Stormers' URC dreams shattered as 56 000 at Cape Town stadium stunned by Munster

At Cape Town Stadium

Heartbreak. 

That is what the Stormers are left with following their 19-14 defeat to Munster in Saturday's United Rugby Championship (URC) final defeat at a packed Cape Town Stadium. 

The 2021/22 champions were favourites to win - they had been so brilliant through their playoff run - and 56 500 fans had crammed into this iconic rugby venue expecting to see another famous celebration. 

It was not to be, and the Stormers have only themselves to blame.

This was easily their poorest outing of the knockout stages, and while they scraped and clawed their way into a second-half lead, they were ultimately let down by poor decision-making, a lack of accuracy and an inability to deal with a Munster aerial kicking game that dominated. 

Munster were fully deserving winners.

It was not a fairytale send-off for Stormers captain Steven Kitshoff, who was greeted by a deafening roar when the stadium announcer confirmed that this was his final goodbye. 

It had taken less than three hours for tickets to sell out last Thursday, and outside the venue in the hours before kickoff on Saturday, some had arrived in the desperate hope that they would find some, from somewhere. 

By the time the sun had set, the stands were full and the atmosphere was electric. But as kickoff approached, the magnitude of the moment began to hit home.

This day was always going to be a celebration of South African and Stormers rugby regardless of the result, but at just after 18:30, the result was all that mattered. 

This, after all, was a cup final where every movement, decision and mistake would be magnified. 

An early intercept try from star flyhalf Manie Libbok on five minutes brought the house down, but what followed was easily the Stormers' worst