Stormers 20-13 Leinster: Visitors seal top seeding for URC play-offs despite Stormers defeat

Leinster players celebrate as Ed Byrne scores his side's first try

Leinster qualified for the United Rugby Championship play-offs as top seeds, despite a 20-13 loss to Stormers.

The margin of defeat gave the league leaders a bonus point that ensured they qualify for a home play-off spot.

Stormers trailed 6-3 at half-time in Cape Town but hit back through Warrick Gelant and Seabelo Senatla tries.

Ed Byrne claimed Leinster's only try from close range to level the scores at 13-13, but a penalty try for Stormers proved to be decisive.

Leinster play second-placed Munster in their final league game on 21 May, while the Stormers are also well-placed for a home tie after moving up to fourth.

• URC standings

The game nearly began in sensational style when Stormers centre Ruhan Nel crashed over the Leinster line inside 40 seconds, but obstruction in midfield saw the try chalked off after a TMO review.

The rest of the first half was scrappy, with Manie Libbok's penalty for the Stormers overhauled by two penalties from Ciaran Frawley within a few minutes.

But the second half was a very different story, with Stormers taking advantage of Leinster going down to 14 men for a spell early on when hooker John McKee was sin-binned for collapsing a scrum.

Gelant touched down in the corner just after McKee's departure, while Senatla went over by the same corner flag with a spectacular effort that saw the winger flip head-over-heels, touching the ball down under pressure from Leinster's Rob Russell.

But prop Ed Byrne helped to draw the Irish side level when he bundled over from close range at a line-out for a try converted by the boot of Harry Byrne.

However Stormers took the lead for the final time when a penalty try was awarded for Leinster pulling down at a maul.

Leinster scrum-half Cormac Foley was sin-binned but with a vital point theirs for the taking, they saw out the remaining minutes without falling further behind.

Stormers: Gelant; Senatla, Nel, Willemse, Zas; Libbok, De Wet; Kitshoff, Kotze, Malherbe, Smith, Orie, Fourie, Dayimani, Roos.

Replacements: Arnoldi, Harris, Fouche, Moerat, Dixon, Pokomela, Masimla, De Jongh.

Leinster: O'Reilly; A Byrne, Osborne, O'Laughlin, Russell; Frawley, Foley; E Byrne, McKee, Clarkson, Murphy, Deeny, Soroka, Penny, Ruddock.

Replacements: Barron, Milne, Abdaladze, Dunne, O'Brien, McCarthy, H Byrne, Moloney

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