Leolin Zas and Damián Willemse (Rooster)
- Stormers coach John Dobson took it as a mark of respect that the Bulls rested their key game before Friday’s URC clash.
- The Stormers won the match 37-27, extending their URC dominance over the Jake White charges.
- Dobson also disagreed that the Bulls lost the game because they were an inexperienced team.
The Stormers, champions of the United Rugby Championship (URC), continue their march.
It’s been over a year since manager John Dobson’s charges lost a home game in the competition, and Friday’s thrilling 37-27 win over the Bulls at DHL Stadium was another deafening reminder of their title credentials. in 2022/23.
READ | Excellent Stormers defeat Bulls in Cape Town epic
There is still a long way to go, but at Christmas, the Capetonians will occupy second place in the general classification and first place in the South African conference.
This was also the fourth time in a row that the Stormers had beaten the Bulls in URC action, and with the rivalry between the two unions reaching familiar levels of late, this meant a lot to Dobson, skipper Steven Kitshoff and the rest of the team. men in blue
Much had been said about the North vs South derby being back to its brutal prime in the build-up to the match, but there was also significant attention on Bull boss Jake White’s team selection strategies.
With the European Champion Clubs’ Cup approaching, the travel demand for South African teams has been immense in recent weeks.
White’s response was to field largely diluted teams for a home clash against Lyon on December 10 (42-36 win) and a trip to Exeter on December 17 (44-14 loss), coming back with all his strength for Friday’s clash against the Stormers. .
That, Dobson says, made the win even more special.
“I think it’s a great honor for us that they invested so much in this game by resting those guys and putting their eggs in this basket,” Dobson said.
“We knew they were really coming for us after choosing their European Cup squad differently with this game in mind, which is a huge compliment to us.”
“I guess it was to try and end the final, so to win even more convincingly is fantastic for us. That they’ve shown us so much respect is great for Stormers rugby and a sign that we’re back on track.” the top”. desk.
“To get the win like we did, it’s a good feeling. It was a really good performance.”
Dobson also spoke about the crazy five-minute stretch in the second half in which the Stormers scored three excellent tries in five minutes, with the scores tied at 13-13, to finally deliver the knockout blow.
The scores from Suleiman Hartzenberg and Leolin Zas, in particular, were incredible rugby efforts that had the Cape Town crowd raving.
“I read this week that we like to kick to the corners and meow, and that’s how we got our first down, but the true DNA of the Stormers was those three downs,” Dobson said.
“I was very proud and pleased. Having 30,000 people here to see those attempts makes us extremely happy.”
Dobson also disagreed with White’s postgame assessment that the Bulls had lost the game due to being a less experienced group.
READ | Jake White regrets the Bulls’ inexperience after another loss to the Stormers
“There’s often a battle over who has the younger team or coaching staff, and that seems to be a contest at times,” Dobson said.
“I don’t know if the Bulls showed inexperience. I thought Johan Goosen handled that which suited them quite well. They have Cornal Hendricks, Lionel Mapoe, Nizaam Carr, Kurt-Lee Arendse… these are Test Match players.
“If that’s how he [White] I saw that this is how they lost the game, so it’s different than how I saw it, but so be it.”
Skipper Steven Kitshoff, meanwhile, said victory was “up there” on one of the most special nights of his career.
“It was crazy. I didn’t expect to have 30,000 people two days before Christmas and you could hear how loud it was,” Kitshoff said.
“That environment was absolutely electrifying.”
The Stormers are next in action on Dec. 31 when they host the Lions, the last team to beat them at home.
The start is at 19:00.
