United Rugby Championship

Stormers (33) 52

Tries: Porthen, Pead, Mchunu, Senatla, Fourie, Reid, Ahmed 2 Cons: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 6

Scarlets (14) 40

Tries: Roberts 3, Jones, Page, Macleod Cons: Leggatt-Jones 5

Centre Joe Roberts scored a hat-trick, but Scarlets suffered defeat by Stormers in a remarkable 14-try United Rugby Championship (URC) contest.

A late double by Yaqeen Ahmed sealed victory for the South Africans, with the Llanelli-based side having to be content with a try bonus when they had given themselves a shot at a famous win.

While the UK was battered by Storm Boelo and south west Wales was still suffering the effects of Storm Austen, perfect conditions for running rugby in Cape Town led to a mad encounter in which both sides traded blows and line breaks.

Stormers led 33-14 at half-time and had their try bonus point secure through efforts by Zachary Porthen, Hasseim Pead, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Seabelo Senatla and Deon Fourie.

More efforts followed by Olly Reid and Ahmed, but Scarlets showed fighting spirit and attacking flair.

Wales centre Roberts went over three times along with Ioan Jones, Josh Macleod and Macs Page, who was helped from the field after a heavy head injury.

Scarlets, who have never beaten Stormers, scrapped their way to 40-40 in the final quarter and seemed to be in the ascendancy, but failed to make it a hat-trick of wins after successes against Benetton and Newcastle in Llanelli.

They now finish the first block of the season with an equally daunting fixture against Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday, 31 October (15:00 GMT).

Nigel Davies’ side will need to drastically improve their defence and set-piece if they are to stand a chance of upsetting the odds with their expansive approach at Loftus Versfeld.

Scarlets were chasing the game from early on after John Dobson’s side struck twice when hooker John McKee was yellow-carded for cynically killing the ball in the 11th minute.

Tight-head prop Porthen went over from a cunning line-out move followed by a much more dashing second, scrum-half Pead crossing from a sensational Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu offload behind his back.

The 14-man Scarlets responded well with Roberts, who missed out on Wales’ Nations Championship squad, put over down the right by wing Jones.

But that was cancelled out by rampaging loose-head Ntuthuko Mchunu powering over from loose line-out ball.

After providing an assist for the first, Jones finished magnificently down the right for Scarlets’ second, but once again Stormers hit straight back.

Wing Senatla and hooker Fourie scored either side of a second Jones effort being chalked off for a forward pass for a commanding 33-14 lead.

It seemed that Scarlets were already playing for a consolation bonus in a heavy loss, yet it was game on thanks to a pair of quickfire tries after the restart.

A searing break by full-back Ioan Nicholas led to in-form wing Page going over and then Roberts intercepted for the four-try bonus.

Page was then helped from the field with an oxygen mask after hitting his head heavily on the ground as he attempted to score.

Stormers turned to their tight game to regain control, earning penalties to march down the field for prop Reid to score.

Scarlets would not go away and it was a seven-point game on the hour after captain Macleod profited from neat handling.

They had the momentum and it was level at 40-40 with quarter of an hour to go when Roberts went through midfield for his hat-trick.

With Stormers hindered by the absence of a specialist hooker, which led to uncontested scrums, Scarlets scented a famous win.

Yet the hosts got their noses back in front in the 73rd minute when Ahmed was worked under the posts and he took away one of Scarlets’ bonuses with a late breakaway.

Stormers: Gelant; Senatla, Simelane, Muller, Zas; Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Pead; Mchunu, Venter, Porthen, Norton, Evans, de Villiers (capt), Roos, Dayimani.

Replacements: Vokozela, Reid, Fouche, Smith, Schickerling, Fourie, Reinach, Ahmed.

Scarlets: Nicholas; I Jones, J Roberts, Hawkins, Page; Leggatt-Jones, Blacker; Mathias, McKee, Harri O’Connor, Groves, Lousi, Plumtree, Macleod (capt), Anderson.

Replacements: G Roberts, S O’Connor, Hawley, Cuckson, Davis, Hughes, Anscombe, Murray-Macgregor.

Yellow card: McKee 10.

Referee: Robbie Jenkinson (Ireland).

Assistant referees: Christopher Allison & Juan de Bod (South Africa).

TMO: Eoghan Cross (Ireland).