Lukhanyo Am Sharks Stormers

Lukhanyo Am of The Sharks scores a try during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Cell C Sharks at DHL Newlands on June 15, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)

Watch Lukhanyo Am snatch victory for the Sharks over the Stormers [video]

The Sharks completed a late smash and grab victory against the Stormers at Newlands to secure a quarterfinal spot thanks to a great try from Lukhanyo Am..

Lukhanyo Am Sharks Stormers

Lukhanyo Am of The Sharks scores a try during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Cell C Sharks at DHL Newlands on June 15, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)

A late penalty awarded to the Stormers seemed to have sealed victory over the Sharks but the boys from Durbs completed a stunning smash and grab with an 82nd minute try from Lukhanyo Am.

There were high fives allround from the Stormers forwards as Jean-Luc Du Plessis lined up a shot at goal as the minutes ticked away at Newlands but the 9-5 lead it gave the home side proved an insufficient buffer.

The final match of the regular Super Rugby season for both sides had been a dire affair with the only try in normal time coming from a piece of Sharks opportunism.

In hindsight the Stormers might have preferred to kick that late penalty into the corner and make a first of grinding out the game, as it was though the Sharks would somehow find a bit of attacking rhythm and put their hosts on the back foot.

The hooter had sounded when the Sharks burst into the Stormers 22 and sent the ball wide where Am was lurking, The Springbok outside back saw an opportunity to wrongfoot the cover defence with Seabelo Senatla caught in two minds after a defensive error inside him, Am sliced through the Stormers last line of defence and over.

The try would seal a place in the quarter-finals for the Sharks who might not have been the better side on the day but have arguably been more of a force than the Cape team across the competition. Defeat consigned the Stormers to elimination.

Supersport’s Xhosa commentary team did a stunning job of calling the action and the intense climax to the match at Newlands.

To loosely translate their coverage: “It’s what they call a smash & grab! They took the wallet, the phone & they bounced!”

Watch the Sharks Lukhanyo Am score a dramatic late try