DHL Stormers wing Suleiman Hartzenberg toyed with Cardiff in a game where he celebrated his 50th cap for the Cape franchise by scoring two tries as the hosts ran out 34-24 victors over the Welsh side in their final Vodacom United Rugby Championship league game at DHL Stadium.
Still just 21 years of age and yet already a half-centurion for the Stormers, Hartzenberg sent out an unambiguous message to anyone who might doubt that he is a sublime talent with a huge future ahead of him. It felt like every time he had the ball, he jinked around or wrong-footed Cardiff defenders, although he was far from alone in that regard.
The DHL Stormers head into the play-offs with momentum on their side 🌩️🏉#SSRugby | #VURC pic.twitter.com/aGxFEQ3sb6
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) May 16, 2025
The other Stormers wing, Leolin Zas, also scored a brace of tries on the night as the Stormers hit their baseline target in the 46th minute - that being the solitary bonus point they needed to finish above eighth, which would have meant a trip to Dublin to play formidable log winners Leinster in their quarterfinal.
Had that point been all they got out of the game, the Stormers would have probably finished sixth or seventh, which would have meant they stayed in South Africa for their quarterfinal in a fortnight from now to face either the Hollywoodbets Sharks or the Vodacom Bulls.
But the Stormers wanted to round off their league campaign and in all likelihood their home season - there is still a very outside chance they could host a game deeper in the playoffs - with a positive result for their passionate fans, who turned in out in significant numbers (just under 20 000) considering this was a Friday night game.
IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE
They made heavy weather of it by letting Cardiff, who were playing for their season as they battled gamely to get themselves back into the top eight, back into the game on occasions, but considering the Stormers were fielding a much-changed team, this was an impressive performance.
The support line by Connor Evans 🤌🤌
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) May 16, 2025
It's more play-off rugby for the DHL Stormers in the #VURC 🌩️#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/y6PeDkoyKA
The win with the bonus point means the Stormers are now sure of fifth, and of course, they could still be playing their quarterfinal in South Africa if the Sharks lose to the Scarlets on Saturday. That is unlikely, but if the Stormers do head to Glasgow for their first playoff game, which would be a repeat of last year, they can do it with some confidence because the two wings were far from the only Stormers players who dazzled on the night.
This was a game where Manie Libbok reminded us just what a fine flyhalf he is as he featured in several of the Stormers’ early tries, and then Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu came on and weaved his usual magic. There’s a fair chance the pair could play together in the quarterfinal as the one blight on the Stormers’ night was the red card to Springbok utility back Damian Willemse heading into the last quarter.
The Stormers will be holding thumbs that Willemse escapes sanctions for the card he received for a high tackle that saw the game end with 14 men playing against 14 as Cardiff lost prop Danny Southworth, who was also the scorer of Cardiff’s first try, just short of the half hour mark for a red card incurred through a head high hit on Stormers prop Neethling Fouche. Ironically, Fouche himself was returning from a suspension that followed a red card for a supposedly illegal tackle against Ulster at the end of March.
FORWARDS DID WELL TOO
It wasn’t just the Stormers’ backs that shone, there were also some big individual performances from the loose forwards, not the least of them hooker Joseph Dweba and also the returning lock JD Schickerling. Skipper Salmaan Moerat impresses in every game he plays, and then there were the performances of two players brought in at looseforward, with Dave Ewers saving his best for last by playing his best game for the Stormers in what is probably the last he will play in the jersey before heading back overseas.
Blindside flank Louw Nel, in his first start in a URC game, turned in a busy performance on both sides of the ball to show why coach John Dobson rates him so highly. Talking of farewells, there was a good curtain-call to his Cape rugby career, at least for now, for 2019 World Cup-winning scrumhalf Herschell Jantjies, while Paul de Wet was also good when he came on.
Suleiman Hartzenberg goes over in his 50th match 🙌🏉
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) May 16, 2025
📺 Stream #VURC on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/Glo0Z8Q0E3
The Stormers scored their first try in the ninth minute as they put together a multi-phase buildup that eventually saw the ball passed inside from the left touchline for Zas to go over untouched. Cardiff struck back with a forward try for Southworth and the conversion put them into the lead, but it lasted only briefly before Hartzenberg scored his first try after good work from his teammates, although the way he weaved through gave it an individualistic look.
Zas then chased his own kick to force the ball down just inside touch in goal as the Stormers took a 19-7 lead that was whittled down to 19-12 at halftime when Gabe Harmer-Webb ran onto a well-directed cross kick from flyhalf Callum Sheedy.
However, it was Libbok who was on point with a cross kick six minutes into the second half and Hartzenberg took it comfortably to complete his brace and clinch the bonus point. His replacement Feinberg-Mngomezulu set up the fifth try to replacement lock Connor Evans with a high kick and then kicked a long-range penalty in the last minute to deny Cardiff what would have been their second bonus point and make absolutely sure of the home win.
Scores
DHL Stormers 34 - Tries: Leolin Zas 2, Suleiman Hartzenberg 2 and Connor Evans; Conversions: Damian Willemse 2 and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu; Penalty: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Cardiff 24 - Tries: Danny Southworth, Gabe Harmer-Webb, Harri Millard and Daffyd Hughes; Conversions: Callum Sheedy 2.