Stormers boss Dobson admits 'celebration' video has handed Munster a cause, insists it was related to home advantage

DHL Stormers head coach John Dobson with Steven Kitshoff

Stormers boss John Dobson has admitted the video of his team celebrating Leinster’s URC semi-final loss to Munster has provided Graham Rowntree’s side with extra motivation to win Saturday’s Grand Final between the two teams.

Dobson, chasing back-to-back URC titles having beaten South African rivals the Bulls in last year’s decider in Cape Town, was among those captured on a video that saw the Stormers players, coaches and families erupting in celebration as Jack Crowley’s late drop goal secured Munster’s victory in Dublin was shown in their hospitality suite following their own semi-final win at home to Connacht.

The head coach said he regretted the video, which also shows front-rower Joseph Dweba saying “we’re going f… Munster up” to camera, had been posted on social media and on the eve of the final he told reporters he fully expected it to be used by the Irish province to fire up their players.

"Really disappointed that video got out and published and we have to look at ourselves there,” Dobson said. “My view is, you tell me any rugby team in the world, especially with our mission here in Cape Town, who wouldn't celebrate playing at home.

"People think you're celebrating because we're playing Munster? No, no. We're celebrating because of what this has brought to the city, I mean I think they've 5,000 here, I might be wrong, but it's brilliant for the economy of the city, let alone the occasion, the emotion.

"We were sitting in the suite just up here, it was beautiful, it was the team, there was a crowd, we were overlooking the empty stadium and we were celebrating having won a really tough game against Connacht and having a beer, and really we weren't expecting anything from Leinster-Munster.

"And then somebody just looks at the screen and says, 'what's this?' and the whole place went, 'this can't be happening, we're going to play at home' and then there was a celebration.” 

Dobson believes the video has handed Munster ammunition but he described the leaking of it as a betrayal of Dweba.

"The Joseph thing, which I'm sure has been used in Munster team talks, no question, everyone would do the same thing. But if any of them or us could say 'we've got a home final' - I know he used bad words - 'We're going to do it, we're going to win'...he used worse language, which was unfortunate.

"It's a betrayal of Joseph. We betrayed Joseph and his trust when that thing got out.

"But you're not going to say, 'Yeah, we're playing at home against Munster, s***, we're going to lose' or, 'let's lose it'. You know what I mean?

"So I don't think there's one rugby team in the world who wouldn't have reacted like we did. But it was genuinely a celebration.

"We had plans, we were talking to the URC, trying to get us tickets for the Heineken Cup finals and to go there (to Dublin) to prepare. We were ready to go.

"But then we find out we're staying at home, we've sold out 55,000 tickets, it's a fantastic thing for Cape Town. And that's what we were celebrating, the players were like, 'Let's go, let's go, we can do it, we can win it again and we can win it at home'. So it's a massive boost for us.

"I think we owe Joseph an apology about that but anybody who sees it as a slight against Munster is completely wrong. That game could have been Connacht against Ospreys, and had Connacht won it we would have celebrated just the same.

"We've never beaten Munster. We got a hiding in Limerick, they ended our 21- or 22-game winning record here. So we're not going to celebrate playing Munster, they have British and Irish Lions, RG Snyman is one of the best players in the world.

"Joseph's thing was shared exuberance. I can't use the language here but I feel we let ourselves down by letting that video go out because I have no doubt it has been used as a motivational trick.

"But I don't think any team would have reacted any different to us.”