The 'behaviour change' problem that will be a concern for Stormers
SPOTLIGHT: Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson said he was concerned over his team’s inability to right the wrongs in their outing against Cardiff in Wales on Friday.
The Capetonians delivered another inconsistent performance on their way to a 16-22 defeat in their final league game ahead of the play-offs.
Despite dominating large periods of the game, they could only score one try, while their hosts crossed the whitewash four times.
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It’s set to be costly as Leinster could leapfrog them into second place in the standings if they beat Ospreys in Dublin on Saturday.
Overall, it has been a disappointing tour for the Stormers after they drew 38-all with Ulster in Belfast a week earlier.
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A perfectly timed kick.
A perfect finish from Jacob Beetham. 🎯One step closer to the Play-Offs. 😮💨
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— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 15, 2026
“There were periods of dominance and a lot of opportunities wasted,” said Dobson.
“It was similar to last week – failure to convert when we are five metres out.
“The fact that we didn’t get a behaviour change there is a problem for us.
“We are going to have to regroup. It’s our first URC away loss this year [out of the country], and it’s a very disappointing one at the wrong time.”
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Dobson said his side lost the desperation battle against Cardiff, who were out to secure their top-eight position.
“It’s a very disappointing performance. I think we have to give Cardiff a lot of credit; they were desperate, and I am sorry that their desperation meant more to them than our chance to host a series of play-offs in Cape Town.
“Their defence and their attack were very good – they put us under pressure defensively.
“They got yards on us with a very clever attack, and they were just more desperate.”
The Stormers will now wait for the conclusion of the final round on Saturday to see who they will host in the quarterfinals.
“There are no serious injury concerns,” Dobson added.
“We are a bruised team, and we were beaten by the better team on the night.
“We are going to have to be much better than this in the quarterfinal.”
@rugby365com
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