormers’ performance on the day, that it would not have not been surprising had they taken the field with Santa Claus hats given the charity they handed to their opponents.
Kings Park has grown accustomed to the home pack dominating set scrums, so there were moments of deep silence when the Stormers’ front row repeatedly shunted their opponents backward.
The Stormers tighthead prop Neethling Fouche was magnificent in tarnishing the reputation of Bok loosehead Ox Nche.
It was against the run of play that the Sharks scored the first points of the match when Ethan Hooker finished strongly in the corner in what was the Sharks’ first venture into the Stormers’ 22 in the opening 15 minutes.
Before that, the Kapenaars were on top.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu then fired over a classy long-range drop goal to put his team on the board, at the half-hour mark, but he was off target with a penalty shot soon after.
Sadly that would be flyhalf’s last involvement in the game, as he was replaced by Libbok after taking a knock to the head.
After fullback Warrick Gelant dropped the ball with an acre of tryline in front of him, the Sharks accepted the charity, went upfield, and scored via former Stormers looseforward and current Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, off a rare solid set piece. It was 14-3 to the Sharks at half-time.
After the break, a pass from Suleiman Hartzenberg was spilled by Herschel Jantjies with an open tryline before him, before, at last, they got it right when Gelant nudged a grubber through the defence for Leolin Zas to finish in the corner 14-8.
Andre Esterhuizen then dotted down, before the Stormers were awarded a penalty try in the 79th minute and then came the grand finale but it simply was not the Stormers’ night.
Smooth as you like from the backline. #SHAvSTO #iamastormer #dhldelivers @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/BpmielOMFM
Sharks — Tries: Siya Kolisi, Ethan Hooker, Andre Esterhuisen. Conversions: Siya Masuku (2). Jordan Hendrikse.
Stormers — Tries: Leolin Zas, Penalty Try. Drop Goal: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Late drama at Hollywoodbets Kings Park 😲
A little knock-on chalks off the DHL Stormers try and the Hollywoodbets Sharks hold on for the win 👇#VURC pic.twitter.com/b4yTHF2xes