After beating Leicester Tigers to book their berth in the last 16, the Stormers believe they have a squad capable of competing and going deep in the Investec Champions Cup, coach John Dobson said.
The Cape side qualified for the knockout rounds when they beat a tenacious Leicester Tigers side 39-26 in front of 25,000 fans at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
It was a bruising contest, and the Stormers had to play with 14 men after skipper Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was on the receiving end of a yellow card in the 62nd minute for leading with an elbow.
“This was proper European rugby,” Dobson said. “Win this competition; you’re the best team in Europe. We believe we now have a squad that can genuinely compete, and that’s always been the dream.
“It was a stressful game, a proper contest. I know Leicester left a few guys at home.
“That narrative comes up every week in this tournament — who’s injured, who’s unavailable. It was still a really good Leicester team.
“They were organised and put us under pressure, especially in the first half when we were a bit flat and not putting pressure on the set piece or their lineout.
“Losing your skipper when you’re one point ahead is tricky.
“You go down to 14 men, and somehow we score the try that clinches the game. That’s the story of this team — the fight.”
Feinberg-Mngomezulu said he enjoyed leading the Stormers for the first time, and the game had been a real test of character.
“It was a really tough game, and there were patches where I had to lean on other leaders,” he said.
“A lot of the guys I’m leading are the same guys who took me under their wing when I was 18 or 19. It’s a full-circle moment and a great experience.
“Our DNA has brought us success and trophies, so we lean on it.
“But the next step is knowing when to kick and manage territory.
“When we follow the plan, we put points on teams. Sometimes we drift, and it comes from a good place, but it costs us.
“We train in mixed combinations all the time, so the next guy is always prepared.”
Asked if he felt pressure in his first game as captain, Feinberg-Mngomezulu said: “It is going to sound so weird, but whenever I am in this team, for some reason I do not feel like we are going to lose.
“I think that is from the DNA the coaches have instilled in us, and everyone is switched on for 80 minutes.
“I did not feel much pressure, but I did feel responsibility to make sure we won this game.”
Scorers:
Stormers 39: Tries: Jonathan Roche, Andre-Hugo Venter, Leolin Zas, JD Schickerling and Imad Khan. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3), Imad Kahn; Penalties: Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Kahn.
Leicester Tigers 26: Tries: George Pearson, Will Wand, Jamie Blamire and Tom Manz. Conversions: Billy Searle (3).
In another Champions League match, the Sharks beat Clermont 50-12 at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.
Sharks 50: Tries: Aphelele Fassi (2), Jaden Hendrikse, Vincent Koch, Phiko Sobahle, Siya Masuku, Phepsi Buthelezi and Jurenzo Julius. Conversions: Jordan Hendrikse (4), Siya Masuku.
Clermont 12: Tries: Joris Jurand and Kylan Hamdaoui. Conversion: Lucas Zamora.
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