It was streetwise road warriors Munster who, in a match of thunderous hits and bone rattling intensity, again prevailed over the Stormers at a packed Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

They crashed a mother of a party by upstaging the defending champions on their home turf in the final of the United Rugby Championship (URC) in front of more than 56,000 supporters.

Munster won an absorbing final 19-14. The match crackled with tension and appeared to build slowly but inexorably to a tumultuous climax, but the Stormers fell short as they made a last desperate bid to wrest the lead from the determined visitors.

A masterfully crafted try by flank John Hodnett in the 76th minute edged Munster in front again, and when the nerveless conversion sailed though the uprights, Cape Town fell silent.

Munster held on for the win despite losing captain Peter O'Mahony for most of the match after he took a heavy blow in the first half. It perhaps proved a blessing in disguise.

In RG Snyman, the visitors had a replacement that brought not just more bulk, but indubitably skill. For a match that only produced 33 points, this was a lung-busting pursuit for the ages.

The Stormers and Munster slugged it out and it was the visitors that relished the close combat. Munster brought much momentum into this clash and again dug into their reservoir of resolve on the road.

Munster, superior in the air, more proficient at the ruck, and the tactical application of the boot, stunted and ultimately shuddered the Stormers. Their maul defence was mostly from the top drawer.

The Stormers, perhaps overly relying on emotion, could not get their game going. While Munster lamented the loss of O'Mahony in the first half, the Stormers fans occasionally had cause to cry “O’Manie”.

Their usually reliable flyhalf did not hit the high notes but it was up front where the home side suffered the most significant body blows. In the first half, the Stormers paid dearly for going offside at the ruck ,with Munster finding touch just five metres from their try line.

The pressure they applied once there, yielded a maul try for hooker Diarmuid Barron. Conor Murray had the ball on a string as he imparted sufficient hang time for the red clad chasers to catch up.

Crucially, Evan Roos was banished to the sin bin in the 18th minute. Munster sniffed another opportunity and, while they made it over the try line, the try was ruled out after the TMO’s rewind button had been well worn.

With Roos in the bin, the visitors prodded and probed. They recycled the ball effectively but only really made headway once they applied the boot. They again made it over the line but O’Mahony’s final offload was adjudged to have drifted forward.

Again the TMO ruled in favour of the hosts, and when referee Andrea Piardi moved his arms animatedly to chalk off the try he may well have secured a table at the nearest Panarottis.

However, Munster's persistence paid dividends and again the smart application of the boot, this time by flyhalf Jack Crowley, found right wing Calvin Nash unmarked.

The Stormers fought gamely and got the lead but then they let it slip. When Steven Kitshoff trudged off the field gingerly in the 71st minute he looked a thoroughly spent player.

He had given the Stormers his all, not just in this match but well over a hundred. The impeccable Dan du Plessis and Ruhan Nel grew stronger in midfield, while the arrival of then highly rated Ben-Jason Dixon also proved the Stormers an extra layer of steel. No one was more committed to the Stormers cause than Roos.

Having been starved of possession and territory for large parts of the first half the Stormers pressed late in the first half but their advances were ultimately repelled. Snyman in particular proved a significant roadblock.

Down 12-7 at the break the Stormers could have made a significant advance shortly after the break but Libbok's penalty attempt drifted tantalisingly wide right. It was a foreboding sign of what was to come.

Scorers

Stormers (14) — Tries: Manie Libbok, Deon Fourie. Conversions: Libbok (2).

Munster (19) — Tries: Diarmuid Barron, Calvin Nash, John Hodnett. Conversion: Jack Crowley (2).