'It has to be addressed': Stormers frustrated by home playing surface
SPOTLIGHT: Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson admitted that there was “visible disappointment” on his players’ faces when they saw the state of their home ground this week.
The Capetonians will host the Lions in a United Rugby Championship Round Seven clash on Saturday, and the surface at DHL Stadium could be a big factor.
The venue hosted the World Supercross Championship last weekend, which has affected a large area of the field.
During Friday’s team announcement press conference, there were jokes about the playing surface being more suited to cricket.
However, although it is a multi-purpose stadium used by the city for various events, Dobson made it clear that it was bad look for the team.
“There was visible disappointment when we got here on Wednesday,” said Dobson.
“It is a stumbling block of not owning your own facility.
“It has to be addressed because it’s got a chance of affecting performance and how it looks on TV.
“There might be some commercial implications. I am not sure.”
In terms of the Stormers’ performance on Saturday, it could be interesting when it is time to scrum.
“It’s a bit frustrating for us because our game model is so much about how we build pressure [with set-pieces] and it requires traction and things like that,” Dobson explained.
“But having said that, I do think there is enough out there for us to be okay.
“It is just a bit of unnecessary distraction in a big week for us.
“I understand the bigger picture. The stadium needs to generate revenue to exist.
“We feel welcomed, and we get midweek training, which is fantastic for us, but there has got to be a better system.
“We just have to adapt to it tomorrow [Saturday].”
@rugby365com
