John Dobson happy Stormers back in URC hunt after two-win tour

Stormers director of rugby, John Dobson, was pleased with his team’s performance away from home in dispatching tricky Connacht in a penultimate round United Rugby Championship match in Galway, Ireland on Saturday.

The win gave the inaugural URC champions a two from two record from this short overseas tour and secured the Stormers their place in the quarter-finals. 

The side from the Cape started their mini tour with a win over the Dragons in Wales and then concluded it with a gutsy 16-12 win over Connacht on Saturday. 

The two wins saw the Stormers confirm their place in the URC knockout stages as they are in fifth place with 54 points on the URC points table. 

‘They were tough wins’

Dobson was an understandably happy man due to the two wins on tour.

“From where we were, the most important thing was to make the quarter-finals,” Dobson said.

“We put ourselves under pressure with the tour (following their losing four games early in the season) and the Ospreys defeat (at home a few weeks ago).

“It has been very nerve-wracking for us to get two wins on tour and they were tough wins. These aren’t games we would have won a while ago, so it’s a nice feeling,” he said.

Eleven points from the boot of flyhalf Manie Libbok and a try by Angelo Davids saw the Stormers get the win.

Stormers character

Dobson said the team showed great character to keep out an emotionally charged Connacht.

“In the end, the way we shut it down, just speaks volumes of the character,” he said.

“There’s a narrative that we are established and we have guys like Manie Libbok and Damian Willemse, maybe we shouldn’t be relying on our character as much as we do. We have got this character and talent, this season has been like that on occasions. 

“There’s an amazing culture and work ethic across the group and players. Connacht was playing with a lot of emotion. And for us to defend like that, it’s not something we coach, it’s within the group, there’s a sort of caring for each other,” Dobson said.

The Stormers will play their last regular season game against the Lions in Cape Town on June 1.