In a breathless contest packed with momentum swings, big collisions and controversial moments, the Stormers snatched the draw in the dying seconds when referee Andrea Piardi awarded a penalty try after Ulster scrumhalf Nathan Doak made high contact on wing Leolin Zas as he lunged for the line.

The decision was unavoidable. Doak was the final defender, and the illegal tackle prevented a certain try, handing the Stormers a share of the spoils and three valuable log points.

Yet despite the late escape, the Cape side will feel they should have claimed the full victory. For long stretches, they looked the more dominant outfit, especially during the second half when their physicality began wearing Ulster down.

When Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu pushed the visitors into a 31-26 lead with just over 15 minutes remaining, it appeared the Stormers had finally broken Ulster’s resistance. However, the hosts refused to fold.

Former Stormers loose forward Juarno Augustus was immense for Ulster, while wing Werner Kok produced a remarkable hat-trick. His third try levelled matters at 31-31 before replacement hooker Eric O’Sullivan crashed over to seemingly seal the win for the Irish side.

The Stormers’ discipline proved costly throughout the match. Errors from Evan Roos near the Ulster line denied the visitors crucial scoring opportunities, while a marginal infringement by Ben-Jason Dixon wiped out what could have been a momentum-shifting try early in the second half.

There was further frustration when scrumhalf Imad Khan was stopped illegally near the line without a penalty try being awarded.

The Stormers also lost veteran leader Deon Fourie early in the game after a dangerous croc roll from Ulster captain Iain Henderson, which resulted in a yellow card later upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

Despite the frustrations, the draw could still prove hugely significant in the race for playoff positioning in the United Rugby Championship. The Stormers finish the weekend in second place on the standings and remain firmly in contention for a top-two finish heading into their final league fixture against Cardiff.

Still, as relieved as they were to escape with a draw, the overwhelming feeling after the final whistle was that this was a missed opportunity for the Stormers.

Scorers:

Ulster: Tries – Werner Kok 3, Zac Ward, Mike Lowry and Eric O’Sullivan Conv. – Nathan Doak 4

Stormers: Tries – Evan Roos, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2 and Imad Khan, Penalty try Conv. – Feinberg-Mngomezulu 4 Pen. – Feinberg-Mngomezulu

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg