Gcobani Bobo backs Stormers to go all the way in URC
Gcobani Bobo backs the Stormers to win the United Rugby Championship, highlighting their grit and perfect record after a hard-fought 13-8 victory over the Bulls, who struggle in 11th place. Picture: BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
It may not have been a scintillating display of running rugby, but the Stormers’ 13-8 victory over the Bulls over the weekend could actually give a good indication of how far the Cape side will go in the United Rugby Championship (URC) this season.
That’s according to former Springboks and Stormers player Gcobani Bobo.
The Stormers secured the win with a try from a driving maul with two minutes left in the contest at the Cape Town Stadium.
The win ensured the Stormers’ top spot on the log, with 36 points and a perfect record after eight rounds.
Stormers Show Grit in Hard-Fought Victory Over Bulls
“The breakdown became a real dogfight and halted momentum for both teams. The Bulls came out with more turnovers early on, with Jacques Rudolph fronting up well. The Stormers countered this when Paul de Villiers came on,” Bobo told SportsBoom.co.za.
“What we’re seeing is the ‘dog’ in this Stormers side, the ability to grind out wins. That’s exactly what they had when they won it before.
“The buy-in from players is clear, and Capetonians will be talking about this win for a long time.”
Bulls Struggle in 11th Place Amid Coaching Changes and ‘Media Misinformation’
In contrast, the Bulls find themselves down in 11th with just three wins from eight.
Of course, they are a team in transition with assistant coaches Andries Bekker and Chris Rossouw leaving the franchise. It’s meant that coach Johan Ackermann has had to reshuffle his backroom staff, and producing results at this stage has proved difficult.
There were also reports that Springbok assistant coaches would help out the Bulls, and Ackermann did not approve of the ‘media spreading misinformation’.
“Johan worked with SA Rugby and the Springbok setup before joining the Bulls,” said Bobo.
“To bring in the intellectual property of coaches coming off an 86% international win rate can only help. Having clarity, alignment, and a different voice can change things—we saw that impact with Tony Brown at the Springboks.”