DHL Stormers travel to Glasgow for the quarter-finals, excited by the opportunity to win the Vodacom URC Play-Offs for the first time on the road. dylan jack report.
Fifth placed DHL Stormers will take on Glasgow Warriors (fourth placed) at Scotstoun Stadium on Saturday night.
The Stormers, who have played all six of their previous URC play-offs in Cape Town, face the challenge of reaching the first quarter-finals on the road.
The Stormers have suffered defeat in their last two visits to Glasgow, but John Dobson says his side are keen to prove they can achieve big play-off wins without the comfort of home.
“It is a fair 4th vs. 5th clash in terms of results, history, and everything else. “It’s always difficult.” Dobson said.
“There is unfinished business out there. We had two really tough games where things didn’t go our way. This is a record we want to correct.
“That’s where we need to be. Glasgow plays a good brand of rugby. They are full of Scottish players. So it will be a good test, but we are ready for it.”
A four-game winless tour last November left the Stormers behind early in the season.
The Stormers moved back up to 5th place, matching their winning percentage from the previous two URC campaigns, but the Stormers had to play hard and lacked a bit of freedom to play with when they enjoyed home runs in the play-offs.
Nonetheless, Dobson says that seeing the opportunity to travel for the playoffs and moving up the rankings has made the team feel like they deserve to be in the playoffs.
“Looking at the project and where we are, we are very happy to have qualified for the play-offs and remain in the Champions Cup next season,” Dobson said.
“We want to play at the DHL Stadium, but for this team to really improve and become the team we want to be, we need to win away games.
“Funny, welcome. That’s good for us. Ironically, we went from 18 to 12 in three years. Our odds of winning are the same.
“After returning from the early season tour I told the team I felt like I had been stabbed in the throat the whole season. It adds to the pressure. It’s good to overcome that and take 5th place.
“It seems like there is an opportunity here, not a threat. I don’t think we’re under tremendous pressure. “We are excited to go abroad for a few weeks.”
The Stormers’ previous trip to Glasgow started the tour without a win as they lost Evan Roos and Joseph Dweba to yellow cards and lost 20-9 in a match in which they struggled to put a dent on the scoreboard.
But this time, with Manie Libbok and Frans Malherbe traveling and boosted by nine points from their last two games in the north against the Dragons and Connacht, the Stormers are confident they can banish the ghosts of that performance.
“The last time we were there in November we were a little gaunt. In terms of our evolution, we are a better team considering we went from 4 to 0 on the tour in November.
“I think we are better equipped for this trip. It’s good that we have players like Mani and Frans because they are world-class players.
“The last time we were there, everything went wrong in terms of set-pieces and yellow cards, so we aborted the kick-off. It was just a car accident.
“We will not go there intimidated by our previous experiences. In fact, there is some optimism. Since it’s 4 to 5, there isn’t much of a problem between us. “The game is on.”
Photo: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency/Gallo Images
