A 78th-minute try to captain Michael Hooper has sealed a remarkable come-from-behind victory for the NSW Waratahs against the Stormers in Cape Town - a game which might just be the spark they need to get their stagnant season back on track.

Trailing 30-25 with minutes remaining, NSW coughed the ball up to the delight of a vociferous crowd, but what followed is something we have not seen from this Waratahs team this year.

A fired-up front row of Jeremy Tilse, Tatafu-Polota-Nau and Angus Ta'avao packed into the scrum and pushed for their life, and in what has been a rarity for Daryl Gibson's men this year, they orchestrated a turnover right on the Stormers line.

NSW then edged closer and closer before Hooper, who has come under immense scrutiny over the last few weeks, dipped his head to plant the ball on the line for what could be a season-defining moment. "Getting the win was tough and it's a step in the right direction and to do it here I'm extra happy for the guys," said a relieved Hooper. "It's going to be nice to fly home with a win under our name. We were really lucky there to get the win. We had to make the most of the opportunities we had... our backs were great."

NSW almost came away from Cape Town with nothing to show for their efforts against a 14-man Stormers team, but a 66th-minute try to Rob Horne with five-pointers to Kurtley Beale and Israel Folau in the opening half lifted them to a crucial win that will raise eyebrows.

" It's an excellent result for us," said Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson. "We knew we had to come here and win to give ourselves a chance in the Australian conference and with that win today we move in a position where we're in contention. We're genuine contenders." 

The Newlands crowd went into a frenzied rage when winger Leolin Zas was shown a red card by referee Mike Fraser in the second half for a careless hit on a leaping Foley who landed on his neck on the way down.

Zas was visibly upset at the decision which sparked life into the contest, making the fact NSW were able to hold out the South African conference leaders even more impressive.

Gibson said he thought the referee made the correct call because, in his view, there has to be a responsibility for player safety.

" I think it's borderline [a red card] and probably correct technically," Gibson said. " I think the primary concern is safety. You can't have people landing on their heads, that is dangerous. The lawmakers are always going to have to interpret the game with safety in mind."

NSW were aggressive at the breakdown and were suitably rewarded with a number of second-half penalties, but it was the relentlessness of Hooper, who made tackle after tackle, that showed why he is so valuable to this building Waratahs unit.

Things started off on the wrong foot for the NSW though. It took less than 90 seconds for the Stormers to get a penalty and although they missed it, some ill-discipline from Paddy Ryan at the breakdown gave them another shot at goal.

Another miss, however, from 21-year-old five-eighth Jean-Luc du Plessis showed he was clearly feeling the pressure.

He wouldn't be the only one. Foley missed two very kickable penalties and given the Waratahs' 68 per cent conversion rate this season, they could ill-afford to let points slip.

At the other end the Waratahs' decision to kick for touch rather than take three points was justified when Kurtley Beale crashed over in the ninth minute.

A deft pass out the back from a mobile Will Skelton to Bernard Foley saw the incumbent Wallabies five-eighth throw a dummy before putting Beale into space to give further justification for why the pair should be Australia's No.10 and No.12 for the England series n June.

In a sign Daryl Gibson had had enough of the underperforming scrum, he brought on Polota-Nau in the 33rd minute to inject some experience and scrummaging power, which would to pay dividends late in the piece.

A week after breaking the NSW all-time try-scoring record, Folau was also in the thick of the action again when Beale put the NSW outside centre in a gaping hole to reduce the half-time deficit to two points.

Statistics at half-time indicated how well NSW had done to hang in the match. They made 68 tackles to the Stormers' 17 and on top of that had missed 14 themselves.

Somehow though, the Waratahs hung on for dear life to notch up consecutive wins for the first time this year and draw level with the Brumbies.