"A Massive Boost" – Stormers coach Dobson targets URC top six as Springbok stars return

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DHL Stormers head coach John Dobson has set his sights on a top-six finish in the BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) as his squad welcomes back several key players for the crucial run-in to the playoffs.

The Stormers reignited their season with a gritty 19-16 victory over the high-flying Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, snapping a three-match losing streak. Despite currently sitting 12th in the standings, they are just one point away from breaking into the all-important top eight.

Looking ahead, the Cape-based side now embarks on a European tour, with away fixtures against the Scarlets and Ulster Rugby, before concluding their regular season campaign with four consecutive home games against Connacht Rugby, Benetton Rugby, Dragons RFC, and Cardiff Rugby.

Pathway to the Playoffs

"We go on tour now and then we have got a nice four-game home run," said Dobson. "If we can get one win on tour and 18 out of 20 points from the home games, that should put us properly in the mix. It will put us up to sixth if other results go as planned.

"You don't really want to finish eighth because you are then going to the Aviva to play a fully loaded Leinster. Sixth could see us play the Sharks or the Bulls which would be fantastic for us.

"We want all the teams competing with us to lose all the time. You concede that Leinster, Glasgow, Bulls and Sharks are going to finish above us, so let them go. But let Munster, Scarlets, Cardiff, Edinburgh and all these guys lose.

"I'm just sorry we aren't going to get a home quarter-final. I think it is too late for that unfortunately. That's extremely unlikely. But we should be in the top eight and the play-offs and hopefully good enough to go pretty far. Anything can happen after that."

The Stormers have received a significant boost with the return of several influential players. Springboks Damian Willemse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu are fit again, alongside fellow backline star Suleiman Hartzenburg and lock Connor Evans.

"Having these players back is absolutely immense. That's going to be a massive boost for our game model," said Dobson.

"It's fantastic to welcome back such key players and they are all keen to make a big impression. It will boost morale and allow us to be more attacking."

The Stormers' immediate focus is their upcoming clash against the Scarlets, who are level on points with them. A trip to Belfast to take on Ulster follows a week later.

"The technical focus will be around our transition game, our counter-attack – given the return of the X-factor players – and our power in the front row," said Dobson.

"The Scarlets are a team that play quite attractive rugby, so it should be quite an open game."

Reflecting on the victory over the Bulls, Dobson praised his team's resilience and determination.

"There was a sense of relief, cheerfulness and excitement. It's a special place to win, Loftus. We just fought and fought and fought for every scrap. That was the most pleasing thing – our fight. There were no lost causes.

"We got the chance to sing the team song. We hadn't sung it for quite a few weeks. It was a very different dressing room. It's a much happier camp now. I think we have reason to be excited."

Centre Wandisile Simelane echoed his coach's sentiments and looked forward to the European tour.

"We are looking forward to going on tour. We are aware of where we stand on the log and it's going to be a very important trip for us over the next two weeks. We are well prepped and ready to take on the Scarlets and Ulster.

"It's pretty cold up there, but it's always fun to go on tour and chill around with the boys and spend more time together than we do in Cape Town."

With their season back on track and key players returning, the Stormers are primed for a strong push toward the URC playoffs. The next few weeks will be decisive in shaping their path forward.

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