A number of my colleagues in our industry have been trying to suss out what exactly makes Stormers head coach John Dobson so different to the other coaches around.
Dobbo, as he’s known, had to field questions to the tune of what makes him different from the others in recent weeks. Despite chopping and changing his side, the coach’s Stormers have continued their winning streak.
You can see him being a bit uncomfortable talking about his success and he usually just reflects it and credits the team.
Claiming the @Vodacom #URC SA Shield with three games to go while also building plenty of depth is a 'special feeling' for our team and our incredible fans. #iamastormer #dhldelivershttps://t.co/FP9QvknI1e
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) March 7, 2023
The answer to that question, though, is - from where I’m standing - a real will to make a difference and to be true to his word.
The evidence of can be witnessed in this year’s Currie Cup, which kicks off at Ellis Park on Saturday when Western Province visit the Golden Lions.
🏆The @LionsRugbyCo and @WP_RUGBY have dished up some incredible #CurrieCup moments over the years.
— The Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) March 9, 2023
Expect some more when the two sides meet on Saturday.#WhereLegendsRise pic.twitter.com/LoGAIWVwmT
Under Jerome Paarwater’s mentorship last season Province finished second from bottom after winning just three matches from 12.
With the rest of the United Rugby Championship coaches not on Currie Cup duty - Gert Smal, amd not Jake White, coaches the Blue Bulls, Mziwakhe Nkosi, and not Cash van Rooyen coaches the Golden Lions and Joey Mongalo, and not Neil Powell mentoring the Sharks, Dobson is willing to go the extra mile.
And the reasoning is clear: it’s here where he wants to build the depth for the Stormers. And he wants to do so by giving the youngsters the same level of coaching the top brasse get.
What a sacrifice!
In his own words: “What we promised the team was to create a real sense of belonging and the bigger squad we need [to compete in Europe], I don’t think it’s necessarily right for us then to ask other coaches [to take charge of the team].
“We really want to get to know the players better and give them exactly the same service levels as the URC team. It gives them a fairer chance to compete next year. It just feels like the right thing to do for some of those players.
“Some of the guys, maybe a Kwenzo Blose, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Andre-Hugo Venter and Connor Evans and there are many more, haven’t got the game time in the URC.
“[Also] we haven’t been at the Currie Cup sharp-end of the Currie Cup for a while, we missed out last year, so we want to make the supporters proud and show that the Currie Cup is still important in the Cape.”
The willingness to go the extra mile if it means the players benefit is, in my books, what sets Dobson apart from the rest.
And yes, things might not turn out the way Province fans would like it to this year already, but at least there is a bigger picture at play here.
Also, you can probably tell that I’ve made peace with the fact that the Currie Cup is now a feeder tournament.