Stormers head coach John Dobson is gearing up for a “really crucial” clash against London Irish in the Champions Cup this weekend in Cape Town.
Dobson’s men came off a 24-14 loss in their first game in the competition against Clermont in freezing conditions last weekend and are looking to get the Stormers’ campaign moving with their first win this Saturday.
Valuable experience
The Stormers held a decent lead during their opener but fell away in the second-half. Dobson believes it was always going to be tough for his men but noted the players would have gained valuable experience from the clash.
“Nobody expected us to win in Clermont,” he said.
“We could have sent a ‘B-team’ there and fought. But I strongly felt, with this team, if we have been to play that Clermont team in zero degrees in that stadium, there’s not much to be scared of.
“We will be much better for the experience. Guys like Neethling Fouche and Marcel Theunissen, they will all be better for it. I think we got it right, despite one or two things going wrong.
“The big thing is that it has stood us in good stead. We have three massive home games coming up, one critical Champions Cup and two big URC games. So I think we will be better for the experience.”
80-minute performance
Dobson only had good things to say about London Irish, who he believes are a more complete side than they get credit for. The coach also knows his team will have to put in a full 80-minute performance to beat the Exiles.
“They are actually quite an all-round team,” said Dobson.
“They have one of the most effective lineouts in terms of contesting, with Rob Simmons.
“They play a really attractive brand of rugby. They don’t go away. Benhard Janse van Rensburg is the guy who does the Andre Esterhuizen-role. He’s the momentum-giver. They have real speed out wide.
“I know they lost four or five games in the Premiership, but their points difference is only -22.
“I heard someone nickname them the ‘Walking Dead’, because they never go away, they never die. We know this is a team that really fights. We saw that in round one when they had 14 men against Montpellier, the French champions. They have a solid set-piece, but a really high-speed, attacking brand of rugby.”
Champions Cup in the Mother City
Dobson clearly underlined his side’s ambition whilst also looking forward to the first Champions Cup fixture in Cape Town.
“Like every team we want to make it into the last 16, so it makes this home Champions Cup match a really crucial game,” he added.
“We are also excited to present a Champions Cup game in Cape Town.”
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