Dobson Fumes Over Missed Chances In Dramatic Ulster Deadlock

DHL Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson was left with mixed emotions following a chaotic 38-38 draw against Ulster, praising his side’s attacking flair while lamenting a litany of costly individual errors.

Though the Stormers crossed the whitewash five times—including a last-minute penalty try that rescued the draw—they leaked six tries, including a hat-trick by former Stormers favorite Werner Kok. Speaking post-match, Dobson admitted the result was a bittersweet pill to swallow, believing his side left two points on the table.

“A mixture of happiness and frustration because we didn’t get five points despite our dominance being imperious,” said Dobson. “We were probably lucky to get the three in the end. The fact that we didn’t get the five is a cause for frustration.”

The Stormers created numerous scoring opportunities throughout the match and dominated large parts of the second half, but Dobson pointed to several decisive moments that prevented his side from turning dominance into victory.

“There were four glaring moments — the two pick-and-go penalties we conceded, one of which resulted in a 14-point swing. We probably would have scored when Evan (Roos) knocked on from a pick-and-go on the try line before that. Immy (Imad Khan) also knocked on while trying to play. Those were four clear try-scoring opportunities.”

“That is without even considering the general what-ifs,” lamented Dobson.

While disappointed with some of the errors, Dobson also highlighted how difficult the playing conditions were, particularly in the aerial battle.

“Some of our mistakes were frustrating. The most disappointing aspect, especially given the conditions and swirling wind, was our contestable kicks,” he said. “We worked so hard to become strong in that area. We lost one or two contests, and Ulster were probably better than us there. That’s not how it has been in recent weeks. The conditions were not easy.”

Despite the setbacks, Dobson was encouraged by the way the Stormers adapted their game. With Ulster managing to nullify one of the Cape side’s traditional strengths at scrum and maul time, the Stormers still found ways to apply pressure and score.

“We got on top of them with some of our power. We are a team that has relied heavily on scrum and maul penalties to gain territory and attack,” he explained.

“They defended our mauls effectively. We didn’t get the reward there, but we found another way, and that was very pleasing. We were still able to score tries and get on top of them without scrum and maul dominance.”

Dobson also praised the defensive effort shown by his players, although discipline remained a major concern.

“We scrambled well on defence and showed fight, but I am very disappointed with our discipline,” he said. “We gave away soft penalties, and they put us under pressure.”

“It is definitely a game we felt we should have won.”