Big challenge for Stormers against Lions, says Dobson

The Stormers are not expecting any charity away from home when they face a dangerous Lions outfit in what is expected to be a brutal dogfight at Ellis Park on Saturday, coach John Dobson says.

In their last outing in the United Rugby Championship, the defending champions went down 30-24 against Cardiff in Wales and Dobson says his team have pressed the reset button

Dobson said his side should have won against Cardiff and this had made his team more determined to earn points on the road in Johannesburg.

“We have an incredibly difficult match in Johannesburg this weekend, but it is also a hugely exciting one,” he said.

“The Lions have been impressive this season and I have a lot of respect for how they are playing for each other and the spirit within the squad.

“I know how dangerous a team is when the guys play for each other, scramble on defence to make tackles and refuse to give in.

“The Lions could easily have folded when 36-18 down to Ulster and with a player in the sin-bin, especially as they were leading 18-10 a few minutes before losing the player.

“The Lions’ fightback was tremendous and it was Ulster who were hanging on in the final minute at 3937.

“Respect to the Lions and we know we are going to have to play very well to leave Johannesburg with a win.

“We know we are a good enough team to get the win, but we are going to have to work for it because in this league there is very little charity when you are playing away from home.”

The Stormers mentor said the Cardiff defeat was still weighing on his mind.

“The defeat in Cardiff pains me,” he said.

“It will for a long time because it was a match we should have won.

“We played well enough to win and played well enough to negate what was a very frustrating match official interpretation.

“We were good in so many aspects but we weren’t as smart in big moments, and this proved our undoing.

“You learn a lot in defeat because you can’t erase the result.

“You can play poorly and get away with a win and you can manipulate any feeling of disappointment with the crutch that you still got the win.

“We can’t do that. We lost and we can’t change that.

“The defeat mirrored a reset button and from this week we go again from zero.

“We were in this position around the same time last season, just after losing at home to the Lions.

“We fronted our inaccuracies, and vulnerabilities and addressed every reason why we felt we weren’t getting the results.

“The honesty, within the squad, meant it was an easy journey to embark on and we got the ultimate reward at the end of the season. “We finished as champions. “We’ve taken that spirit into the new season, managed our player squad superbly and rebuilt a squad in which many had inherited the tag of champions from those of last season.

“It is a very different Stormers lineup and I feel it is necessary to keep reinforcing that only five of the starting XV from last year’s final have been regular starters in this season’s campaign.

“We took nine league points from a possible 15 overseas, which in the greater scheme is a good return, but personally I felt we were good enough for 11 points, and it is two league points we must make up along the way.”

Weekend URC fixtures involving SA teams: Saturday: 4pm: Lions v Stormers. Sunday: 3pm: Bulls v Sharks.