Glasgow Warriors 24-17 DHL Stormers: Glasgow beat defending champions

Sebastian Cancelliere's second try of the game won it late on for Glasgow

Glasgow Warriors overcame defending United Rugby Championship champions Stormers in a thrilling encounter.

Sebastian Cancelliere and Kyle Steyn went over for Glasgow, with Joseph Dweba and Clayton Blommetjies responding for the visitors in an enthralling first-half at Scotstoun.

Huw Jones' superb try for the home side was cancelled out by Junior Pokomela as the momentum swung back and forth.

Cancelliere's last-gasp try won it for Glasgow to put them fifth in the URC.

• Reaction and as it happened

Warriors came in on the back of a five-match winning run, the last of those - rallying from eight points down to turn over Edinburgh in impressive fashion - suggesting coach Franco Smith has this team moving in the right direction.

Unbeaten at Scotstoun in over a year, that record was sure to be severely tested against Stormers, and Damian Willemse sliced through the Warriors midfield to fire an early warning shot.

It was the Warriors who struck the first blow, however. Glasgow elected to go from deep and set Cancelliere free out wide. The Argentina winger combined brilliantly with Jones to bamboozle the covering Stormers defence and go over for the score.

With Warriors lock Lewis Bean sent to the bin the Stormers struck back in no time at all, hooker Dweba thundering his way over from close range.

Jack Dempsey turned on the power in the other direction, the Glasgow number eight punching a hole straight through the South African side's defence. When the ball came wide, it was Jones again timing the pass to perfection to release Steyn to score.

Back came the Stormers with phase after phase of ferocious carrying. Glasgow put up a mighty defence of their try-line, but were undone by a brilliant fizzing pass from Paul de Wet, which took out three defenders and put Blommetjies over in the corner to regain the lead.

This was a terrific contest and a searing Jones break looked certain to bring Glasgow's third try, but he was denied by some brilliant cover defence and the visitors took a two-point lead in at the break.

Jones was not to be denied though. After some big advances from Steyn and Dempsey, Jones steamed in on a cracking line, skipped away from a couple of blue jerseys and ran in under the posts. A wonderful try.

The pendulum swung again, substitute lock Pokomela burrowing over to draw the Stormers level, though Manie Libbok pushed the conversion and a subsequent penalty wide of the posts.

Glasgow looked to engineer a winning score and a lovely move saw Cancelliere put Steyn away, but again the Stormers scramble defence came to the fore.

With 76 minutes on the clock, the Warriors made a huge call to go for a scrum five metres out rather than take on what was, even in deteriorating conditions, a kickable penalty. As ever with the big calls, they are judged on the outcome and on this occasion the decision was justified.

The move looked to have fizzled out until a gorgeously weighted kick from Sione Tuipulotu - surely the form player in Scottish rugby right now - set-up Cancelliere for the match-winning score.

It was an outstanding win for a Glasgow side with a fair old wind at their backs. Six wins on the bounce, and counting.

Glasgow head coach Franco Smith: "The guys stepped up to the plate again. Our physicality and the way we went about our business. To take them on at the scrum at the end is a rewarding feeling.

"Sione (Tuipulotu) showed his skillset last week, and that proved to be the point of difference tonight.

"You've got to apply yourself physically - it's good to see and it's good to take confidence from it. We still need to improve. I think [Huw Jones] has put his hand up [for Scotland selection]."

• Why are conspiracy theories booming? The Infinite Monkey Cage goes in search of answers

• Which portable heater is best? Sliced Bread turns up the dial to find out which gives the most heat for the lowest energy used