John Dobson hailed the DHL Stormers’ character on a near-perfect two-win tour to qualify for the Vodacom URC quarter-finals with one round remaining. DYLAN JACK reports.
The DHL Stormers capped off a two-week tour by fighting to beat a fired-up Connacht in difficult conditions in Galway on Saturday night.
Getting nine points from matches against Dragons and Connacht guaranteed the Stormers’ place among the URC’s top eight finishers this season.
“From where we were, the important thing was to make the quarter-finals,” Dobson said of a four-loss trip to Europe earlier this season.
“We put ourselves under pressure with that tour and the Ospreys loss. So it’s been a very nerve-racking thing for us to get two wins on tour.
“They were tough wins. It was tough conditions today. These aren’t games we would’ve won a while ago. So it’s a nice feeling. It was tougher than we thought it was going to be, but it’s still a nice feeling.”
Playing in a powerful wind at Galway’s Sportsground, the Stormers fought back to claim a 16-12 victory, with Manie Libbok slotting two decisive second-half penalties.
While the performance was gritty, the Stormers showed immense character and excellent game management to get the win.
“There’s a sub-narrative to that, because we are established now,” Dobson said. “We’ve got guys who are two or three years in, like Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse, so maybe we shouldn’t be relying on our character as much as we do.
“We aren’t putting away teams like we should. Saying that, there is an amazing culture and work-ethic across this group of players. Connacht were playing the last game at home, they had to win it, the stands are getting pulled down and there was a lot of emotional stuff before the game with people who had passed away.
“For us to defend like that is not something we coach, it’s in the group. There is a very special caring for each other.
“It’s frustrating that it’s a game that is so close, but at the end how we shut it down speaks volumes of the character of this team.”
The Stormers complete their regular season schedule against the Lions in Cape Town, and they will then travel in the quarter-finals, facing one of Leinster, Glasgow, defending champions Munster or the Vodacom Bulls for a place in the semi-finals.
Dobson explained that, though they wanted a third-consecutive home playoff to reward their home support, the Stormers welcome the challenge of playing a road quarter-final.
“Every one of our playoffs has been at Cape Town Stadium, so it might be good for our growth to try and win a quarter-final away. In fact, I have no doubt it would be.
“That’s not a justification for us not qualifying for a home playoff, of course we wanted to do that. But I think it’s going to be good for us to do it. Our goal was that we at least wanted to get to the semi-finals.
“We have to win that quarter-final, no matter where we go. All of them are tough, whether it’s in Glasgow, Dublin, Limerick or at Loftus. But this will be good for us. We need to go through this experience.”
Photo: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile via Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
