VIDEO: Jake White's jaw-dropping take on TMO calls
The Bulls’ Director of Rugby Jake White was in a surprisingly jovial mood in the wake of his team’s 20-26 loss to the Stormers in a United Rugby Championship Round Eight match in Cape Town at the weekend.
The Stormers edged their arch-rivals, the Bulls, in a tense and bruising South African derby, leaving the visitors in fourth place and the hosts in eighth, on the standings.
The Stormers led for all but 14 minutes of a match played in front of a South African season’s best of 39,927 spectators.
It was the kicking of Manie Libbok that ultimately proved to be the difference – the Springbok flyhalf having landed three penalties and two conversions, ensuring that the Bulls finished on the losing side despite outscoring with three tries to two.
However, as was expected, some of the post-match questions centred on the decision of match officials.
White, despite his side being on the losing side, left the enquirers mystified with his response.
(WATCH as Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White catches everyone by surprise with his reaction to several calls by the match officials in their 20-26 loss to the Stormers at the weekend…)
“I was so happy with the TMO,” White said after the encounter in the Cape Town stadium this past Saturday.
“The common sense today was spot on,” he said about a number of the calls – then highlighted a few.
Second-half replacement Mpilo Gumede was reviewed by the TMO after he collided with the head of an opponent while attempting a tackle.
Ultimately no action was taken against the Bulls’ utility forward.
“Gumede’s tackle was as legal as a tackle becomes,” White said of the Bulls player who already had his one knee touching the ground as he lowered his body height before an opponent dipped into him.
The second incident saw Springbok prop Gerhard Steenekamp yellow-carded in the 24th minute for making contact with an opponent’s head.
Despite changing his body height, Steenekamp still made head contact and what could have been a red card, was downgraded to yellow.
There were also a couple of disallowed first-half tries and one in the second half – all TMO calls that went in favour of the Bulls.
On the half-hour mark, a Manie Libbok cross-field kick bounced dangerously into the Bulls’ in-goal area. Suleiman Hartzenberg managed to get hold of the ball and grounded it, but the TMO found a blade of white grass that touched the Stormers wing’s boot and disallowed the try.
“I am happy they found that angle,” White said, adding: “Sometimes we come here [to Cape Town] and they don’t find that angle.”
Two minutes later the TMO also ruled against Stormers captain Deon Fourie, who appeared to propel himself forward and over the line with his one knee.
Just short of the hour mark Damian Willemse finished off a sublime move in the right corner. However, upon review, the TMO determined the Stormers fullback had not maintained contact with the ball at all times and there was ‘clear separation’ before he grounded it.
“I can’t moan about the calls,” the Bulls boss said.
“There are always certain things you wish had gone the other way.
“The wheeling of the scrum in the first half looked the same as the wheeling of the scrum in the second half.
“They were two different calls.
“Overall, I don’t think it [the result] was influenced by anyone other than the fact that we had our chances and should have taken them.”
@king365ed
@rugby365com
- Picture credit: @BlueBullsRugby
