John Dobson was beaming after the DHL Stormers secured a home playoff in the Champions Cup on the back of a win against Stade Francais in frigid Paris on Saturday night. DYLAN JACK reports.
A 71st-minute try from Manie Libbok, on the flyhalf’s 50th appearance, helped the Stormers claim a nailbiting 24-20 victory at the Stade Jean-Bouin.
The bonus-point win elevated the Stormers to second place in Pool 4 and earned the Western Cape contenders the right to host a last-16 playoff for the second successive season.
“We are thrilled with the result. It was incredibly tough conditions,” Dobson said after the match. “During the game, you could visibly see the field freezing and players getting cold. We have never played in conditions like that.
“To qualify with a home playoff from the ‘Pool of Death’ is extraordinary. S0 we are very happy.”
The Stormers went into the break trailing by five points, which became 10 points just a few minutes into the second half.
However, a superb effort from the bench, which included a try-scoring cameo from replacement lock Hendre Stassen against his former side, helped the visitors secure a full house of points.
“That’s the plan generally. They made a huge difference,” Dobson said. “It made a massive difference in the pack and brought us real energy.”
While the match came to a thrilling conclusion, with the Stormers having to survive a last-minute onslaught after scoring their fourth try, Dobson said he was pleased with how the Stormers had responded to falling behind.
“Once they didn’t score that [second-half] try, when Deon [Fourie] intervened, I thought we got on top of them. I was frustrated that it took so long.
“The last two minutes were unbearable, after we conceded the scrum penalty, the blood pressure was high. But I can’t praise the team enough for fighting in those conditions against a pretty motivated Stade team.”
The Stormers will now have a three-week break, before returning to action in the Vodacom URC with a coastal derby against the Sharks in Durban on 17 February.
Photo: Dave Winter/INPHO/Shutterstock
