Stormers won’t take under-strength Sale Sharks lightly, promises Dobson

Stormers coach John Dobson says there will be no room for complacency when they face an under-cooked Sale Sharks in the Champions Cup at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (7.30pm).

The side from Manchester will be without some of their key players, including Jean-Luc du Preez, Dan du Preez, England internationals Tom Curry, George Ford and Manu Tuilagi for their clash in Cape Town.

Meanwhile, the Stormers have put out their strongest team available to them. It has three Springboks from the last Rugby World Cup win, namely captain Deon Fourie, flyhalf Manie Libbok and fullback Damian Willemse.

The two teams are vying for a spot in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup; they need to finish in the top four in the pool of six teams to reach the last 16.

‘No complacency’

Both teams are on four points after two games and that makes their showdown a potential king maker. For that reason, Dobson says his troops know the importance of the match and won’t let their guard down.

“There’s not going to be complacency, we are going to turn up. We understand the importance of the game,” Dobson said.

“Where the threat comes in, as we saw in Leicester (when Stormers sent their fringe players), is that the so-called B team are desperate, that’s where they catch you. It’s not about us being complacent, it’s the fight those guys will show, they want to show they belong in the team.

“We need to win this game to be sure of staying alive in the competition. We’ll take the win in any form it can come. If it means Sale aren’t at full strength and we have an increased chance at winning, that’s great for us,” he said.

‘Power game’

Although Sale have not brought all their stars to the country, Dobson is expecting them to be tough customers.

“They have done very well this season and last season, when they made the final (of the Premiership). Their game is based on a certain style of rugby, unrelated to a South African style.

“They have a power game, big carrier game, they come around the corner well, they’ve got a really good contestable game. I’d understand if they’d love to evolve a little bit more on attack, like us. Their DNA is pretty much what I have described,” Dobson said.