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Marius van der Westhuizen (Rooster)
- The Pumas were heartbroken Friday night after conceding three attempts in 10 minutes to get off the Stormers.
- The arbitration of Marius van der Westhuizen has been a topic of conversation.
- The Stormers’ winning try came with a pass that many believed should have been declared “forward.”
It was very close to being an unforgettable night for him Pumasbut it ended in pain when the underdog fell at the last hurdle to fall 42-37 to the Stormers in Nelspruit on Friday night.
The Pumas, for most of the game, were superior to their most imagined rival in all departments and it was reflected on the scoreboard when they opened a 37-14 lead after one hour.
However, three attempts by the Stormers in the final 10 minutes secured a surprising comeback for the Capetonians, as the Pumas ran out of puffs with their experienced lack of depth exposed.
Stormers coach John Dobson admitted the result was a “robbery” at his side, while Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse said it felt like “someone had died” in the Pumas locker room. in the moments after the final whistle.
An injury to Pumas midfielder Eddie Fouche did not help the hosts.
One of the fit players on Super Rugby Unlocked thus far, Fouche was left screaming in agony after bending under a cleanup by Salmaan Moerat and Chris van Zyl in a breakdown.
Stonehouse confirmed to Sport24 on Saturday morning that Fouche’s scans had not yet been performed, but it is suspected that he may have dislocated his hip and that his season may be over.
However, one of the main talking points during and after the match was the refereeing standard.
Marius van der Westhuizen, one of the most experienced referees in the country, was the man with the whistle.
Most of the confusion lies in the violation of the laws in the breakdown, where referees are now encouraged to be even more strict with infractions, in attack and defense, and penalize players quickly in an effort to speed up the game. game.
The moment that buried the Pumas on Friday night, however, came from open play when the Stormers’ replacement padlock, JD Schickerling, released Warrick Gelant for what would be an attempt to win the game towards the end of the game. competition.
The pass was sent upstairs to AJ Jacobs for TMO inspection and it looked like it could have been forwarded, but it was decided that the attempt would stand.
Stonehouse was naturally aggrieved by the call and while he said he sympathized with the arbitrators, especially given the changes to the break law, he said the consequences of being on the wrong side of such “50/50” decisions hurt unions. More smalls.
“I want to make it very clear that I know it is difficult for umpires right now, especially in breakdowns,” Stonehouse said.
“But we only ask that you be consistent.
“It can be difficult for the referees, but it is also difficult for us. For us, results like last night [Friday] it can be the difference between getting a sponsorship or not … it’s about the future of the players.
“I don’t want to be negative and, as I said, I understand that it is difficult for the referees, but we have to work together to find some consistency.”
While Schickerling’s pass was naturally the decision that stood out given it resulted in the winning score, Stonehouse also pointed to the collapse and didn’t always understand the decisions that were made in that area.
It was a tough pill to swallow for the Pumas, who had done everything right until the last 10 minutes, but Stonehouse said he was very pleased with the efforts of his players.
“It was not pleasant for us, but the most important thing is that the players now know that they can do it against the bigger unions with all the resources,” he said.
“You need to have that depth at this level and that’s what we don’t have. The players from the bench must know how important it is for them to come and do their job, otherwise they will hit us.
“In terms of effort, I couldn’t ask for more … the guys played with all their hearts.”
