John Dobson eyeing home redemption after Edinburgh defeat caps disappointing tour for Stormers

The Stormers fell to a 38-7 loss in Edinburgh on Saturday night, marking the hosts' first victory of the season.

After recovering from a loss to the Ospreys in Bridgend with a bonus-point win in Parma, the Stormers will return to South Africa with five points from their season-opening three-match tour.

In his post-match comments in Edinburgh, Dobson expressed frustration over the second loss of the campaign but maintained confidence in the team's ability to find their rhythm at home.

"The next two games are important," Dobson said. "We've got the 2023 champions, Munster, and last year's champions, Glasgow Warriors. If we can regain our momentum at home, we'll be fine for the rest of the season."

"Even though we managed only one win from three on tour, it doesn't feel like last season. The key for us lies in the next two home games. If we can secure those, we'll be alive and kicking. There's a bit of pressure in that regard, but it doesn't feel like last year."

Despite being only seven points down at halftime after Ruhan Nel's try, the Stormers struggled with errors and indiscipline in the first half, allowing Edinburgh to seize control and secure a bonus-point win.

"We made too many mistakes," Dobson acknowledged. "We fell into chase mode, which hurt us. We were under pressure early on. There was one period just before their first try where we conceded five penalties in a row. Our lack of discipline put us under strain."

"After Edinburgh's second try, I felt we were strong for a while. I was confident at halftime. But when the score reached 21-7, we really started to chase, and that's when we performed poorly. We got frustrated. We need to take responsibility."

Dobson also mentioned some frustration within the Stormers camp regarding referee Ben Whitehouse's performance.

"We gave away penalties that we need to review, especially at scrum time," Dobson noted.

"I don't understand why we didn't get scrum advantages before halftime. I could elaborate further, but I'll keep those thoughts internal."

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