Dobson’s juggling skills put to the test

A short turnaround, upcoming Springbok training camp commitments, injuries and the need to arrive in Belfast fresh and ready next week will all factor into Stormers coach John Dobson’s deliberations before he announces his team to play Clermont Auvergne in the Champions Cup.

His team can cement their place in the competition’s last 16 on Saturday if they take a point from their game in Cape Town, but it is next week’s trip to Belfast for a clash with Ulster in the United Rugby Championship (URC) that has been foremost in the coach’s thinking.

What is unlikely to aid the Stormers’ cause this week, however, is a short turnaround and limited training time between matches. They arrived back home only on Tuesday after their exertions against London Irish on Sunday.

“The problem this week is that we will only have one training session,”  Dobson said. “Just to be here playing in the Champions Cup is pinch yourself stuff for us, so we won’t complain.”

As much as he will seek continuity, he will have to make changes. Regular flyhalf Manie Libbok is out with concussion, which leaves Damian Willemse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu the likely candidates to wear the No 10 jersey. The Stormers can, of course, also call on Kade Wolhuter and Jean-Luc du Plessis.

The Stormers are fourth in pool B, three points behind the leaders. Ever aware to put on a show, Dobson, with qualification tantalisingly close, can loosen the shackles a little this week. 

They will hope home ground advantage counts for something when they host Clermont Auvergne. The Stormers acquitted themselves well in the earlier clash but fell away in the second half as Clermont’s heavy artillery started to take its toll.

Playing in Cape Town, however, is a different story. The Stormers are unbeaten for more than a year at home, while Clermont are notoriously fickle on the road. In fact, since beating the Stormers at home they have won just once in five starts. Last weekend’s home defeat at the hands of Leicester Tigers would have been one that stung.

“We are looking forward to playing in our conditions and hopefully we can get the point we need,” Dobson said.  “For us, it is a privilege to be playing in this competition. We just want to go as far as we can.

“We have had a few away games and have some more coming up, so we have got a responsibility to put on a good home game and hopefully we can have a say in where the round of 16 is played.

“We were just trying to stay alive in the competition, but now we are in a position to see if we can influence where we are going to play.”