'It's a good feeling': Dobson on beating Bulls
REACTION: The Stormers have once again shown why they deserve all the respect as South Africa’s best team in the United Rugby Championship competition.
The Stormers surged to the top of the South African Shield with a thrilling 37-27 win over their arch-rivals the Bulls at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday.
The win meant the Stormers are five points clear of the men of Pretoria – with a game in hand – while they also occupy the second spot on the overall log.
However it is still early days in the URC tournament, nonetheless, Friday’s encounter is a clear indication that John Dobson’s charges are a firm contender for the title.
The victory was also the fourth successive time, the Cape Town franchise beat the Bulls in the URC.
And to make things sweeter for Dobson, Jake White rested most of his first-team players during the Champions Cup in order to field his strongest Bulls team for the North-South derby.
*READ: Stormers v Bulls match report!!!
“I think it’s a really big honour for us that they clearly invested so much in this game by resting those guys and obviously we spoke in the week about putting eggs in this basket,” Dobson said after the match.
“So we knew they were really coming for us, as they prepped and travelled and chose their Champions Cup team for this game, which is a massive compliment for us.
“I presume it was their way of trying to get some sort of revenge or put the URC final to bed.
“And for us to win more convincingly is fantastic for us.
“The fact that they showed us so much respect is great for Stormers rugby. We are back on the top table. The Bulls need to rest players and focus so much on this game is fantastic for us, and to get the win as we did is a good feeling.”
Asked whether his method of selecting the strongest team for each game or Jake White’s method of resting players will backfire as the season progressed, Dobson said he really does not know.
“I think I said in the week, where we stand will actually be judged in June,” Dobson said.
“Those two weeks of rest may pay off for them later – I really don’t know.
“We wanted to get through today and get a win, and that’s what we got. But I think the squad management thinking is all around April, May.”
The Stormes will host the Lions on December 31 at the Cape Town Stadium.
*Photo credit: @TheStormers
