A hectic schedule of consecutive matches over the festive season, including a visit to rugby-starved Gqeberha, awaits the Stormers when they return to action after a four-week break because of the international window.
After they crashed to a 28-17 defeat against the Glasgow Warriors at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch last week, coach John Dobson has an opportunity to draw breath and take stock of his team’s situation.
After five games in the United Rugby Championship (URC), the Stormers are languishing in 13th spot on the 16-team log, though they have played a game fewer than the teams around them.
Dobson is confident a huge response will be forthcoming from his men when they return to action in the URC and Champions Cup.
He admits his team are up against it after earning only 10 points from their opening five games, and he will be demanding more intensity from his men.
First up is a tough clash against the Sharks in Durban on November 30, before the Stormers travel to Gqeberha to face French side Toulon in the Investec Champions Cup at the Nelson Mandela Stadium on December 7.
On December 14 they take on English side Harlequins in London in another Champions Cup clash before home URC games against the Lions (December 21) and Sharks (December 28).
The Stormers fought hard before going down against defending URC champions Glasgow Warriors in their final game before the international break.
The Scottish team scored two late tries to seal an important win on the road.
“We pushed during the opening spell against the Warriors and we really wanted this result,” Dobson said.
“The Stormers will now have a circuit break and some of the guys will get a couple of weeks’ rest. The Currie Cup guys will get their three-week break.
“The Sharks will be a massive game for us on November 30. We are up against it now. We know we aren’t the biggest chequebook team in the league, but we pride ourselves on exceeding the sum of our parts.
“Glasgow were good and we knew it would be a shoot-out like it was. We can look at ourselves individually around how well we played.
“Losing Damian Willemse to an injury was a big blow to our plans around this game. It was a massive blow.”
Willemse pulled up suddenly after scoring a try in the first half, with a groin injury that has ruled him out of the Springbok end-of-year tour.
“The lesson for me as a coach is that we tried to get some energy on the field, because we wanted to blow it open, but in the end we had nothing left,” Dobson said.
“We were trying to chase it with 14 men, which was tough.”
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