John Dobson says there’s a “good feeling” in the Stormers camp after a big win in Llanelli, and a reinforced team – minus Deon Fourie – is set to battle Ulster next week.
The Stormers dug deep to secure a 29-17 victory against Scarlets on Saturday in round 13 of the Vodacom URC, and speaking post-match from Parc y Scarlets, Dobson divulged a nerve-wracking experience in the coaches’ box.
“It was one of those games where we take the outcome over the process. It wasn’t poor, it was just we were under the pump,” said the Stormers director of rugby.
The visitors led 15-7 at half time thanks to tries from Ben Loader and Deon Fourie, but Scarlets kept the pressure on, closing the gap to just one point in the second half. Late scores from Leolin Zas and Andre-Hugo Venter sealed the win, giving the Stormers a perfect start to a two-game tour.
When it mattered most. #SCAvSTO #iamastormer @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/1NUzeyvLmA
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) March 22, 2025
“The players afterwards are very much ‘job done’ sort of thing, you know. As coaches, it was a really stressful, intense experience,” Dobson added.
Fourie, however, won’t be available for Friday’s clash against Ulster in Belfast due to the concussion suffered in a collision with Stormers captain Salmaan Moerat.
“Unfortunately, it’s an HIA [head injury assessment] 1, by the fact that he was knocked out; it means he’s out for the next game. So, that’s a bit of a blow for us,” Dobson confirmed.
“It’s just a concussion. He didn’t want to come off, but the damage was done.”
RECAP: Stormers too slick for Scarlets
Despite the setbacks, Dobson is relishing the challenge in Belfast, where the Stormers will go all out with their strongest available side.
“It’ll be full metal for this game. There’s going to be a couple of reinforced changes. We definitely want to get Suleiman [Hartzenberg] back on the field. So it’s the best team, less Deon.
“The other change is Frans [Malherbe] goes back. We agreed to rest Frans, so it’s Neethling Fouche coming in for Frans.”
While the Stormers on Saturday produced some stunning attacking moments, Dobson lamented their struggle for territory and ill discipline at the breakdown.
“I think the biggest frustration after the game, we lost the territory game hopelessly. We scored two world-class tries [but] look, the penalties were a problem,” he said.
“I think the breakdown was a problem, to give them either penalties or turnovers there.”
Even so, Dobson believes the squad is building momentum at the right time, with key players returning for the race to the playoffs.
“Having the calmness of Damian [Willemse] and Warrick [Gelant] was really important, and I think Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu] played brilliantly.
First match back and @sachgome10 claims the Man of the Match award. #SCAvSTO #iamastormer @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/KnVzkHpX07
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) March 22, 2025
“They will get so much better next week. The group is feeling confident, and happy.
“We budgeted one win from two [on tour]; to go five points to start is brilliant,” he added.
“If we can get something at the Kingspan and then hit our home run, we’re going to be very, very hard in the mix.”
With four home games to follow after Ulster, Dobson is backing his team to finish the league phases strong, even if a top-four spot remains a long shot: “It’s where we finish; it won’t be as high as we would have wanted in terms of a home playoff but there’s certainly a good feeling in the camp.”
Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images
