Discipline is key for Stormers, Dobson says
Concerned Stormers coach John Dobson will demand improved discipline from his players when they confront a rampant Bulls side at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Dobson was left to rue disciplinary indiscretions on Saturday when his team slumped to a narrow 33-30 defeat in their opening Rainbow Cup clash against the Sharks.
In addition, Dobson will be without rising star Kade Wolhuter, who impressed at flyhalf before leaving the field with a knee injury.
Wolhuter took a bad knock in the second half and was replaced by Abner van Reenen.
After opening up a 17-0 lead, a dismayed Dobson had to watch his team’s momentum disrupted by red cards to Sebealo Senatla and Willie Engelbrecht.
Though the Stormers were given some slack by the new law allowing a red-carded player to be replaced after 20 minutes, they still found themselves with a numerical disadvantage.
Sensing blood, the Sharks ran in four tries in the space of 14 minutes to nullify the Stormers’s initial advantage.
“I think we were unlucky to lose it, but we know why we did and it’s our own fault,” Dobson said.
“It was woeful.
“I don’t know if we’ve even had a red card before, so to give away two in one game was remarkable.
“It cost us massively. “When we went from 15 men to 13 within minutes, we had to start taking time off the game.
“We were playing with a nice rhythm and awareness on attack, with a good energy.
“We then had to take that energy out.
“I don’t think we ever recovered that energy until those last few minutes.
“It was a pity because we tried to play a certain brand and obviously those cards took it away from us.
“It was disappointing, but it was entirely our own fault.”
A disappointed Wolhuter is confirmed to be out of the rest of the season.
He is expected to be sidelined for six to nine months.
“The game we love so much is full of the most extreme ups and downs,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the opening game of the Rainbow Cup SA vs the Sharks will be my last for the season after tearing my ACL during the match.
“Really gutted to be leaving the boys so early on in the season but at the same time looking forward to the adventure, to getting back out on the pitch.
“Thank you so much for all the messages of support. They don’t go unnoticed.”
Dobson says the Stormers are fortunate to have good cover for the No 10 position.
Tim Swiel, who played at flyhalf for the Stormers and Western Province earlier in the season, was not available for the Sharks game because he was injured.
Swiel, however, is expected to be available for the Bulls clash.
“Chris Schreuder, the Maties flyhalf, is also playing well in the Varsity Cup and has a lot of potential so we don’t have a need to go outside the region at this point.
“There were some really upset guys in the changeroom after the Sharks game with Sebealo Senatla and Willie Engelbrecht feeling like they had let their team down with the red cards.
“I think we’d rather go look at other stuff in the game, whether we chased kicks hard enough or whether we worked off the ball enough.”