John Dobson says the DHL Stormers are confident of shaking off a disrupted build-up to their first away URC playoff against Glasgow Warriors on Saturday. DYLAN JACK reports.
The DHL Stormers, on a four-win streak, are in Glasgow to face the Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium in the first round of the Vodacom URC playoffs.
It has been a difficult build-up to the Stormers’ first away playoff in the Vodacom URC, as the team has had to deal with the usual long-haul flights, while Evan Roos was ruled out of the big clash due to a concussion suffered in training.
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Still, with the squad having enjoyed a solid captain’s run training on Friday, Dobson said that there is a confident mood in the camp.
“We looked at the URC win predictor. Glasgow are 78% to win and we are 22%, which we certainly don’t feel,” Dobson said. “I suppose we are underdogs because teams generally win their playoffs at home.
“But we don’t feel like Glasgow are have four times as much of a chance of winning than we have. We are comfortable and in a really good space. I don’t think we are playing any attention to that.
“We will be bitterly disappointed if our journey finishes tomorrow. Despite all the disruptions of the week, injuries to Deon [Fourie] and Damian [Willemse], plus Evan Roos, there is a really excited feeling in this camp.”
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Dobson said that while not being able to call on the in-form Roos was a big blow, he is confident that Willie Engelbrecht will prove his worth with some massive tackles at the Scotstoun Stadium.
“It is a palpably big loss. The way he’s playing, carrying and the work he is doing, his involvement has gone through the roof. The switch to number six has been good for him. He’s been really disciplined despite the provocation. That was one of the flash points here last November, when Evan was yellow carded.
“Willie is different. He has got enormous stopping power. He is a hard tackler. That’s a big factor on the 4G pitch, to take away the opposition momentum. He’s really good at cleaning breakdowns. So while he’s not a classic ball-stealer, he can cause chaos.
“We are happy to have Willie’s physical presence. It’s been a tough season for him. It hasn’t all gone his way [in terms of game time] because the team has been under pressure. It’s nice for him to have an opportunity.
“If we get the Willie who played in the Currie Cup final for the Pumas a couple of years ago, we won’t feel the loss of Evan Roos.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
