John Dobson says a tough outing for DHL Western Province against Griquas on Friday was invaluable, serving as vital experience for several players returning to action.
WP scored four tries but went down 37-29 in a hard-fought Currie Cup clash at Griqua Park. It was the last match of the campaign for both teams and produced some entertaining rugby, with the hosts finishing strong to take the win.
While the result was disappointing, Dobson emphasised the match’s importance in preparing for the Vodacom URC, especially with the postponement of the DHL Stormers’ opening fixture of the new season.
“A very disappointing result for us,” Dobson said post-match. “But the main objective was to give our guys a run.
“We’re still unsure when we’re going to play a game again with the URC season-opening match postponement, so it was important to get as close to our Stormers team as possible.”
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The trip to the Northern Cape offered a crucial opportunity for key Stormers players to get valuable game time. The likes of Leolin Zas, JD Schickerling, Marcel Theunissen, Andre-Hugo Venter, Neethling Fouche, and captain Dan du Plessis, who dotted down either side of half time, were all prominent figures during the match.
“A lot of the guys haven’t played for a long time – Zas, JD, Marcel, Andre-Hugo, and Neethling all got on to the field,” Dobson said
The director of rugby was particularly impressed with Du Plessis’ performance, adding, “I thought Dan was exceptional. And no injuries for any players.”
Despite the positives, Dobson acknowledged his side’s struggles in the lineouts, which proved costly. “Still disappointed with our performance,” he admitted. “While a lot can be attributed to the lack of game time for several players, we scrummed well but our lineouts were poor and probably cost us the game.”
Dobson was also quick to praise Griquas for their resilience, adding, “Credit to Griquas because there’s a lot of good players there, and they just kept fighting.
“Similarly, some of our guys showed some fight, but some are still off the pace, and they’re going to need another hit out before we play again in three weeks’ time.”
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
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