Stormers face must-win run after 33-24 home defeat to Connacht

Coach John Dobson said individual errors cost his side as they lost ground in United Rugby Championship playoff race.

The Stormers suffered a 33-24 defeat to Connacht at home on Saturday, leaving them needing to win all three remaining United Rugby Championship matches to reach their playoff targets, coach John Dobson said.¹²

Dobson attributed the loss to individual errors rather than systemic failures, citing a bounced kick, a dropped restart, and an intercept as decisive moments.¹² "If we don't make some of those mistakes, we don't lose the game," he said.¹²

The Cape Town side now face Glasgow Warriors at home on Saturday before traveling to play Ulster and Cardiff, both matches on artificial 4G pitches against teams competing for top-eight positions.¹² "We now have to win all three remaining games to get where we want to be, but that's much easier said than done," Dobson said.¹²

The match followed an emotional week for the Stormers after the sudden death of long-serving team manager Chippie Solomon.¹² Dobson said the team could not use the loss as an excuse for their performance. "I can't really talk to the emotion, but I don't think we can use Chippie and the tough week we had as an excuse for some of those mistakes," he said.¹²

Dobson described his team's play throughout the match as loose, saying they had entered the contest with high hopes of victory.¹² "To get nothing out of the Connacht game is very disappointing," he said, adding that the team had "put ourselves in a bit of a position now."¹²