The Stormers are facing a gauntlet, says coach John Dobson

A 30-23 defeat at the hands of the Lions on Saturday marked the third consecutive loss for the Cape Town franchise, who sit in tenth on the URC table with 24 points amid a logjam. No less than six teams are within two points of each other midtable. Scarlets currently occupy eighth, the final playoff spot, on 27 points.

The Stormers face the Bulls in Pretoria on 1 March, which is followed by a tricky trip north to Scarlets and Munster. Speaking to the media after the match, Dobson admitted they will have to turn their season around immediately, with these next three fixtures becoming crucial.

"We had this match [against the Lions], and in two weeks we are in Pretoria, and then we've got matches in Llanelli [Scarlets] and Belfast [Ulster]," said Dobson.

"We had to win two out of these four because we've got a nice home run and we think that could get us enough points.

"Unfortunately, not winning today [Saturday] leaves us needing two wins out of the next three. We pretty much have to win in Pretoria to stay alive. It's easier said than done.

"Next week is a slightly down week. We will train and we can't go off - we don't deserve to go off. We've got plans to make for the Bulls.

"The reality is that it will be the same team that played last week [in a 32-33 defeat to the Bulls] and the same team that played today because none of our big names [on the injury list] will be back."

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