John Dobson is wary of the upcoming Champions Cup playoff becoming a try fest as his DHL Stormers side prepares to host a Harlequins outfit known for a similar high-risk, high-reward style.
The Stormers will square off against 2021 Premiership champions Harlequins in the last 16 of the Champions Cup in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
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After giving his Springbok players a game to shake off the rust of a four-week break in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against Leinster, Dobson will be able to field a strong side for the European playoff.
However, the Stormers head coach is wary of a Harlequins side that, much like his own team, has the capability of punishing the opposition from anywhere on the field.
Harlequins are currently in eighth place out of 11 teams in the Premiership and have only won one domestic game this year – a 40-5 thrashing of Exeter Chiefs – but Dobson isn’t reading too much into recent form.
“I saw them put 40 points on Exeter a couple of weeks ago. They were English champions a couple of years ago and the way they came back in that final was incredible. I think they deserve enormous credit for the type of rugby they play. To play rugby like this in English conditions the way they do, it’s amazing.
“It is a high-risk game and some days it doesn’t happen for them. But to play this style in south-west London, it’s great for rugby.
“If they get quick ball and click in our conditions, they can put us under real pressure defensively. I just hope they don’t click.”
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Dobson isn’t shying from the importance of Saturday’s clash, which if won by the Stormers, would see the Cape side progress to the Champions Cup quarter-finals next weekend.
“This season has in some ways exceeded last season in terms of building depth and cementing us,” said Dobson. “Sitting here right now, we are 18 points clear in the SA shield. We could win nothing trophy-wise, which is a reality.
“The missing piece would be this Saturday. This puts you in the top eight of Europe with the likes of Saracens, La Rochelle and Toulouse. It would make it a really successful season, which is why Saturday is really important for us.”
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At the time, Dobson said he is managing the expectations of his side. The Stormers could host a quarter-final against Montpellier if both teams win.
However, if the French outfit loses to Exeter Chiefs, it would mean a trip to England for the Stormers, before their final two home round-robin URC games against Munster and Benetton.
“We can either be here next week, at Sandy Park (in England) or off. That’s a stark grounder and shows the nature of this knockout competition.
“There’s a dream of playing knockout rugby here (this week) and (possibly) next week. It’s in our hands to be amongst the top eight in Europe and South Africa.
“Harlequins are a good team, there are two international props [Springbok tighthead Wilco Louw and England’s Joe Marler].
“There’s the English axis at halfback [Danny Care and Marcus Smith] with [centre] Andre Esterhuizen who was the Players’ Player of the Season in the Premiership last season. So there’s a couple of reasons to keep the expectations in check.”
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