AnalysisProvincialTimesLIVE Rugby3d ago· updated 2d ago

Dobson eyes Champions Cup history as Stormers prepare to 'spin and win' against Toulon

Dobson knows the Stormers can't out-muscle Toulon and is planning to spin and win — but he's also flagged some attacking patience issues that will need fixing before Saturday's Champions Cup last-16 clash.

Dobson is under no illusions about what awaits at Stade Mayol — he's flagged Toulon's scrum dominance as the central challenge, acknowledging the Stormers are unlikely to win a grinding forward battle and will need to move the ball to create their opportunities. The historical context isn't lost on him either: no South African side has reached a Champions Cup semifinal, and that milestone is clearly part of the motivation.

Beyond the Toulon preview, Dobson used the post-Edinburgh win to flag some internal concerns — specifically the team's poor 22m entry efficiency and a lack of patience in attacking positions. The intercept try that kept Edinburgh in the game early is the kind of error that can be costly against Top 14 opposition. The broader picture, though, is a Stormers squad that's second on the URC log, quietly building front-row depth, and now facing their biggest European test of the season on hostile ground.

Read the originalRead the full piece on TimesLIVE Rugby

Tagged

Stormers' Connacht gift complicates top-spot hunt as Glasgow bogey looms in Cape Town

The Stormers' failure to close out Connacht at home has turned what should have been a log-leading position into a must-win clash against their bogey team Glasgow — and even a win may not be enough to go top.

AnalysisProvincial

Willemse on the Wing Is a Luxury the Stormers Can't Afford

The author argues that deploying Willemse on the wing — well-intentioned as it may be — pulls one of the Stormers' most effective operators away from where he's actually needed, at a point in the season when every selection call counts.

AnalysisGeneral

SA franchises under the microscope as URC climax looms and Sharks hit rock bottom

The Stormers' late collapse and the Sharks' elimination from URC contention dominate Planet Rugby's weekly hot-and-not column, with Moana Pasifika's Super Rugby exit adding to a grim weekend for rugby's finances.

AnalysisProvincial

Dobson admits Willemse wing experiment has run its course ahead of crunch Glasgow clash

Dobson concedes the Willemse-at-wing experiment must end, but with Senatla still out, Hartzenberg's fitness is the key variable as the Stormers prepare for a must-win clash against Glasgow.

ReportProvincial

Scarra Ntubeni to bow out with final home appearance for Stormers

Siyabonga 'Scarra' Ntubeni will play his final game for the Stormers against Connacht at Cape Town Stadium in URC Round 15. The 35-year-old hooker, who reached 100 Stormers caps in December 2023, says he will remain available as cover should the squad need him. His solitary Test cap came against Argentina in 2019.