Leolin Zas guided the DHL Stormers to a crucial 31-24 bonus point win over Sale Sharks in Cape Town.
It was an enthralling match from the start as early tries from No 8 Hacjivah Dayimani and centre Suleiman Harzenberg put the hosts in front.
But Jonny Hill got one back for Sale Sharks before Zas restored the two-try advantage with a deft display of pace.
Hooker Agustin Creevy closed the gap once more a minute before the break, crossing in the corner, but it was Zas again who opened the scoring in the second half, coming through from the DHL Stormers' own 22.
Centre Sam Bedlow got a third try for Sale Sharks in the closing minutes, and it was he who took one for the team with a tackle off the ball on Manie Libbok just before full-time, knowing that another score for DHL Stormers would have denied his side a losing bonus point.
It was Libbok who stepped up to take the penalty, and it was Libbok who missed, the visitors clinging on for that losing bonus point.
Prior to that, it had been a good match for both fly halves - Libbok converted all four of DHL Stormers' tries as well as kicking a second-half penalty, and Robert du Preez had added the extras for the Sale Sharks' tries plus a penalty of his own.
DHL Stormers will now travel to Stade Francais Paris in their final pool game, while Sale Sharks will welcome holders Stade Rochelais in what could be a winner-takes-all Round 4 affair.
Scorers:
DHL Stormers: Tries: Hacjivah Dayimani, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Leolin Zas (2). Conversions: Manie Libbok (4). Penalty: Manie Libbok.
Sale Sharks: Tries: Jonny Hill, Agustin Creevy, Sam Bedlow. Conversions: Robert du Preez (3). Penalty: Robert du Preez.
Teams:
DHL Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Courtnall Skosan, 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Sti Sithole. Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Nama Xaba, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Warrick Gelant.
Sale Sharks: 15 Telusa Veainu, 14 Arron Reed, 13 Sam James, 12 Sam Bedlow, 11 Alex Wills, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Gus Warr, 8 Josh Beaumont, 7 Ben Curry (captain), 6 Sam Dugdale, Ben Bamber, 4 Jonny Hill, 3 James Harper, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Ross Harrison. Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Tumy Onasanya, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Rouban Birch, 20 Tommy Taylor, 21 Nye Thomas, 22 Tom Curtis, 23 Rekeiti Ma’asi-White.
