Stormers live in a 'pretty big glass house'
REACTION: Those who live in glass houses …
This maxim has been dusted off by Hurricanes assistant coach Chris Gibbes in response to the criticism of his team’s tactics in their season-opening 0-27 loss to the Stormers at Newlands last week.
Stormers coach John Dobson fired the first salvo when he accused the Hurricanes of targeting his key players – World Cup winners Siyamthanda Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Dobson, addressing the media after confirming that his captain, Kolisi, will be ruled out for six to eight weeks with medial collateral ligament damage, described his team’s shut-out of the Hurricanes as a “very mean-spirited game” that wasn’t good for rugby or for the tournament.
Kolisi, the World Cup-winning Springbok captain, suffered a grade three MCL injury, after being tackled late by Ricky Riccitelli in an off-the-ball incident.
The Hurricanes assistant coach, speaking to the New Zealand media from Buenos Aires, suggested the Stormers living in a ‘glass house’.
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When asked about Dobson’s comments, Gibbes suggested the Stormers coach wasn’t in the best position to be casting stones.
“I’ve just read the article and it’s blindsided all of us to be fair,” he told New Zealand media on Wednesday – ahead of their Round Two encounter with the Jaguares on Saturday.
“That [Newlands] is a pretty big glass house there, to be honest,” Gibbes added.
“There are a few things, a few clips we’ve looked at.
“Thomas [Perenara] getting taken off the ball, guys having their head’s played. So I don’t know where he’s coming from with that but he’s entitled to his opinion.
Referee Jaco Peyper received praise for his handling of the match, despite the spiteful nature of the game.
Hurricanes centre Billy Proctor received a yellow card early in the second half for a dangerous hit on Stormers flyhalf Damian Willemse and 11 minutes later loose forward Vaea Fifita was sin-binned for a shoulder charge on replacement Stormers hooker Siyabonga Ntubeni.
“Billy is one [an incident] we could have controlled, Gibbes said, adding: “He didn’t need to do that.
“However, Vaea’s one we have looked at a number of times and it doesn’t look [like a yellow card].
“It is Jaco’s decision and we have to live with that.”
Sources: stuff.co.nz & NZ Herald
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