John Dobson bemoans ‘big blow’ of losing Springboks star in Stormers loss to Glasgow Warriors
Stormers utility back Damian Willemse and director of rugby John Dobson.
Stormers boss John Dobson highlighted the impact of losing Springboks star Damian Willemse to injury in their 28-17 defeat to Glasgow Warriors on Saturday.
Two late tries from Kyle Rowe and Henco Venter helped Glasgow Warriors to seal a 28-17 bonus-point victory which moves them up to second position in the the United Rugby Championship (URC) standings after six rounds of action.
Meanwhile, the Stormers are languishing in 13th position in the 16-team competition after winning two out of their five matches played so far this season.
Dobson gave full credit to Glasgow after their victory and said he expected a tough battle against the defending URC champions.
‘We knew it would be a shootout like it was’
“Glasgow were good. We knew it would be a shootout like it was. Their quick kick-off after we went 17-14 ahead caught us,” he said after the game.
“Even at 21-17, I thought the game was opening up, which is what we wanted. Unfortunately we kicked poorly and they kicked a 50:22. We were playing against a team with 17 internationals.
“We were trying to open it up and it’s who we are, but sometimes it’s going to hang us. As a result we were a bit loose and we lost a couple of key kicking duels. We could’ve been a bit tighter.”
He bemoaned the loss of Willemse who was crucial with the implementation of his team’s game-plan for this match.
The Springboks utility back, who was playing at inside centre against the Warriors, sustained a groin injury while crossing for a try in the latter stages of the opening half.
Glasgow Warriors bounce back in style with bonus-point win against Stormers to end tour on a high
Although he tried to continue playing, Willemse limped off the field shortly before half-time and has subsequently been ruled out of the Springboks’ upcoming November internationals in Europe.
“We can look at ourselves individually around how well we played within that,” said Dobson. “Losing Damian Willemse was a big blow to our plans around this game. It was a massive blow.”
The Stormers’ cause wasn’t helped when fly-half Manie Libbok was yellow carded for a deliberate knock down just before half-time.
“The lesson for me as a coach is that we tried to get some energy on the field, because we wanted to blow it open, but in the end we had nothing left,” added Dobson.
‘As a team, we could’ve worked harder’
“We were trying to chase it with 14 men, which was tough. I don’t feel the structure was the problem, how we individually operated within it was more my concern. As a team, we could’ve worked harder. That’s not who we are.”
Like all the other URC teams, the Stormers will now take a four-week break due to the international window but Dobson is confident his team will come back stronger when they return to action against the Sharks in Durban on November 30.
“We pushed during this opening spell. We really wanted this result,” said Dobson. “It meant a lot to us. We have to have a circuit break. Some of the guys will get a couple of weeks rest.
“The Carling Currie Cup guys will get their three-week break. [The Sharks] will be a massive game for us. We are up against it now. We know we aren’t the biggest chequebook team in the league, but we pride ourselves on exceeding the sum of our parts.”
