Coach John Dobson deserves all the plaudits for bringing the best out of DHL Stormers stars like Damian Willemse, according to Mark Keohane.

In his TIMESLive column, Keohane points out that Willemse’s stock value has shot through the roof under Dobson, whose mentorship of the Springbok playmaker was key to securing his signature on a new long-term deal with the Stormers.  

“Damian Willemse, the hottest property in world rugby in 2022, could have picked his club in Europe, the United Kingdom or Japan. Willemse on Friday was confirmed as having signed a five-year contract extension with the Stormers,” Keohane writes. “The city of Cape Town is where Willemse wants to play the best years of his career.

Willemse’s decision to commit the next five years of his career to the Stormers is telling, given the leverage his breakout season has earned him as a marquee player.

“It was a decision so influenced by what Dobson has achieved at the Stormers, with his playing philosophy, player identification and player management. Dobson has entrusted and empowered his assistant coaches and consistently acknowledges their worth to the success of the Stormers.

“Dobson’s approach to the style of the Stormers has allowed for Willemse’s natural talent and the player has flourished in a system that is like poetry to his skill set.”

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Keohane also credited Dobson, as a born and raised Capetonian, for acutely understanding the pressure of coaching a diverse team with a passionate support base uniquely interwoven in the region.

“The Stormers are getting so much right with player identification and with their connection to the people of the Western Cape. The Stormers are not so much representative of a multi-racial unit but more significantly a non-racial set-up in which every culture, religion and heritage has equal standing.”

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