Dobson: Stormers primed for ‘something special’ against champions Glasgow Warriors in URC quarter-final

Tonight, the Stormers will face off against the Glasgow Warriors in a highly anticipated United Rugby Championship quarter-final at the Scotstoun Stadium where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

For the Stormers, this is not just any knockout match – it represents an opportunity to finally exorcise the demons of their record in Glasgow.

The Cape side have never managed to win at the venue that has long been a fortress for the home side.

With both teams in solid form heading into the business end of the season, this quarter-final (8.35pm start) offers the promise of glory and the threat of early elimination.

As the visitors look to secure a semi-final spot, they’ll need to overcome not only Glasgow’s formidable home advantage, but also the mental hurdle of past disappointments at the stadium.

Despite their impressive run in the competition, the Stormers’ struggles are well documented, and they are currently on a four-match losing streak against the defending URC champions.

The Warriors’ physical style of play up front and their attacking expertise in the backline have often proved too much for visiting sides, and John Dobson’s men have been no exception.

Yet, they come into this match with renewed confidence after a strong regular-season finish, bolstered by a dynamic squad that includes some of the competition’s top performers.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, nominated earlier this week for the SA URC Player of the Season award, is back at flyhalf at the expense of Manie Libbok. The latter will make an impact off the bench.

Dobson also made a couple of other changes, bringing Suleiman Hartzenberg in at outside centre to partner Dan du Plessis in the absence of the suspended Damian Willemse.

“That (flyhalf) and (the decision at) 13 took a lot of talking through ahead of the selection,” the Stormers director of rugby admitted in his pre-match press conference yesterday.

“Understanding the conditions, the field, the form we’ve been and what we need, there were some strong arguments for Manie playing at 10 and Sacha at 12.

“But we felt it was less disruptive for the team.

“We’ve found a certain rhythm with Sacha at 10 over the last while, and that is a big reason why we went with that.

“To bring two Springboks off the bench in Manie and Herschel (Jantjies) and allow Sacha to go where he is needed, that is pretty powerful for us.”

While Glasgow will miss the presence of Huw Jones in the midfield, Dobson said they’ve made special plans to stop the bustling runs of his centre mate Sione Tuipulotu.

The Scottish international played a rampaging role in the Warriors’ win over the Cape side at the start of the season in Stellenbosch.

But he also warned that they must be aware of the Glasgow forwards’ prowess, especially at scrum time and at the breakdown.

They are known to find clever ways to disrupt their opposition’s possession, and the Stormers must be aware of those tricks.

“Defence has probably been our key focus. Their style of rugby, the depth they have and their understanding of the pitch and the 4G factor, they got around us on the attack in the past,” Dobson said.

“We drowned ourselves by using our line-speed to get to them, but we actually didn’t get to them.

“They have a ball-in-hand approach and play a lot of phases before kicking the ball.

“It is not Leinster-like robotic... It’s good rugby, and with their X-factor players, we have plenty of respect for them. It is a blow for us that Damian Willemse is not there.

“It will be a test for us, but I feel something special brewing in our team.

“The one thing I can guarantee is that this team will fight on Friday night, and they will be at the sharp end of it.

“They have a great record at home, but we have fight in us, and we’ve shown it this season.”

To advance to the semis, the Stormers will need to play a flawless game, focusing on discipline, getting into the right areas of the field, set-piece dominance, and using the opportunities they create – all while attempting to break the psychological barrier that has haunted them in Glasgow.

Stormers Team

15 Warrick Gelant 14 Ben Loader 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg 12 Dan du Plessis 11 Seabelo Senatla 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 9 Stefan Ungerer 8 Evan Roos 7 Marcel Theunissen 6 Paul de Villiers 5 Ruben van Heerden 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain) 3 Neethling Fouché 2 André-Hugo Venter 1 Ali Vermaak.

Bench: 16 Joseph Dweba 17 Vernon Matongo 18 Sazi Sandi 19 JD Schickerling 20 Connor Evans 21 Louw Nel 22 Herschel Jantjies 23 Manie Libbok.