DHL Stormers want to follow through away from home
Having won their first two games of the season at DHL Newlands, the DHL Stormers face their first challenge away from home this weekend when they travel to Johannesburg to take on the Emirates Lions.
The start of the 2020 Vodacom Super Rugby season has seen the DHL Stormers keep consecutive ‘clean sheets’ by preventing both the Hurricanes and the Vodacom Bulls from scoring any points on consecutive weekends.
While immensely proud of this remarkable defensive effort, DHL Stormers Head Coach John Dobson would like to see his team make better use of their opportunities on attack than they did in their two-try victory against northern rivals the Vodacom Bulls on Saturday.
Dobson was hoping that his team could score a few more tries, especially given the huge numbers of DHL Newlands Faithful that turned up for the South African derby.
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“On the positive side though for the second successive week we did not concede any points, and given how the Vodacom Bulls came at us during the game, and kept coming at us, that reflects that all the hard work we have put in on building team culture and character is paying off. That performance reflected a lot of character.
“But we wanted to score more tries like the excellent one that was scored by Seabelo Senatla. We wanted to play rugby to suit the occasion. We had one of the biggest crowds that have turned up for a Vodacom Super Rugby game in a while, and we wanted to entertain them.
“But the Vodacom Bulls came at us, and credit for the way they came at us and kept coming at us. Speaking to the referee afterwards, he said it was one of the most physical Vodacom Super Rugby games he has been involved in. So we did well to hold them out,” he said.
Looking forward, Dobson said that playing up at Emirates Airline Park this coming Saturday may suit the attacking intent that he wants his team to show.
“The Johannesburg game could be a game where we get more chance to attack. DHL Newlands is always a trickier place for attacking. My frustration is because I know we have a really electric back three. Through no fault of his own, we’ve hardly seen Sergeal Petersen yet this season. Leolin Zas, who was really electric in the curtain-raiser, is also back to his best,” he said.
