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- Stormers coach John Dobson says they got out of jail in their win over the Cougars in Nelspruit on Friday night.
- The Cape side canceled a 37-14 deficit in the second half to win 42-37.
- Dobson praised the Stormers substitutes for helping turn the tide of the game.
“That was a robbery!”
This was the Stormers coach John dobson response after his team achieved a 42-37 Super Rugby Unlocked victory over the Pumas in Nelspruit on Friday night.
The Pumas led 37-14 midway through the second half before the Cape’s team launched a surprising comeback to surprise their hosts.
Dobson told reporters afterward that his charges were lucky to be victorious.
“Probably all we showed was some character towards the end. We were very well defeated, the Pumas were outstanding, they probably gave up two or three attempts,” said the coach.
Dobson, however, praised the character of his players, especially his substitutes.
“We were poor and we were badly beaten – [but] you just can’t train [the] kind of character that came from those guys – all of our Springboks were off and it was our next level that really stood up and I’m very proud of that. “
The Pumas had the Stormers under pressure in the first verse with their direct approach and the boot of midfielder Eddie Fouche trailing them.
The hosts led 20-7 after the first quarter, but then took a cruel blow when Fouche injured his knee in a ruck and had to be replaced.
Dobson said Fouche’s kicking game was instrumental in moving the Pumas forward.
“His kicking game … obviously a horrible injury to Eddie Fouche, I hope he’s okay … they really pinned us well in our own half and we screwed up lineup after lineup. They dominated territory, they beat us well.
“We were so beaten [up] and we had to show pride in the jersey because we are better than that. With 15 [minutes] to go, it was still the same story, literally the last 15 minutes, it was a big train robbery. “
Stormers flyhalf Tim Swiel’s boot was also vital – he made all six of his attempts – and ultimately made the difference. Swiel was a late replacement for Damian Willemse, who was struggling with a minor leg injury.
But it was the Stormers’ backups who left the biggest impression on their coach.
“Yeah they (the substitutes) made a big difference … Nama Xaba, Neethling Fouche, JD Schickerling, it probably should have started in hindsight,” added Dobson.
The Stormers also lost captain Siya Kolisi to a knee injury, but there was no immediate verdict on the severity of the injury.
