The DHL Stormers are travelling to Glasgow for a quarter-final, excited by the prospect to win their first Vodacom URC playoff on the highway. DYLAN JACK experiences.
The fifth-placed DHL Stormers will journey to face the Glasgow Warriors (4th) at Scotstoun Stadium on Saturday evening.
Having performed all six of their earlier URC playoffs in Cape City, the Stormers are dealing with the problem of a primary quarter-final on the highway within the competitors.
The Stormers tasted defeat of their final two visits to Glasgow, however John Dobson says that his group is fired as much as show they will win huge playoffs with out residence comforts.
“It’s a good fourth versus fifth conflict by way of outcomes, historical past and all the things. It’s all the time a tricky one,” Dobson stated.
“We’ve bought unfinished enterprise up there. We’ve performed two actually powerful video games up there the place issues haven’t gone our method. It’s a report that we wish to put straight.
“It’s the place we should be. Glasgow play a pleasant model of rugby. They’re loaded with Scottish internationals. So it will likely be an excellent check, however we’re up for it.”
A four-game winless tour final November put the Stormers on the again foot firstly of the season.
Whereas they bounced again to complete fifth, matching their win price from the earlier two URC campaigns, the Stormers have needed to grit out video games and have lacked a little bit of the liberty they performed with after they loved a house run via the playoffs.
Nonetheless, Dobson sees the chance in travelling for a playoff and says that having to claw their method up the desk has made the squad really feel like they should be a part of it.
“If we have a look at the mission and the place we have been, we’re fairly happy to be within the playoffs and keep within the Champions Cup subsequent season,” Dobson stated.
“We might like to play at DHL Stadium, however for this group to actually progress and grow to be what we wish to, we’ve got to win these video games on the highway.
“In a humorous method, I’m welcoming it. It’s good for us. Paradoxically, we’ve gone 12 from 18 in all three years. Our win ratio is precisely the identical.
“Since we bought again from that early season tour, I stated to the group, it seems like we’ve got had a knife to our throat for a big a part of the season. That provides stress. The truth that we punched via that to complete fifth is sweet.
“It seems like there is a chance right here, quite than a risk. I don’t really feel like we’re beneath huge stress. We’re enthusiastic about going abroad for a number of weeks.”
The Stormers’ earlier journey to Glasgow kicked off their winless tour, as they suffered a 20-9 defeat in a recreation the place they misplaced Evan Roos and Joseph Dweba to yellow playing cards and struggled to place a dent on the scoreboard.
Nonetheless, with Manie Libbok and Frans Malherbe making the journey this time round – and buoyed by getting 9 factors from their final two video games within the north towards Dragons and Connacht – the Stormers are assured they are going to have the ability to banish the ghosts of that efficiency.
“We have been a bit thinned out once we have been final there in November. By way of our evolution, we’re a greater squad, contemplating that in November we went zero from 4 on tour.
“I really feel like we’re higher outfitted for this journey. Guys like Manie and Frans are world-class gamers, so it’s nice for us to have them.
“After we have been final there, all the things went flawed, by way of our set-piece, the yellow playing cards, we dropped a kick-off. It was only a automotive crash.
“We aren’t going there daunted by our earlier expertise. In reality, there’s a little little bit of optimism. It’s 4 versus 5, so there’s not a lot between us. It’s recreation on.”
Picture: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Company/Gallo Photographs
