The Cape Town franchise had to rally, but they kept their undefeated streak alive with a superb second-half performance, scoring 24 points to complete the comeback against a spirited Lions outfit.
The Stormers are now six points clear of Munster at the top of the URC table with seven wins from seven outings. Throw in their two Champions Cup victories and Dobson's dynamos are flying high into the holidays.
"If you said on September 20th or 25th we'd be six points clear at the top of the URC knock on Christmas, I would have cut off a couple of digits.
"So I must be careful about being too critical because they're doing a good job."
The Stormers now enjoy a three-week break before hosting the Bulls in Cape Town on 3 January 2026. Dobson is hoping his charges don't lose any momentum over the holiday period.
"This break could make or break us," he continued.
"However, there's no question we'll be up for the Bulls.
"We know it's such a special game. We lost here this time last year. We've got this week off, and then we've got a full week up to the Bulls. Hopefully [Damian Willemse] is back. Sascha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu] is back. It's going to be a big occasion.
"It's a bit of a scenario to sell out, so we're looking forward to that very much. It's going to be a classic. We'll be better."
Scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse played a crucial role in the Sharks' attritional United Rugby Championship victory over the Bulls on Saturday, earning the praise of interim coach JP Pietersen.
Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen had plenty of silver linings to focus on despite his men going down 34-27 to the undefeated Stormers in their United Rugby Championship encounter on Saturday.
The Sharks' secured a 21-12 victory over the Bulls at a near-capacity Kings Park on Saturday, a result that further lifted the Durban side's spirits in the United Rugby Championship.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has expressed his delight after signing a new long-term contract that will keep with the Stormers until at least 2029.
