The Crusaders were held to a frustrating 19-19 draw against the Stormers in Cape Town on Sunday (NZ time).
Stormers first-five Jean-Luc du Plessis kicked a penalty after the fulltime siren to secure the draw - the Crusaders' second against a South African opponent in three weeks.
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But the final minutes of the match were filled with some controversial calls, the most significant being when a try to Crusaders winger Sevu Reece was cancelled after television match official Marius Jonker determined there was a forward pass, despite replays seemingly indicating otherwise.
Referee Nic Berry awarded the try, but as the conversion was being lined up, he went up to the TMO after seeing a replay on the big screen.
The penalty which enabled to the Stormers to kick the game-tying goal was also questionable as Oli Jager was penalised for a high shot.
But the Crusaders will only have themselves to blame after fighting back from a 10-0 deficit to lead, before allowing the hosts back into the contest.
The Crusaders outscored the Stormers by three tries to one, but the boot of Joshua Stander and his replacement Du Plessis made for a grandstand finish.
The Stormers were able to kick penalty goals at ease as the Crusaders gave away 13 penalties.
Scott Robertson's side also turned down multiple shots at goal in the first half and continually came away empty-handed.
Stormers captain Siya Kolisi scored first to give his team the early lead, and a Stander penalty 10 minutes later had the Stormers 10-0 up.
The Crusaders took 28 minutes to get on the board when flanker Matt Todd crashed over the line, and David Havili's try off a Richie Mo'unga kick just before the break gave the visitors a 12-10 lead at halftime.
It didn't take the Crusaders long to pick up where they left off in the second half, with substitute Braydon Ennor, who re-signed with the Crusaders earlier in the week, scoring their third try just four minutes in.
But the Stormers kept in contention by reducing the lead to 19-16 with two penalties to ensure an exciting last 10 minutes.
Reece went over for the Crusaders with a spectacular chip-and-chase try, only for the score to be called back because of a forward pass.
The Stormers had a chance to win the game at the death when Damian Willemse knocked the ball on over the tryline, trying to pounce on a loose ball.
But referee Berry brought the play back for Jager's tackle, and Du Plessis slotted the penalty goal to claim a crucial draw.
The result ensures the Crusaders maintain a nine-point lead over the Hurricanes atop the overall standings ahead of the Hurricanes.
The New Zealand side return home next week for a grudge match against the Blues in Christchurch.
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