Stormers aim to make up lost points in local URC derbies

Stormers director of rugby John Dobson admits they will be under massive pressure, but he feels they still have a chance to make their way up the United Rugby Championship (URC) log during the upcoming local derbies.

The Stormers were soundly beaten 36-12 by Leinster in Dublin last weekend, leaving them languishing in 12^th position on the URC log, and in danger of struggling to make the competition playoffs.

However it is not a position that they are unaccustomed to, as they also struggled last season before rallying to finish just outside the top four in fifth place.

Despite that, the Stormers have left themselves with a lot to do, especially with their next three games being huge local derbies against the Bulls and Lions.

They first host the Bulls at Cape Town Stadium, before facing the Lions at Ellis Park and the Bulls at Loftus over the next month, and if they are unable to come away with at least two wins, they will be in an incredibly difficult position.

The Stormers have already played in three local derbies, going down to the Sharks 21-15 in Durban at the end of November, before beating the Lions 29-10 and the Sharks 24-20, both in Cape Town at the end of December.

They will thus be looking to build on their momentum from those two games, plus their impressive 40-0 thumping of Sale Sharks in the Champions Cup at the start of January, before they slipped up in losing to Racing 92 and Leinster.

Three out of four

“We knew that between the local derbies and this game (against Leinster) we needed to win three out of four of them to be in the mix. You never budget to beat Leinster, even if it’s the week before the Six Nations,” explained Dobson after the Leinster loss.

“So we are going to be under pressure in the local derbies. But we do have an opportunity to make it up there.

“I don’t for one second think we are a bad side. I think we are a side that is coming good. That was just one of our worst days in the office in a couple of years to be honest. So credit to Leinster for their energy and the way they played.”

The Bulls games will be the big ones for the Stormers, as the Highveld side have been the in-form SA team in the URC this season, sitting third on the log, despite having two games in hand on most of the teams around them, and having lost only twice so far.

The two teams have also developed a massive rivalry over the past few years and they will both be eager to get one over the other.

The Lions game will definitely be one that the Stormers will be targeting to get a good bonus point win, but they will have to be wary as they come up against a team that will be in just as desperate a position as them.

Stormers Fixtures

• v Bulls at Cape Town Stadium: February 8 – kick-off 2pm

• v Lions at Ellis Park: February 15 – kick-off 2:30pm

• v Bulls at Loftus: March 1 – kick-off 5pm