Dobson wants a South African side in Champions Cup semi-finals

Stormers coach John Dobson believes South African teams must make a deeper impression in the Champions Cup this season to silence European critics who question whether they belong in the competition.

With the French and English in particular suggesting South African sides do not respect the tournament enough, Dobson wants one of them to reach at least the semi-finals — and believes the stakes go beyond results on the field.

“We need a South African team to make a semi-final or a final this season. From our side, we want to respect it, and the way to do that is to do well in it,” he said.

“It’s a prestigious competition. We want to test ourselves against the best teams in the world. We want to be at the top table of world rugby, so we’re desperate to stay part of it.”

Dobson also believes the Champions Cup adds considerable value to the local rugby landscape, even if South African supporters are still getting to grips with its traditions and cast of elite European clubs.

“I think our inventory for the public here in Cape Town would look poorer without this and without our participation,” he said.

“It’s a year behind the United Rugby Championship with the South African public. People now know who the Ospreys are, but we’ve never played Bristol before. We’ve never played Bordeaux before. There’s a constant education piece around this tournament.”

The Stormers will get a taste of English rugby when they face Bristol in Cape Town on Saturday (4.15pm), a side Dobson knows can inflict serious damage. The Bears stunned the Bulls 61-49 at Loftus Versfeld last season, underlining their capacity to turn a match into an attacking shootout.

“They’re a team that can turn it on. I know Pat Lam, who I coached with at the Barbarians. He’ll want to have a crack at us,” Dobson said.

“They won at Loftus, which is not an easy place to go. They’ve always been an excellent attacking team, but I’m seeing more dog in their defence, a lot more competition at the breakdown, and a lot more directness in the 22 than maybe they were a while ago with the pick-and-goes.

“Their maul is the best in the Premiership at the moment, which is not something we associate with Bristol. They’re going to keep our diaries full, especially defensively.”

Dobson says English teams generally combine tactical discipline with a stubbornness that makes them difficult to put away.

“There has been only one time we got away from an English side. That was Sale Sharks two years ago; we put 40-odd on them.

“The English teams are organised, and they show a real British bulldog tenacity, and it’ll be the same from Bristol. Watching their Premiership … it’s almost Any Given Sunday stuff,” Dobson said of the famous sports drama movie.