The Stormers claimed second place in the Super Rugby competition and home advantage in the semi-finals with 44-34 victory over the Cheetahs in a thrilling match in Bloemfontein.
Both teams scored four tries each, but it was the boot of Peter Grant which proved the difference with the first five-eighths kicking 24 points.
Ryno Benjamin grabbed a hat-trick for the home side as they managed to whittle down a 20-point deficit in the second half, but in the end it was in vain.
Sias Ebersohn got the Cheetahs on the board after three minutes with a penalty, but Grant quickly wiped that advantage out.
The pair exchanged kicks once more in what was shaping up to be a tightly-fought match, but the Stormers then blew things open with the opening try after 21 minutes.
Schalk Burger and Duane Vermeulen joined forces to run the ball from deep before the latter supplied the telling pass to Gio Aplon, who darted over the line.
Grant was precise with the conversion to make it 13-6 and then extended the advantage with two more penalties to leave the Cheetahs playing catch-up.
The home side rose to the challenge, though, and Davon Raubenheimer crossed in the corner on the half-time hooter - with the try converted by Ebersohn - to close the gap to 19-13 at the interval.
However, any hopes of a Cheetahs comeback were quickly extinguished soon after the restart when Juan de Jongh raced down the line for another try which Grant duly converted.
Nick Koster then added his name to the scoresheet in the 54th minute, holding off two Cheetahs players before crossing, and the extras from Grant saw the Stormers take a valuable 33-13 lead.
It was turning into an entertaining spectacle for the crowd at the Free State Stadium, and the points continued to come this time from the home side, with Benjamin finishing a well-worked move.
Ebersohn's conversion had barely been recorded, though, when Bryan Habana found some space at the other end and sprinted over the line for the Stormers' bonus-point try.
The Cheetahs hit back once more and Benjamin grabbed his second five-pointer in seven minutes, Ebersohn again slotting the extras to bring the scores to 38-27.
Two Grant penalties restored some calm after a frantic spell as the Stormers looked to reassert their authority.
But it was the Cheetahs who had the final say with Ashley Johnson setting up Benjamin for his hat-trick two minutes from time, although the damage had already been done.
Scorers:
Cheetahs 34
Tries: Raubenheimer, Benjamin 3
Con: Ebersohn 4
Pen: Ebersohn 2
Stormers 44
Tries: Habana, de Jongh, Aplon, Koster
Con: Grant 3
Pen: Grant 6