“It’s Magic”: Dobson Praises Returned Springboks After Dominant Stormers Derby Victory Over Sharks
Stormers head coach John Dobson praised the return of three Springbok backline stars who brought a much-needed spark of creativity to his side after their opening two United Rugby Championship (URC) fixtures.
He was delighted with both the result and the manner in which his team secured victory over the Sharks amid an electrifying atmosphere.
“It was a great atmosphere. If it was played at the traditional time for a local derby, it would’ve sold out,” Dobson said following Saturday’s victory over the Sharks.
“It was a compelling performance by us. I never felt like we were in trouble. Credit goes to Rito (Hlungwani), JD Schickerling and the rest of the forwards for the fault correction of last week – but physically and defensively we stood up.”
For Dobson, it was more than just a convincing win. The performance demonstrated the Stormers’ physical resilience, defensive resolve and attacking fluency, while the return of key playmakers Cobus Reinach, Damian Willemse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu provided a significant boost to the backline.
“It looked like we had a bit of flow, which we didn’t on the tour,” he said.
“Without being arrogant, it felt like the process justified the outcome.”
Feinberg-Mngomezulu was particularly impressive, delivering a sensational performance to claim the man-of-the-match award. His ability to threaten the opposition, create opportunities and link play gave the Stormers’ attack a dimension that had been missing in their recent outings.
“All three made a difference,” Dobson told Sportswire.
“Sacha and Damian have tremendous backfield rotation and understanding of where each other are. It’s magic.”
“We had a hard time after the defeat to Edinburgh, but when you bring in one of the world’s best playmakers, it’s going to make a difference. They did inject a lot,” he added in his response to Sportswire.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the Stormers’ performance was the balance they struck between competing in the air and playing with ball in hand.
The kicking game remained an important part of their approach, but Dobson stressed that contestable kicks should not become the default option in every situation.
“I don’t think we want rugby to always be a contestable game. That cannot be your plan for every solution for both sides because we kicked a lot of contestables,” he said.
“What I did like about our game is that when we did win the contestables and got into their half, we played some really nice rugby.”
The result was an attack that displayed greater direction and fluency than it had during the recent tour.
The Stormers’ dominance at scrum time was another major feature of the performance, with the pack winning six scrum penalties and placing the Sharks under sustained pressure.
Dobson admitted that the extent of his side’s superiority in that department had surprised him, particularly given the personnel involved.
“I didn’t think we would get it so quickly and easily, is the truth, especially if you look at the personnel. I didn’t expect us to get six scrum penalties,” he admitted.
While the kicking game remained an important component of their strategy, Dobson was also encouraged by his side’s ability to turn possession and territory into attacking opportunities.
Overall, the performance offered plenty of encouragement for the Stormers, who combined forward dominance with renewed creativity in the backline to secure a convincing victory and build momentum for the challenges ahead.
