by News24.com | Two yellows and a red: Stormers coach ‘not irritated’ by discipline as cards fly against Edinburgh
Sazi Sandi received a red card for a high tackle. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
Stormers coach John Dobson said he wasn’t “irritated” by his team’s lack of discipline in their 34-18 United Rugby Championship (URC) win over Edinburgh at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts conceded 12 penalties in total in the game, however, a majority of them came in the first half where they headed into the break 10-7 down, with Edinburgh unable to convert their pressure into points.
Manie Libbok was shown a yellow card in the first half for a deliberate knock-on, Evan Roos was binned for ten minutes for foul play in the second half, while replacement prop Sazi Sandi copped a straight red for a dangerous tackle in the 74th minute.
READ | Hartzenberg scores twice as ill-disciplined Stormers sweat to bonus-point win past Edinburgh
Dobson said what necessitated some of the first half indiscipline was the forward pack not working hard enough.
“We start giving away those defensive penalties when we’re not physical and not fronting up. Regarding the foul play … that’s bad,” Dobson told reporters after the game.
“The thing with rugby is penalties equal territory and possession and for two games in a row we’ve been on the wrong side.”
Dobson, who now faces the task of naming a touring squad for a tour overseas, knows how important it will be to watch the team’s discipline as referees continue to dish out yellow cards regularly.
“Nowadays we’re preparing [the team] for card situations and scenarios. I’m not irritated with my team for their ill-discipline, maybe just the work rate that put our discipline under pressure,” Dobson said.
Captain Marvin Orie nodded in agreement with Dobson:
It’s something we are going to have to address. We can’t find ourselves under the pump like we did in this game.
Orie added that the scrum battle – which elicited different reactions from both teams – was a “dark place” that Edinburgh were able to take the Stormers to.
“Credit to them, they made it really tough for us, but I’m really proud of how the guys responded. I told the guys after the game that in rugby we won’t always have it our way. You need to go to dark places; in the week [at training] and when you get to the game.”
The Stormers will next play Zebre, Ospreys and Cardiff out of the country before returning to South Africa to face the Lions in Johannesburg.