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John Dobson hailed the Stormers’ “evolution” in the kicking plan for a victory against the Vodacom Bulls that will be crucial in the battle to secure a home Vodacom URC playoff.
The Stormers fought to claim a seventh successive victory over the Bulls in a thrilling North-South derby in Cape Town on Saturday night.
MORE: North-South derby a win for SA
Having gone into the match seven points behind their rivals after a stuttering start to the season, and a return of no wins from a four-week tour, the Stormers have now closed the gap on the Bulls to just four points.
“The really important thing for us was in terms of the URC table,” Dobson said. “If the Bulls had won, we would have struggled to claw back. We want to be in contention for home playoffs and you can’t afford to lose a home game, much like in Europe.
“To beat the Bulls in a URC derby was very, very important in terms of the table, as will next week [against the Sharks]. If we are to compete with the Bulls for a home playoff or the SA Shield, these games are eight- or 10-point swings.”
The Stormers created havoc among the Bulls’ ranks by using linespeed on defence and a good contestable kicking game, putting veteran Springbok fullback Willie le Roux under pressure.
It was a contestable kick that led to the decisive try, scored by Ruhan Nel after a knock-on from the Bulls in the air.
“It was a plan among the coaches. I think that’s what’s been missed around our evolution, because we have lost five games in Europe this year,” Dobson explained.
“We have improved immeasurably in our contestable game and handling it. People expect us to kick long and create transitions. You saw, the game started with Willie le Roux knocking on a contestable kick. That was the plan.
“We didn’t kick every contestable as well as we could have. Some were too short. The plan was solid. The idea was for Willie to catch the ball, for us to put him on the ground, counter-ruck and create a bit of disorganisation. It was the right plan, but we didn’t quite execute it sometimes.”
Already missing around 12 players going into the match, the Stormers lost Jean-Luc du Plessis and replacement Clayton Blommetjies to injuries during the match.
That resulted in the Stormers coming under real pressure during the final 10 minutes of the match, but the hosts defended astutely to see out the win.
Dobson said his team’s performances in the last three games against Leicester Tigers, La Rochelle and the Bulls show that they are a force to be reckoned with.
“We said [on Friday] that the thing about this team is, [the injuries] didn’t bother us. I mean that in the best way.
“What gives me real excitement is that now, we can throw in a Dan du Plessis and Warrick Gelant into the mix. We will have a few more back in January.
“We have sort of punched our way through our darkest hour in Cardiff and put together three really compelling performances, showing that we are a really class team of international standard.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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