Dobson on Euro challenges: 'Now is when the rubber hits the road'

It is going to be a bumpy ride.

Or as Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson describes it: ‘Ons sal grondpad moet ry.’

In short, this is when the rubber hits the road, and that road is going to be a bumpy gravel path.

It all starts on Saturday, when the Stormers host Edinburgh in a crucial URC Round 14 face-off.

Then they head to France, as Dobson describes it, to face an ‘eye-watering’ Toulon team in a Champions Cup Round of 16 encounter at Stade Felix Mayol on April 4. The winner of this fixture will either face Glasgow Warriors or the Bulls in the quarterfinals, as the ‘Road to Bilboa’ gets into the home stretch

Then the Stormers return home for URC encounters with Connacht and Glasgow Warriors.

If they beat Toulon, as far-fetched as it may seem, they will face Glasgow (away), Connacht (home) and Glasgow (home) on consecutive weekends.

Dobson said that, despite the daunting fixture list, his team has an opportunity to ‘do something special’ for Cape Town.

“This time last year, the same round [14], we were 15th in the standings,” he said ahead of the arrival of Edinburgh at the Cape Town Stadium.

“We are, currently, second [on the URC standings], and it is up to us to control.

“It won’t be easy.

“We have Edinburgh and their ‘last chance saloon’. Then we have Connacht fighting for their lives when we get back from France, and then Glasgow in, hopefully. a top-of-the-table clash,” the Stormers boss added.

“Sometimes ‘dan ry ons grondpad’ [do it the hard way], but we haven’t been in this position since the URC started.

“It is a lekka position for the Stormers to be in.

“We have three home games [in the URC], and it is in our hands to do something special.”

Turning to the challenge of managing his team in two competitions and a month that includes a lot of travel, Dobson said are some serious ‘selection conversations’ to be had.

(WATCH as Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson explains why the next month is going to be a bumpy ride…..)

“It is going to be very tough,” he said of the challenge to go deep in both the Champions Cup and URC.

He admitted that the team for the Under-23 competition, the Stormers XXIII, is being used to give game time and build depth with a view to the demands of two gruelling competitions.

“Some of those guys will be involved in Toulon next week,” Dobson said, adding: “It [Toulon] is an eye-watering team.

“We are not going to be able to take this team [that will face Edinburgh], go play in Toulon.

“We are going to go with what we think is the best team to beat Toulon. We want to respect this competition, because South African teams need to be part of this competition.

“We are going for it [in Toulon]. If we win, we face Glasgow or the Bulls. Imagine how cool that will be.

“Then the [URC] games against Connacht and Glasgow will be must-win encounters.”

He repeated the statement that the XXIII team in Durban is an opportunity to increase the squad size and give some players valuable game time.

“If we win in Toulon, it will be really hard, because we are coming back for Connacht and Glasgow.

“We will have a couple of conversations around our selections.”

He also touched on the possibility of facing Glasgow (Champions Cup), Connacht and Glasgow (the latter two URC) on consecutive weekends.

“Our record against Glasgow is not stellar,” Dobson said of having won just once in six encounters with the Scottish powerhouse and current URC leaders.

“To go from the south of France [Toulon] to Scotstoun [Glasgow’s home] is tough,” he said, adding he won’t be trying any deep-fried Mars bars again.

“However, I think, despite some injuries, our roster is so far advanced compared to a year or two years ago.”

Dobson added that players like centre Josh Boulle, wing JC Mars, loose forward Keke Morabe and schoolboy sensation Markus Muller could be in the frame from the Stormers XXIII playing against their Sharks counterparts in an Under-23 competition in Durban.

Other youngsters being closely watched include props Zachary Porthen and Olly Reid, as well as hooker Lukhanyo Vokozela.

“That is something we didn’t have a year or two ago, young players who are ready to go.

“That could help us through it.”

@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com