Coach John Dobson admits the Stormers were fortunate to escape with a 34-27 win over the Lions at Cape Town Stadium.
Having trailed 17-10 at half-time, the hosts relied on their bench impact and defensive resolve to claim a bonus-point victory that stretched their winning start to the Vodacom URC season to seven matches.
Dobson conceded his side were physically second-best early on.
“We missed two kick-offs and physically they were on top of us for a large portion of the game,” he said. “We knew they’d come hard and that we’d have to weather the storm, but I didn’t expect them to get so many yards so easily.”
The Stormers clawed their way back, but Dobson was unhappy with how they managed the final quarter.
“The overriding disappointment for me was how we didn’t close that game out,” he said. “At 14 points up, we should never have made it that difficult. That’s normally something we’re very good at.”
However, Dobson acknowledged the resilience shown by his side under sustained pressure.
“There’s something in this group,” he said. “We don’t have a squad full of big names. It’s just a bunch of guys willing to work for each other and do the ugly, unseen stuff.”
Captain Salmaan Moerat praised the collective effort, particularly up front.
“We’re getting a lot of reward off our scrum, which is giving us entries into the 22,” Moerat said. “A lot of credit must go to [forwards] Coach Rito [Hlungwani] and the boys for the work they’ve put into the maul and lineout.”
Moerat also played down concerns over the playing surface following last week’s motocross event.
“The bounce of the ball was hectic at times, but overall the pitch held nicely,” he said. “Conditions were the same for both teams.”
Dobson was full of praise for Man of the Match Paul de Villiers, who delivered another standout performance at openside flank.
“He’s special. You could see the Lions actively avoiding him. He’s bailed us out a lot this season.”
While pleased to remain top of the URC standings, Dobson insisted there was little room for complacency.
“We’re doing an amazing job, but we’re not quite there yet,” he said. “This was a tough derby, and we’ll be better for the lessons we take from it.”
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
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