John Dobson believes the Stormers are playing for more than just victory against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Friday night.
New Zealand are on their full first tour of South Africa in 30 years, with reciprocal tours already scheduled for 2030 and 2034.
But Dobson warned the concept will lose its appeal if the local clubs fail to provide genuine competition.
“If traditional tours are to have value we, meaning the South African clubs the All Blacks will face on this trip, need to win a game. We can’t just roll over and have our tummies tickled,” he said.
“If that happens again this is not going to work, and the concept of the traditional tour will be under threat and hard to sustain for future visits of teams like the All Blacks.”
Dobson pointed to the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour, when lockdown restrictions robbed the series of much of its spectacle.
“Due to it being played during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, that Lions tour was an unsatisfactory product. The teams were in a bubble, we had players in quarantine, the games were played in front of empty stadiums. And all the local club teams took heavy hidings. The Lions won their games by 60 points or more.”
The Stormers face a significant challenge. Like the Vodacom Bulls, Sharks and Lions, they are between seasons, have not played competitively for at least two months and are without several Springboks, including Damian Willemse, Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
However, they have been boosted by the release of hooker André-Hugo Venter, prop Ntuthuko Mchunu and No 8 Evan Roos from the Springbok squad, while Junior Springbok World Championship-winning flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed is set to make his debut.
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Dobson admitted he initially questioned the timing of the fixture but said the occasion has grown in significance.
“When this game first came out it was the wrong time and we felt it would stuff up our pre-season. But then it became clear to me that the players desperately want to play in this game, and as the game has approached the magnitude of it has just got bigger and bigger.”
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The Stormers have also drawn inspiration from the last Western Province side to beat the All Blacks – the famous 1976 team.
Bossie Clarke and Peter Whipp, who played in that historic 12-11 victory at Newlands, presented the Stormers with their jerseys this week.
“We feel we have the responsibility to our history, to the memory of the famous win over the All Blacks in 1976, to give this game a full go and not hold back,” said Dobson.
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Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images
The post Dobbo: Traditional tours at stake appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
John Dobson believes the Stormers are playing for more than just victory against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Friday night.
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