The Stormers conceded two yellow cards but staved off a Sharks comeback at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday to extend their unbeaten streak at home and fortify second place in the Vodacom United Rugby championship.
With the hosts having been on a bye last week, when the Sharks went down against Ulster in Durban, the Stormers made an uncharacteristically rusty start, beset with unforced errors and poor timing.
The Sharks took advantage of superior aerial skills early on to secure a six-point lead behind the boot of flyhalf Curwin Bosch, but the Stormers replied with four unanswered tries in the 30 minutes following the start of the second quarter to hold a commanding 26-6 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The momentum shifted at the end of the third quarter as the Sharks scored a flurry of three tries punctuated by two yellow cards against Stormers replacement tighthead prop Sazi Sandi and then winger Seabelo Senatla.
But the Stormers rallied and regained their composure, winning a scrum penalty in the shadow of the Sharks uprights in the final minute which flyhalf Manie Libbok poked over for a 29-23 victory.
Next up in the URC, the Stormers travel to Leinster to battle the unbeaten log leaders on 24 March, while the Sharks are in Llanelli the following day to take on Scarlets.
Stormers – Tries: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ben Jason-Dixon, Clayton Blommetjies (2); Conversions: Manie Libbok (3); Penalty: Manie Libbok
Sharks – Tries: Yaw Penxe, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Grant Williams; Conversion: Curwin Bosch; Penalties: Curwin Bosch (2)
