Stormers sound early URC warning: ‘We have to be better,’ says John Dobson

The Stormers are excited and fired up to get the new United Rugby Championship (URC) season, which kicks off in late October, underway as they target an improved campaign from what they delivered last season.

The Cape Town side hosted a press conference to announce their new captain for the coming season earlier this week, with Bok lock Salmaan Moerat taking over the reins from Steven Kitshoff, who has made the move to Ulster.

ALSO READ: Salmaan Moerat back as Stormers captain after Kitshoff departure

Despite the fact that the Stormers have set massive standards for South African sides after a brilliant first two seasons in the competition, winning the inaugural edition and then hosting a second consecutive final, coach John Dobson believes they can get even better.

On the hunt

“We felt last season that it was tough being defending champions and we need to get better. We are going to hunt to be the top team in the URC (this coming season), and we want to control where the final will be played and not rely on other results,” explained Dobson.

“It’s just a nicer mindset to be in because if we are hunting and chasing a team like Leinster we will get close. Standing at the summit (as defending champs) with everyone coming at us was not so easy.

“The South African shield will be much tighter. I don’t think that feat (beating all SA teams home and away) is going to be repeated. But what I am convinced of is that we clearly have to get better.

“We have identified four key areas in our game model that if we get right, in how we coach and especially in how we manage the players, we can be better.”

Surrendered title

Although the Stormers surrendered their title to Munster in a pulsating URC final at the Cape Town Stadium back in May, they came extremely close to becoming two time winners.

But they did have to rely on some luck to be able to host the final in the end, after they finished third on the log at the end of the season, but were still able to host a semifinal after Connacht upset Ulster, and then the final after Munster upset Leinster.

“I think we managed last season really well. It’s tough being defending champions in a competition like this. So for us to win the SA shield by 15 points I think we did really well,” admitted Dobson.

“The truth is we were four and a half minutes away from retaining the title. Often when you don’t win people say that everything was wrong. Look, we were poor in the final and the pitch was shocking.

“But we were leading with four and a half minutes to go, with a scrum in their half and from there we messed it up, so not everything was wrong.”

Lucky results

Dobson continued: “Where we were lucky was that other results allowed us to host the final again and that is something that gives us a massive incentive. We sold that stadium out in under three hours, which perfectly showed our mission and the reason why we play.

“To fill the stadium faster than when there is a (Bok) Test match is great. The only way we repay people for the disappointment of not winning that game (the final) is to make sure that we host the final again.

“We can’t rely on luck for us to host again. So there is a nice challenge for us this season to be much better. We did finish level on points with Ulster last season, but our goal is to chase Leinster and get better.”