The Stormers have only themselves to blame for Friday night’s quarter-final loss against the Glasgow Warriors at the Scotstoun Stadium in Scotland.
Atrocious defending, with a 65% tackle success rate minutes before the end, coupled with some terrible decision-making on the attack and a Warriors team on the rampage, led to a 36-18 defeat and one of if not arguably the worst performance of the Cape side in the play-offs of the United Rugby Championship (URC).
While they had the ascendency in the scrum, they couldn’t gain any momentum elsewhere on the field even after they started the match like a house on fire. They were all over the home side in the opening stages of the clash and it delivered an early penalty goal and a 3-0 lead.
. @GlasgowWarriors are the first team off to the Semi-Finals 🔥
One step closer to becoming the first team to go back-to-back!#BKTURC #URC | #GLAvSTO pic.twitter.com/XMAyGqXG83
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 30, 2025
However, their inability to exit after a kick-off, a recurring issue this season, reared its ugly head again and the home side quickly found them in front, playing against 14 men, after a break that led to a Seabelo Senalta yellow card.
That sin bin proved costly, but in the lead-up to it, there was a clear obstruction on two Stormers players, but the referee, Andrew Brace, failed to see it. Some other questionable referee calls also snuck into the game, but with the way the Cape side played, they can hardly blame the referee for it.
Seabelo Senatla rips it clean!🤌😤
No mercy. No hesitation in the Quarter-Finals.#BKTURC #URC | #GLAvSTO pic.twitter.com/frHSoogsmV
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 30, 2025
In the time that Senatla was off, Glasgow scored two tries, and the moment they found the space through the midfield, things started getting ugly for the Cape side. When Senatla returned from the bin, he made an immediate impact and scored a try that brought his side back into the game, only for the team to mess up their exit play from the resulting kick-off.
Off the back of a maul, and with the Stormers’ defence seemingly napping, South African Henco Venter scored for the Warriors and extended their lead.
Senatla pounces on the scraps and turns it into gold! 💥
One loose ball, one lethal finish!@Vodacom #URC | #GLAvSTO pic.twitter.com/XkUPHyfX8Z
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) May 30, 2025
The Stormers were not helped by the loss of their captain and hardman Salmaan Moerat. He went off for a head injury assessment during the opening 10 minutes and never returned. He was followed by Dan du Plessis who injured what looked like his shoulder. That meant two big defensive players were missing from the team’s lineup for the rest of the duel.
Flyhalf Manie Libbok entered the fray to replace Du Plessis and things looked way more controlled when he was the general. Starting pivot Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had a match to forget and looked lost on the field at times. So too did young outside centre Suleiman Hartzenberg.
This clash would’ve been a tough but good learning curve for them, especially when it comes to knockout rugby.
Heads up rugby from @THESTORMERS 🔥
Senatla flies over for a brace ✌️#BKTURC #URC | #GLAvSTO pic.twitter.com/8MkxNxF7qs
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 30, 2025
When Senatla scored his second try shortly after the start of the second half, it looked like the inaugural champions would mount a fightback. The resulting conversion by Feinberg-Mngomezulu would’ve put them in the lead, but he missed it.
From there, another exit error off the restart saw Glasgow winger Kyle Rowe score his second of the match. Six minutes later, a neat little counter-attack try for George Horne hit the nail in the Stormers’ coffin and they failed for another year at the Scotstoun Stadium.
“That has to be a contender for try of the season” 🥵@GlasgowWarriors are turning up the HEAT in the first Quarter-Final!#BKTURC #URC | #GLAvSTO pic.twitter.com/mB02s5k2ih
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 30, 2025
Some late errors, when the visitors fought to get back, hampered them too. Like the dropped ball off hooker André-Hugo Venter after a rolling maul with an open try line in front of him.
The Warriors were full value for their performance and showed their championship credentials. They will now wait to see who they face in the semi-finals next weekend. For the Stormers, it’s the end of the road. They briefly looked like they were in it to win it, but that hope quickly faded like their defence during the clash.
Points scorers
Stormers 18 (13): Tries: Seabelo Senatla (2). Conversion: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Penalties: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2). Glasgow Warriors 36 (19): Tries: Rory Darge, Kyle Rowe (2), Henco Venter, George Horne. Conversions: Horne (4). Penalty: Horne.
