The Stormers are determined to honour the legacy of long-serving team manager Chippie Solomon when they host Connacht.
Solomon died on Saturday aged 64 having served in the role since 2004.
“He embodied this team,” said Dobson on Monday. “He lived it every day. For 20-odd years, he gave everything. It will never be the same again.”
Dobson revealed the emotional toll on the group.
“You end up almost zombie-like, disbelieving and terribly emotional. That’s what we feel,” he admitted.
Despite the grief, the Stormers are determined to channel their emotions into performance on Saturday.
“We’re not using it as a gimmick, but we’ve asked: what would Chippie want?” Dobson said. “It’s about how we prepare and how we play.”
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The coach also called on supporters to play their part.
“I want to appeal to the people of Cape Town, come and help us honour him,” he urged. “Let’s celebrate his life and enjoy a great Stormers performance.”
Veteran Deon Fourie said he had shared a room with Solomon on his first Super Rugby tour, “maybe 18 years ago”, describing him as much more than a team manager.
Fourie added: “We had a good hour-long meeting this morning where we all paid our respects. The guys told some stories about Chippie and everyone had a laugh and most of the guys were crying as well because it was very emotional.
“He was this building. He sat in his office from day one and I think his presence is still here.”
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Off the field, the Stormers are already working through the logistical challenges left by Solomon’s absence.
“There’s a lot of IP in that head,” Dobson said. “But Leonora [Hercules, from the High-Performance Centre] and Riefaat [Jappie, strength and conditioning coach] worked closely with him, and they’ll pick things up.”
Dobson said in the short term, player welfare manager Duncan Cruickshank will step in.
“It’s not easy. He’ll feel like an imposter because he’s not Chippie. But long term, we’ll be OK. Right now, it’s about doing justice to someone who meant everything to this team.”
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Photo: Romain Biard/Icon Sport/Getty Images
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