Overseas scrum woes threaten Stormers cup ambitions

Stormers scrum consultant Hanyani Shimange needs to help find a solution to the team’s scrum woes abroad. | BackpagePix

Stormers scrum consultant Hanyani Shimange needs to help find a solution to the team’s scrum woes abroad. | BackpagePix

Published Oct 16, 2024

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The Stormers must quickly find a solution for their scrum woes under European referees away from home because it has the potential to derail their cup hopes this season.

For a second match on their United Rugby Championship (URC) tour, the Cape side was left frustrated with some calls around their scrums with referee Ben Whitehouse penalising them instead of rewarding them for dominating Edinburgh at times on Saturday.

In their first tour match against the Ospreys, the Stormers scrum suffered under Irish referee Andrew Brace with calls that went against them in this facet of play and Brace failing to reward them at times.

The URC, after approaches by the management of the Cape side, confirmed to them that they should have had at least four penalties for the incidents they brought up after the game. Four penalties that could've had a different influence in that losing match in Wales.

Against Edinburgh over the weekend, it was not just the scrum calls that bugged the visitors, but also some at the breakdown, something Stormers director of rugby John Dobson pointed out after the game without going in on Whitehouse's handling of the match.

Of course, coaches are not allowed to criticise the performance of match officials and have to follow the in-house protocol for answers to certain questions from a match.

That is likely what Dobson and his assistant coaches did after the Edinburgh loss, but the question remains, how does that help them after a loss that could have a significant impact on their season?

How do they show the right picture to European referees when away from home?

What must they do to be rewarded when they look to be dominating in certain aspects of a game?

Shoving Edinburgh back towards their try line in a scrum for a possible penalty try wasn't enough to give Whitehouse the picture of the Stormers' dominance.

South African sides have long been on the shortest end of the stick in the URC regarding their overseas clashes and how they are officiated. This problem is not just reserved to the Stormers, but the Bulls, Lions and Sharks feel it too when they are away from home.

Asked if they were looking to get a foreign referee in for advice on how to get on the 'right' side of European referees, especially at scrum time, the Stormers were coy about the answer.

They are leaving that to scrum consultant Hanyani Shimange and player-coach Brok Harris to sort out.

But, they will have to find a solution soon for their referee trials and tribulations overseas. It's been there since season one, but after a couple of years in the URC, surely some change must happen. If not, the Stormers and the other SA sides will continue to struggle overseas when crucial calls in games go against them.