The Stormers booked a home playoff spot in the European Champions Cup in bizarre fashion on Saturday when they beat Stade Francais 24-20.
Coach John Dobson’s span needed a try by flyhalf Manie Libbok – playing in his 50th match – in the 71st-minute to bring home the bacon.
But the five-pointer wasn’t without drama at the Stade Jean-Bouin.
Leading 20-17, the hosts had two props yellow carded inside two minutes in the final quarter as they buckled under the pressure of the Stormers scrum to concede five successive scrum penalties close to their line.
This forced a shift to uncontested scrums, resulting in the home side having to play with 12 players.
Some sneaky play saw them try to keep 13 players on the field near the end and they initially thwarted the Stormers’ attack on their line.
But this was pointed out by slim Stormers skipper Deon Fourie, with referee Luke Pearce awarding another penalty.
The Stormers’ patience paid off when Damian Willemse sent Libbok over the whitewash. They still had to withstand a late Stade Francais fightback and a scrum penalty five metres from the tryline, but yster defence saw the visitors claim five points from the match.
Earlier in the clash, the hosts led 15-10 heading into half-time, despite tries from the Stormers’ Herschel Jantjies and Ruben van Heerden, and extended their lead to 10 points after the restart.
They had another try disallowed due to a player being offside, and the Stormers replied by overhauling the pack from their bench.
It worked a treat, as former Stade Francais lock Hendre Stassen scored his first Stormers try from close range in the 58th minute (20-17) to set up a thrilling end.
The Stormers finished second in Pool 4, with Jacques Nienaber’s Leinster in first place. Leicester Tigers and reigning champions La Rochelle are the other teams to qualify from this group.
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