Stormers winger Seabelo Senatla lies motionless next to the field after crashing into the LED advertising boards next to the field as he attempted to score a try, with captain Ruhan Nel calling the medics for assistance.
The Stormers won’t only be counting the cost of their physical quarter-final against Cardiff on Saturday, but also the cost of what could have been had they finished second on the United Rugby Championship (URC) log at the end of the regular season.
While they battled past their Welsh opponents on Saturday afternoon, winning 44-21 after a massive fightback from Cardiff, four key players were injured during the 80 minutes and the Stormers are set to be without them.
Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (ankle syndesmosis), centre Dan du Plessis (knee), lock Ruben van Heerden and winger Seabelo Senatla (both concussions) will likely not feature in the semi-final away to Leinster. While the Stormers have adequate cover, the fact that it is an away match in Dublin will make the challenge even tougher.
The Cape side failed to win either of their final two league matches after starting round 17 at the top of the standings. That saw them slip below the Glasgow Warriors and Leinster, ruling out a home semi-final. And that could come back to bite them ahead of this weekend’s final-four clash at the Aviva Stadium in the Irish capital.
