The Sharks, with a 24-10 lead and 16 minutes to play, suddenly found themselves pressured into error by a resurgent Stormers side in their Super 14 rugby encounter on Saturday before taking the four match points with a 24-17 victory.
With one game to go against the Western Force in Durban next week, the loss of that bonus point chance may have scuttled their semifinal hopes after the Stormers mounted a colossal rearguard action in the second half.
But as the time clock ran down on the Sharks’ hopes, it was the Stormers who controlled the game, apart from one moment of genius from Brent Russell as he broke from his 22m area and set up an attack that promised that elusive score.
Russell was operating on the left wing as coach Dick Muir introduced his band of surprises by bringing in Butch James, out of action for so long with injury, into the key flyhalf berth and switching Percy Montgomery back to fullback.
In essence it was a credit to the Stormers that they came back into the game so strongly after trailing 17-3 at half time. In the first half they had faced a blitzreig attack from the Sharks forwards who all but bundled the Stormers off the park.
They were struck by wave after wave of attacking rugby in the set pieces as the players gave it their all on an evening of blistering rugby in a cold swirling wind that threatened rain in the later stages.
The Stormers struck first with an early Peter Grant penalty after which the Sharks often threatened the Stormers line but were unable to find gaps in the defensive ring. Once Warren Britz appeared to have got over but the TMO ruled against him and the stranglehold was broken by the great performance of Luke Watson on the flank of the Stormer’s pack who never gave up trying against his former teammates.
Eventually something had to give and in the 20th minute the Sharks forward power paid off and with the ball moved speedily down the line with all the Stormers’ defence sucked in around the pack. It was all too easy a try for Montgomery who converted (7-3).
Then a major error on the part of Stormers defenders left AJ Venter with a chance to make a midfield pass to flanker Jacques Botes for a second score and the hope of that bonus point. Once again Montgomery converted.
And on the stroke of halftime he added a further three points from a penalty goal.
Such was the Stormers counter action in the second period that the Sharks cohesive pattern was clearly disrupted.
The Stormers eventually gained control up front and speedy Rayno Benjamin was given the chance to nip through for a valuable try to the men from the Cape. Grant converted.
Almost immediately Waylon Murray, who had come on for James in a tactical switch, got the Sharks third try with a bit of nifty footwork in the corner that won the TMO approval this time, in for a try converted by Grant.
But with the Sharks needing the vital fourth try it was the Stormers who grounded the ball over the line through eighthman Joe van Niekerk. The Stormers earned a bonus point for finishing seven behind – Sapa