Stormers must maintain intensity against Bulls, says coach Dobson

The Stormers remain at the top of the South African United Rugby Championship conference after an unconvincing 29-13 win over Ospreys at Cape Town Stadium over the weekend.

It was a comfortable bonus-point win in the end, with the visitors dotting down after the full-time hooter to make the score more respectable, but having flown into another early lead, the home side followed their recent trend of fading away in the second half.

“Our discipline has put us under pressure. I think these last two games against Ulster and Ospreys have been against very good defensive sides, who have a number of internationals and are very well coached,” said Stormers coach John Dobson.

“So I would say our mistakes and discipline as the game goes on play a big part in that and it is a trend that we have to think about.

“But overall I am very happy with the performance given the quality of the opposition we faced. I generally think we have done a good job over the past few games and believe we are in a good position.”

The Stormers now have to turn their attention to a massive home match against the Bulls in Cape Town this coming weekend, with the winner set to be in a great position to win the SA conference and possibly even target a top-four finish in the competition.

The Bulls underlined their terrific recent form with a big second-half showing that helped them claim am impressive bonus-point 32-16 win over Ulster this past weekend and they will look to take that momentum into the Stormers clash.

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Stormers captain Steven Kitshoff knows the challenge ahead for his side and is keenly aware of the importance of the coming games.

“The next couple of games are going to be very crucial for us,” said Kitshoff.

“We want to cement our spot in the top eight or top four, so the next couple of games are very important and we have to be at our best.”