Stormers coach John Dobson is focused on his project with Cape side. Picture: Thinus Maritz, BackpagePix
Cape Town – A possible second successive United Rugby Championship (URC) title is unlikely to sway John Dobson from leaving his beloved Stormers and putting his name into the hat for the Springbok job next year.
The Cape side advanced to the United Rugby Championship final once more following a 43-25 semi-final victory over Connacht last weekend, and they will take on Munster in the May 27 title decider at the Cape Town Stadium.
Apart from the success of the team, the kind of rugby that the Stormers are playing have not only captured the imagination of the public – there were over 47,000 spectators at the match last Saturday – but also put Dobson in the spotlight as a possible replacement for Jacques Nienaber as the Bok head coach in 2024.
Nienaber is joining Leinster as a senior coach after the Rugby World Cup in France towards the end of the year, and Dobson’s attacking mindset is something that can take the Boks to the next level.
But Dobson won’t give up his current gig just yet.
“It’s not something we’ve even talked about. I really believe in this project we’re doing here. I want to make Cape Town smile,” he said this week.
“In a funny way, we’ve not overachieved, but to host every single URC play-off game is a remarkable achievement. But we are probably ahead of the substance of where we are … We probably need a bit more depth, we need a few more players.
“We need our pathway system firing. We need to come out of administration and all that stuff. On the surface, we look fantastic, but there is a lot of work still to go into this project.
“I can’t say to them ‘Chaps, this means everything to the people of Cape Town’ and everything, and then I get the foreman’s job – and I pack my lunch and say ‘Goodbye chaps’.
“I am very keen to see this project through – that’s the most important thing for me.”