But they were denied a dramatic victory when a try in the final play of the game was scratched on review for obstruction to break the hearts of the understrength visitors. Connacht looked set for victory when replacement winger Santiago Cordero broke through to level the match, leaving Jack Carty with a kickable conversion to win the game but the score was ruled out as hooker Dave Heffernan was pinged for obstruction in the build-up. It was a cruel finish for interim boss Tucker following the midweek confirmation of the departure of head coach Pete Wilkins, but he praised the manner in which they battled throughout. “I’m very proud of my team,” said Tucker. “They showed the character and passion they have for the club. I thought they were outstanding. It was a very great game of rugby, congratulations to the Stormers, they deserved their win but I’m very, very proud of my boys.” They will move to Johannesburg with a couple of bonus points in the bag knowing this sort of display should be enough to punish a Lions side beaten 42-31 at home by Benetton this weekend. The Stormers led 26-24 at the end of a frenetic opening half where the South Africans kept pushing ahead only to be hauled back by Connacht as they both ran in four tries before the break. Springbok Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulz scored a hat-trick in the opening 26 minutes, carrying the ball one-handed to score the opening try after less than three minutes and the out-half was also superb in the loose. Three players chomping at the bit for game-time, Jack Carty, Shane Jennings and Conor Oliver, were key to the way Connacht hit back each time, with winger Jennings running in two tries, the first after seven minutes after a patient build-up. No.8 Evan Roos scored off the base of a scrum for the Stormers but Oliver replied for Connacht after good work down the left from Piers O’Conor and Jennings to level after 18 minutes. The Stormers pushed the lead out to 26-14 when Feinberg-Mngomezulz ran in two more tries and while Connacht lost possession after going to the right corner with a penalty in front of the posts, they hit back before the break with hooker Dylan Tierney-Martin scoring off a lineout maul and then just before the break O’Conor sent Jennings away for his second score to leave two between them at the interval. Feinberg-Mngomezulu put winger Suleiman Hartzenburg over in the right corner to make it 31-24 after 48 minutes and they looked set to build an unassailable lead when Connacht centre Cathal Forde was binned as the Cape Town side piled on the pressure. But Connacht defended superbly, eventually clearing their lines when a they won a penalty on a Stormers scrum put-in in front of their own posts, and the visitors then piled on the pressure at the other end with replacement Josh Murphy finishing a sustained bout of pressure after 66 minutes while Stormers full-back Warrick Gelant was in the bin. Carty’s conversion hit the left post leaving five between them in the closing stages and while David Hawkshaw and Sean Jansen got within inches of scoring five minutes from time, they looked to have snatched a deserved win in the final play only to be denied on review. Scorers for Stormers: Tries: S Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3), E Roos, S Hartzenberg. Cons: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3). Pen: Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Scorers for Connacht: Tries: S Jennings (2), C Oliver, D Tierney-Martin, J Murphy. Cons: J Carty (2). Stormers: W Gelant; S Hartzenberg, D du Plessis, D Willemse, S Senatla; S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, S Ungerer (P de Wet 69); A Vermaak (V Matongo 62), A Venter (JJ Kotze 64), S Sandi (B Harris 44-55, 62); S Moerat (c) (JD Schickerling 62), R van Heerden; P de Villiers (D Fourie 63, B Loader 64), M Theunissen (L Nel 62), E Roos. Connacht: P O’Conor; C Mullins (S Cordero 74), D Hawkshaw, C Forde, S Jennings; J Carty, B Murphy (M Devine 58); P Dooley (J Duggan 55), D Tierney-Martin (D Heffernan 49), F Bealham (J Aungier 55); O Dowling (J Joyce 65), D Murray (J Murphy 49); C Prendergast (c), C Oliver, P Boyle (S Jansen 55). Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland).