Sharks ………… 21 Stormers ……..25

THE Stormers handed the Sharks a ninth consecutive defeat in the URC with a narrow victory in Durban.

Sharks continue to prop up the table with a solitary win from 10 this season while their South African rivals remain strong play-off contenders.

A 70th-minute penalty from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu gave the Stormers the buffer they needed to hold off a Sharks fightback.

The Sharks, who trailed by 15 points in the second half, had to settle for a losing bonus point after threatening an unlikely victory thanks to the impact of their bench.

The Stormers had all the possession and territory in the opening exchanges and Joseph Dweba sprinted over after Feinberg-Mngomezulu's cross-field kick found Ben Loader.

Warrick Gelant set up the visitors' second try with a clever chip over the defence, gathering to put Paul de Wet away.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu, in for the rested Damian Willemse, kicked a long-range penalty before the Sharks hit back when Ox Nche scored from close range. The hosts took that momentum into the second half and sparked when Bongi Mbonambi made his return from injury from the bench.

Gelant put Loader over in the corner to stretch the Stormers' lead to 15 points, but from there the Sharks controlled the game. Tries from Mbonambi and James Venter gave them hope but the Stormers held on.