John Dobson has challenged the Stormers to shake off their travel woes and start reversing a poor away record when they face the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus on Saturday.
The Stormers have won just once in seven games on the road in all competitions this season, a worrying trend as the 10th-place Cape outfit look to push into the Vodacom URC playoff spots.
With crucial away fixtures at Scarlets (22 March) and Ulster (28 March) before a four-game run at home to finish the league phase, Dobson on Friday emphasised that his team has to start delivering away from the Mother City.
“We knew the SA Shield would get tougher, and I said before the season it wasn’t going to be like it was for us in the first two years,” the director of rugby said during a team announcement conference. “We’ve got some unwanted records – our first URC loss to the Sharks in Durban, and the same at Ellis Park against the Lions.
“We have to win in the northern hemisphere and more games on the road. It’s tricky to put a finger on it … the process, to me, is solid, but we’re not getting the outcome. It is a concern for us.”
A last-gasp 33-32 loss to the Bulls at Cape Town Stadium three weeks ago was another missed opportunity. With the Herd sitting in third on the overall standings and with one hand on the SA Shield, Dobson knows the Stormers must step up in Pretoria.
“This time last year we were ninth on the log, now we’re 10th. We’re known for our home run-in charges, but we’d cause so much less stress if we got the wins on the road,” he said.
“We have traditionally won the local ones, but the competition is much tougher now – the Lions are a good team, and the Bulls and Sharks have invested enormous amounts in their squads.
“If you say Scarlets and Ulster are coming up, we simply have to get wins there in these games, or else the Stormers are not going to get to where they want to as a club unless we break through this barrier.”
With a home playoff all but out of reach, the Stormers must now fight to secure a top-eight finish. For Dobson, that means at least one victory from their next three matches.
“We’ve done various permutations and calculations and we’re still in a position where we could decide where we finish. It probably won’t be in the top four,” he said.
“We certainly need one [win] from the next three matches – assuming our home run goes as planned – ideally two, which puts a lot of pressure on tomorrow. And then tomorrow’s got the other elements, being a local derby
“We’re under pressure in that respect. We haven’t got a great away record, so if we get that right, we take that monkey off the back and we’ll be very well positioned for a reasonably good finish.”
Asked whether the Stormers, inaugural URC champions and back-to-back home finalists in 2022 and 2023, still command the same respect in their current position, Dobson responded: “I think we’re a highly respected brand.
“We haven’t got the away results we’ve wanted, but if you look at our performances in Durban and Joburg, we’re playing [well].
“I don’t think anyone looks down at the fixture list and thinks, ‘Oh, it’s the Stormers, that’s an easy game, they’re going to go away and fold.’
“We compete in every game and we pride ourselves on it. Let’s have a chat when it gets to the sharp end of the season and if you feel the Stormers are or aren’t revered.”
