Warrick Gelant of the Stormers with his Man of the Match award could very well be among the players set to be rested by the Cape side. BackpagePix
The Stormers will look to rest a few of their top players in their next Champions Cup match in Paris on Saturday, but qualifying for the knockouts is still a top priority for the Cape outfit.
After taking Sale Sharks to the cleaners this past weekend in Cape Town, winning 40-0, their next target is Racing92 in the final group clash that could determine their progression in the competition.
They are on a three-match winning streak in all competitions and have bagged a maximum of 15 points in those matches.
Saturday's five points took them above Sale and Racing in Pool 4.
While their fate is still not in their own hands, they need five points in France and a win-favour from the Glasgow Warriors who face Harlequins in the final round, to make it into third place.
The Stormers are on the same points (five) as Harlequins, but in fourth because of a poorer points difference.
“We will go for it.”
“We will go for it,” Dobson said about the Racing clash.
“There is not one game that we won't challenge to win. But we might look to wrap one or two guys in cotton wool.
“The reality is, next weekend we play Leinster in Dublin (in the United Rugby Championship).
“So we might have to look at some guys who went through the Summer Series with high loads. But there is no doubt when we are on the field in France next week that we will be going for a win.
“We will either be playing for a place in the Challenge Cup or in the Round of 16.
“As a group, we pride ourselves in making the playoffs of every competition we've been in and we will be determined.”
“As a group, we pride ourselves in making the playoffs of every competition we've been in and we will be determined.”
The 28 players leaving for France will do so with a spring in their step after scoring some typical Stormers-running rugby tries against Sale.
It was an entertaining affair in the DHL Stadium in front of over 20 000 supporters in the middle of January.
Dobson was pleased they could treat the crowd with some spectacular tries even though they had to defend their try line at first to dot down six times eventually.
Prop Frans Malherbe copping a yellow card for repeated scrum infringements was the only blemish on the day, but Dobson was a bit sceptical about some of the calls that went against his Bok tighthead.
“He's got the world's best tighthead sin-binned in a half, that is an achievement.”
“I must be careful now, I don't want to be the cause of someone to stop refereeing.
“The AR (assistant referee) on the one side may not have played front row, I don't think so. He's got the world's best tighthead sin-binned in a half, that is an achievement.
“But I am pleased with the win and how things have gone over the last three games at home. We took 15 points from it (10 in the URC). I said once our (injured) personnel came back, it would be good for us.
“Our day job remains the URC.”
“We must just keep perspective where we are in the competitions. We are one from three wins in the Champions Cup and you must think about what next week could spit out and what comes thereafter.
“Our day job remains the URC.”
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