Stormers coach Dobson happy with squad’s depth ahead of Champions Cup
Stormers coach John Dobson is pleased with the depth of his squad as the European Champions Cup looms large for top South African rugby franchises.
United Rugby Championship (URC) title holders the Stormers and the Sharks, Lions and Bulls will next month enter the Champions Cup fray where they will face tough opponents from France and England.
Their participation in the Champions Cup will add to the demanding schedule of the
URC.
Squad depth will be crucial for any side aiming to have a decent run in both competitions.
Dobson’s side appear to have successfully managed to create that depth as they have managed to blood several exciting youngsters.
The coach was pleased with how his team performed in their 36-19 URC win over the Scarlets in Cape Town on Friday when they played without their Springbok players.
“I think when we finished that game, there were 12 of the guys who played their first Currie Cup game last year on the field,” Dobson said.
“So, to get a result against a team of more than 200 Test caps I think that is extraordinary.
“With regards to the performance, I know we got the points but I thought we got away with one or two things at the start of the game. We were under the pump a little bit there.
“Our defence was a bit tight and they almost exploited that. But the way we hung in the second half against that team was good and the character of the team showed.”
Dobson was also happy with the character of his side that had a fair number of youngsters in the match day squad.
“Maybe not our best performance in terms of every single department like defence and some of the kicking game, but character was outstanding.”
The Stormers will welcome the Dragons to Cape Town Stadium in another URC meeting on Saturday, December 3 (2pm).