John Dobson — the man who changed the Stormers’ fortunes

A big congratulations needs to go out to John Dobson!

To lead your team to two United Rugby Championship finals is a remarkable achievement and that is what Dobson and his coaching team have done.

The Stormers, after winning the inaugural competition last year, are now again in the final, and again in Cape Town on home soil. They will certainly start as favourites against Munster next weekend, though it was the Irish side who ended their unbeaten home run just a few weeks ago.

But we cannot take anything away from how wonderfully well the Stormers have performed in recent times and what a remarkable job Dobson has done.

Challenges

Dobson took over the Stormers team in 2019 after first coaching the UCT Ikeys and the WP juniors and then later seniors, and he had a pretty rough time when Covid hit in 2020, and when the Bulls, under Jake White, won back-to-back Currie Cups and the Super Rugby Unlocked competition.

Added to this, there was turmoil in the offices at Western Province headquarters, with interference and all sorts of other things going on under Zelt Marais.

SA Rugby stepped in and took charge and then the likes of Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende decided to move on. Other lesser-known players also opted out of Western Province.

Players

Dobson though, a WP man through-and-through, stayed put when he, too, could have chosen to leave and he convinced a few other key men to stay as well. He made playing rugby the most important thing at the Cape-based union, put all the politics and office matters behind him, and recruited smartly as he turned the ailing Stormers into a championship winning team in 2022.

Their triumph in the first edition of the URC was a stunning achievement.

ALSO READ: Stormers prove last year’s URC title was no flash in the pan result

Home-grown men such as Damian Willemse, Dan du Plessis, Evan Roos and Herschel Jantjies have flourished, while Dobson gave lifelines to the likes of Manie Libbok, Joseph Dweba and Hacjivah Dayimani among others and how they have soared under his coaching.

The Stormers are now one win away from going back-to-back in the URC. And, considering everything that’s happened in Cape rugby in recent times, who would bet against them now?