Stormers’ John Dobson feels bad about fielding B team for Leicester clash

Stormers coach John Dobson says he feels bad about selecting a second-string team for their Champions Cup encounter against Leicester Tigers on Sunday.

The build-up to the game during the week had fans salivating as there was the prospect of many appetising matchups at Welford Road Stadium.

Among them were Manie Libbok and Handre Pollard at flyhalf, Evan Roos and Jasper Weise at No 8, hooker Joseph Dweba and Los Pumas captain Julian Montoya, and Warrick Gelant against England’s Freddie Steward at fullback.

However, Dobson opted to send his fringe players to England to take on a star-studded Leicester team and keep his strong side at home because of the short turnaround for their game against La Rochelle in Cape Town next weekend and the upcoming derbies against the Bulls and Sharks in the United Rugby Championship.

‘I feel bad’

The Stormers mentor said he felt bad about playing a weaker team against Leicester because the competition deserves to pit strong sides against each other.

“It’s not nice for a competition if teams send weakened teams across continents. I feel bad about it to be honest,” said Dobson on Friday.

“You want a competition as prestigious as this to have (strong teams). I’m sure the Leicester fans would have wanted to see a team sheet with Libbok and others. We have to be realistic, even if we put Joseph and Neethling Fouche on the plane, are we going to move Leicester, I’m not sure.

“I mean this with my heart, even if we had what people regard as our very best players on the plane, would we be much more assured of the result? No. That’s a lesson we learnt from last year,” he said.

The Stormers and Leicester are in the so-called Pool of Death alongside La Rochelle, Sale, Leinster and Stade Francais. Home games become a must-win in a strong group where the top four teams progress.

Point away from home

Away points then become a bonus as they help in the points tally. Dobson and his charges are not going to Leicester for a vacation; they are targeting a point to help their cause to make the knockout stages of the competition.

“We are certainly not coming here just to tick a fixture,” Dobson said.

“A job well done will be if we fight and get a point on Sunday and be in the mix right until the end. If we get a point on the road, I think that’s a job very well done by this team,” he said.