FULL TIME: STORMERS 16-15 SHARKS
The Stormers hold on in the end to win a scrappy match marred by poor officiating. The match never really got going but the Stormers took their chances better. The Sharks gave away 16 penalties and you won't win too many with those numbers.
We have to have one more scrum but the Sharks will have to get a tighthead on their own line to pull off a miracle.
The Stormers have a penalty again and they go to the corner once more and this surely has to be it.
The Stormers get another penalty in the Sharks 22 and they will be going to the corner to try to finish this game off.
The Sharks put up a tester but Kok knocks on in the air and the Stormers can set a scrum and get out of trouble close to their 22. They get the scrum penalty too and that could be the game.
Bosch kicks looking for Kok but Mathee gets back to dot dead.
Mathee kicks straight out just as the Stormers thought they had found relief. Instead the Sharks have the lineout feed on the Stormers 22.
The Sharks find touch on their 22 and then win a penalty at the lineout and its Stassen who infringes again.
The Stormers maul over and score but the TMO spots double banking and the Sharks have the penalty five out.
The scrum goes up and the Sharks are penalised. The Stormers kick deep into the Sharks 22 and look to land the killer blow.
Another crucial handling error from the Sharks costs them and now the Stormers have a scrum ten inside the Sharks half.
A poor kick from Mapimpi spoils the Sharks' chance to counter and the Stormers have a lineout ten inside the Sharks half.
The Stormers turn down a long shot at goal to take play into the Sharks 22.
The Stormers get a penalty at the scrum after it goes down again.
Mchunu is away but Kok has knocked on and the Stormers have the scrum feed on their own 22.
PENALTY, STORMERS, LIBBOK, 16-15:
Libbok slots the penalty.
The Sharks fluff the restart and give away a penalty right in front of the posts.
CONVERSION, SHARKS, BOSCH 13-15:
Bosch gives the Sharks the lead.
YELLOW CARD, STORMERS, VERMAAK:
Vermaak collapsed the maul and will go to the bin for that.
TRY, SHARKS, RAHL, 13-13:
Rahl powers over eventually for the Sharks and the scores are level.
The Sharks get advantage at the lineout and can attack but they don't do much and we come back for the kick. The Sharks have it at the lineout and their maul is rumbling.
Willemse blocks Kok from chasing a kick and the Sharks have another penalty and send the Stormers back towards their 22.
PENALTY, SHARKS, BOSCH, 13-8:
Bosch goals the penalty.
The referee is finally out of patience at scruim time and the Sharks have the penalty. Bosch calls for the tee for a long shot at goal.
Libbok floats a pass wide but it goes forward and the Sharks breathe a sigh of relief as the Stormers had space. That's a questionable call too.
The Sharks threaten as they send it wide quickly by the tap on from Am goes forward to Mapimpi and they get called back. The Stormers have the scrum feed and the dominant pack.
The Stormers spill the restart and we have to scrum again so we might want to wave goodbye to the next two or three minutes.
PENALTY, STORMERS, LIBBOK, 13-5:
Libbok does well to bounce back and slot a kick from a similar spot as his miss.
Libbok calls for the tee again as Venter fails to retreat and gives away the silliest of penalties.
Libbok misses a shot at goal by some distance and the Sharks have the 22 dropout.
The match is restarted and the Sharks gather and exit with a box kick but the Stormers will get a chance to attack.
HALF TIME: STORMERS 10-5 SHARKS
The pacing of this match has been atrocious with the officials allowing it to be a bit of a shambles. The entertainment hasn't really been there but the Stormers have used their chances a lot better. The Sharks are wasteful and error-ridden as they have been all season.
A loose pass from the Stormers ends a promising attack from the hosts. The Sharks have the lineout feed.
Bosch takes his time with the conversion and misses it.
TRY, SHARKS, KOK, 10-5:
The Sharks send it wide on advantage and they keep it simple and set Kok into the corner.
Bosch kicks to touch inide the Stormers 22 with a penalty after a deliberate knock on by Fourie. The Sharks will feed a lineout in attacking position.
Willemse finds touch with a grubber and the Sharks get advantage off their rolling maul.
PENALTY, STORMERS, LIBBOK, 10-0:
Libbok stretches the lead and hopefully we can get a bit of actual rugby now.
The Stormers get the penalty eventually and the Stormers call for the tee. The crowd has gone listless with this dull stretch of play and you can't blame them.
The scrum goes down again and this has gone beyond farce.
The scrum is a shambles and we burn another two minutes off the clock with two resets. Terrible officiating this.
Nel goes down injured and play is stopped. It seems that the Stormers knocked on and the Sharks have the scum feed inside their own 22 when play eventually restarts.
There is a neckroll call as the Sharks threaten to build something and the Stormers can set up an attack at last.
The Sharks are trying to drive the Stormers back with long kicks but Willemse is bombing long kicks into touch.
Willemse settles things down this time with a long kick to touch that sends the Sharks ten inside their own half.
The Sharks pull off a great steal close to the line and have won a penalty that will allow Bosch to clear his lines for the Sharks.
The Stormers turn down the shot at goal after getting an extra ten on a quick tap penalty. The Sharks dsirupt the lineout but they are penalised again.
The Sharks are pegged for obstruction on the kick and that allows them to switch play back into the Sharks half of the field.
CONVERSION, STORMERS, LIBBOK, 7-0:
Libbok converts the try.
TRY, STORMERS, SMITH, 5-0:
The Stormers get the offloads going and Smith powers over.
Willemse finds touch close to halfway but probably wanted that to stay infield with the Stormers going forward. However, the Sharks lose the lineout and the Stormers pour forward into the Sharks half.
Fourie knocks on as he tries to link up with Libbok in midfield on a worked move and the Sharks have the scrum feed close to ten from halfway in their own half.
Fassi clears under pressure after a little juggle close to the line. The Sharks haven't made the most of their attacking ball and they will now have to go back to defend.
The scrum wheels and the referee feels that the Stormers deserve a penalty that allows them to exit.
The Sharks spill the ball on the ground and the Stormers have a scrum feed inside their own 22.
Hendrikse rolls a grubber into touch inside the Stormers 22 where the hosts will feed the lineout.
Hendrikse's box kicks are leaving the Sharks under pressure but Hartzenburg slices a kick and the Sharks have another atacking lineout.
The Sharks make progress towards the Stormers 22 but lose the ball and the Stormers look to counter. Fassi does well to gather a kick ahead and the Sharks settle things down.
KICK OFF: The Sharks send up a contestable kick off and Van Heerden gathers for the Stormers but a counterrucking Kok earns the Sharks an early penalty.
The URC match officials are:
Referee: AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa), Stephan Geldenhuys (South Africa)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Francois Venter, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 James Venter, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Corne Rahl, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Daniel Jooste, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Joel Hintz, 19 Corne Rahl, 20 George Cronje, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Ethan Hooker.
Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Sti Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Hendre Stassen, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Willie Engelbrecht, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Jurie Matthee.
Hello and welcome to our coverage of the United Rugby Championship match between the Stormers and the Sharks from the DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
