Stormers coach John Dobson did not hide his frustration over the condition of the Cape Town Stadium field ahead of Saturday’s Vodacom URC clash against the Lions.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Dobson admitted his players had been visibly disappointed when arriving at the venue earlier in the week.
Cape Town Stadium hosted an international World Supercross GP event a week ago and the field is looking the worse for wear.
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According to the Stormers coach, the state of the surface was an unwelcome distraction in what should be one of the highlights of the local rugby calendar.
“There was a very visible drop when we got here on Wednesday,” he said. “You could feel the sigh of disappointment from the players when they saw it.”
Cape Town Stadium chief operating officer Louw Visagie has defended the pitch, saying it was fit for purpose and met World Rugby standards.
The Stormers boss acknowledged the broader realities of a multi-use stadium, but stressed that beside the optics, the state of the pitch undermined the home side’s strengths and the overall spectacle of an SA derby clash.
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“Our game model is built around applying pressure,” he explained. “We want to scrum, we want to maul, and that often requires traction. If you take that away, you take away our ability to control the game in the way we want to.
“I understand the bigger picture – the stadium needs to generate revenue to exist. The staff here are fantastic and they go out of their way to make us feel welcome, but there’s got to be a better system.
“It’s got a chance to affect performance, the experience in the stadium and even how it looks on TV. This should be a showpiece game. You want the pitch to add to the spectacle, not take away from it.”
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Stormers captain Salmaan Moerat echoed concerns around the playing surface, saying the team would need to adapt.
“The obvious thing is the set-piece,” he said. “We’ll have to see how it holds up on the day. The bounce of the ball will also be different, and that affects the backfield as well.
“These derbies are special. Fans come to see a contest played at the highest level, and the surface plays a role in that.”
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Photo: Supplied/Stephen Nell/Netwerk24
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