Libbok wasn't alone. Evan Roos grew increasingly influential as did Marvin Orie and Sacha Mngomezulu. Herschel Jantjies and Nama Xaba also made telling contributions off the bench.
The Stormers bench closed out the game better than their Lions counterparts. Xaba helped them up the tempo. “He was also absolutely outstanding in Cardiff,” Dobson reminded.
“We had to make changes (in the second half). People might say it was tactical genius but we had to make them because we were worried because we needed more energy,” said the coach who opted for a six/two bench split.
Given the weakened team he assembled and the performance of the bench, Dobson had reason to enthuse about the depth in his squad. “In the whole off-season I was stressing about that. We are going to have great selection headaches. We will have so much competition for places in a few weeks. Now I'm more worried about performance.”
Dobson agreed his team looked disjointed in the first half, a result perhaps of making eight changes to the team.
“The penalty count was off the charts. Giving away 11 penalties in a half you lose territory. Our line-out was poor giving up five or six in the game,” said the coach.
They however showed renewed resolve in the second half as they played with greater application and urgency.
The defending champions could not afford to drop log points for a third consecutive match. Dobson feels that was essential before their three-week break. “We go into this break feeling slightly better about ourselves. But we are not going to be too self congratulatory.”
The Lions however will have much to lament. They made all the running in the first half but were held scoreless in the second. Their three-match winning streak abroad now seems a distant memory. They have since lost to Ulster, their match against Glasgow Warriors got postponed before the Stormers inflicted more pain at Ellis Park.
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Stormers showed their depth inflicting more pain on the Lions
Image: Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images
Stormers coach John Dobson, while frustrated by his team's errant ways in the first half, stood in awe of their second half revival in their 31-22 United Rugby Championship (URC) win over the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Stormers won their first game in three starts to condemn the Lions to a defeat that keeps them without a win at home this season.
Though the Stormers were without several experienced Springboks, he still had a healthy sprinkling of players bound for the northern hemisphere.
In the first half it looked like those players were already weighing up their meal options on their Europe-bound flight.
“In 2018 we played a Currie Cup final and the Springboks were leaving that evening,” Dobson recalled. “There were a whole lot of new Springboks. The guys were on the plane in their heads. I can understand that. The worst thing for Manie Libbok was to get injured in this game so for him to produce a performance like that, I am very pleased with that,” said Dobson.
Libbok wasn't alone. Evan Roos grew increasingly influential as did Marvin Orie and Sacha Mngomezulu. Herschel Jantjies and Nama Xaba also made telling contributions off the bench.
The Stormers bench closed out the game better than their Lions counterparts. Xaba helped them up the tempo. “He was also absolutely outstanding in Cardiff,” Dobson reminded.
“We had to make changes (in the second half). People might say it was tactical genius but we had to make them because we were worried because we needed more energy,” said the coach who opted for a six/two bench split.
Given the weakened team he assembled and the performance of the bench, Dobson had reason to enthuse about the depth in his squad. “In the whole off-season I was stressing about that. We are going to have great selection headaches. We will have so much competition for places in a few weeks. Now I'm more worried about performance.”
Dobson agreed his team looked disjointed in the first half, a result perhaps of making eight changes to the team.
“The penalty count was off the charts. Giving away 11 penalties in a half you lose territory. Our line-out was poor giving up five or six in the game,” said the coach.
They however showed renewed resolve in the second half as they played with greater application and urgency.
The defending champions could not afford to drop log points for a third consecutive match. Dobson feels that was essential before their three-week break. “We go into this break feeling slightly better about ourselves. But we are not going to be too self congratulatory.”
The Lions however will have much to lament. They made all the running in the first half but were held scoreless in the second. Their three-match winning streak abroad now seems a distant memory. They have since lost to Ulster, their match against Glasgow Warriors got postponed before the Stormers inflicted more pain at Ellis Park.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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