Stormers coach loath to blame travel after leggy Stormers succumb to Exeter

John Dobson tried his diplomatic best to diminish suggestions that travel fatigue was a factor in the Stormers’ 42-17 Champions Cup defeat to Exeter Chiefs on Saturday night.

But their turgid performance at Sandy Park had all the signs of a weary team whose energies eroded in the time it took them to travel to Devon, England, this week for their quarter-final date.

The Stormers only fully assembled on Wednesday evening in the UK after their flight was delayed and they were forced to endure stopovers in Doha as they left South Africa in dribs and drabs.

READ | Stormers' fire extinguished in Exeter as SA's Champions Cup campaign ends with a whimper

This was after they faced Harlequins in the round of 16 in Cape Town last Saturday.

The upshot was that they had one training session and one rest day. The travel told on game day. They may as well have played with sandbags and truck tyres tied to their legs.

"We flew in three or four different parties and got here late on Wednesday. The last guys arrived Wednesday evening," said Stormers coach, Dobson.

"But Exeter was so sublime. Talking to people here, they say it was Exeter of when they were European champions.

"I can't blame that on the travel. It looked like [we were tired], especially on defence at the start from the coaching box and we weren't chasing kicks.

"But we want to be here in this tournament, in these quarter-finals and if it means we have to fly to Europe, then we've got to do it."

The Stormers began the game as if they were playing on actual sand, not Sandy Park. Their opponents glided like figure skaters on ice and looked effortless in their six-try pursuit.

Dobson, whose team must now prepare for Munster at home next weekend, said they should rather focus on