Leolin Zas scores game's first try for Stormers in 10th minute, but Danny Southworth responds for Cardiff, with Callum Sheedy converting.
Suleiman Hartzenberg try restores Stormers' lead - converted by Damian Willemse - before Cardiff try scorer Southworth is sent off.
Zas scores Stormers' third try, again converted by Willemse, although Gabriel Hamer-Webb responds for Cardiff before half time.
Hartzenberg bags his second try on 47 minutes to earn home side a try-scoring bonus point.
Harri Millard try brings Cardiff within a score of Stormers who have Willemse sent off.
Connor Evans scores Stormers' fifth try late, but Dafydd Hughes scores potentially crucial bonus point try as Callum Sheedy converts.
Stormers already guaranteed a play-off place as Cardiff's try-scoring bonus point keeps their admittedly narrow top eight hopes alive.
Live Reporting
Ceri Coleman-Phillips
Play-offs would be 'icing on the cake'published at 17:58 BST 16 May 2025
17:58 BST 16 May 2025
Stormers v Cardiff (18:00 BST)
Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency
Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt said: “The icing on the cake would be to push into the top eight.
“It’s going to be a tough ask. The Stormers are one of the form teams in the competition.
“But, in a one-off game, if we’ve got our players fit, I think we are a pretty dangerous team.
“We believe we can beat the Stormers and that’s what we have to do.
"I think it would be brilliant to make the play-offs. Cardiff have never been in there and with the club’s history and potential we should be getting into the top eight.”
'We know what we've got coming'published at 17:56 BST 16 May 2025
17:56 BST 16 May 2025
Stormers v Cardiff (18:00 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Stormers head coach John Dobson said: “What Cardiff have achieved this season, with the reduction in budget and the circumstances Welsh rugby has gone through, I think they deserve a lot of credit.
“They are clearly going to put up a hell of a fight.
"Having put so much into the season and made progress, they won’t want it to fade out on a cold night in Cape Town, so we know what we’ve got coming.”
Stormers team news - Libbok returnspublished at 17:51 BST 16 May 2025
17:51 BST 16 May 2025
Stormers v Cardiff (18:00 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Stormers have made 10 changes to the side that defeated Dragons last weekend, including the return of South Africa fly-half Manie Libbok who has not played since January.
Fellow Springbok Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is primed to make an impact from the bench, while wing Suleiman Hartzenberg will make his 50th appearance for the Cape Town side.
Stormers are fifth in the URC table and have already confirmed their play-off place, although they cannot gain a home tie by finishing in the top four.
They have lost just one of their last six league games and have suffered only one home defeat this season.
Stormers: Damian Willemse; Suleiman Hartzenberg, Wandisile Simelane, Dan du Plessis, Leolin Zas; Manie Libbok, Herschel Jantjies; Sti Sithole, Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche, Salmaan Moerat (capt), JD Schickerling, Dave Ewers, Louw Nel, Marcel Theunissen.
Replacements: Scarra Ntubeni, Vernon Matongo, Sazi Sandi, Connor Evans, Paul de Villiers, Paul de Wet, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ben Loader.
Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency
