News24.com | White admits Stormers were better, takes swipe at officials: 'Best TMO, best ref in SA'

Bulls director of rugby Jake White. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images)

At Cape Town Stadium

• Bulls director of rugby Jake White was not overly pleased with the officiating during his side's URC quarter-final defeat to the Stormers.
  
• White felt a lot of illegal tackles from the Stormers went unpunished, as well as breakdown indiscretions.
• White did, however, credit the Stormers for their victory by acknowledging they were the better team.

Bulls director of rugby Jake White was not a happy camper after his side's 33-21 defeat to the Stormers in the URC quarter-finals in Cape Town on Saturday.

RECAP | Rampant Stormers put Bulls to the sword, earn home URC semi-final

The Bulls were on the back foot from the word go as a fired-up Stormers put them to the sword in impressive fashion.

It was the Bulls' sixth straight loss to the Stormers in the URC and White and his charges will have some soul-searching to do after an indifferent season.

During his post-game press conference, White lauded the Stormers for their victory and admitted the Capetonians deserved to win.

"Credit to the Stormers, they're champions, they've got a good team. They've got an incredible record here. They've got 10 incumbent Springboks," White said.

What was clear, however, was that White was not pleased with the officiating of referee Jaco Peyper and television match official (TMO) Marius Jonker.

That indifference became apparent when he was probed on what injury fullback Johan Goosen suffered after being stretchered off: "I think some guy whacked him on the head in a tackle. There were a couple of head to head clashes tonight which no-one saw.

"[I] watched a Test match where some of those tackles get red carded ... tonight [we] had the best TMO, the best referee in South Africa, but there's nothing wrong [with the tackles]." 

White called on tournament organisers, officials and coaches to get together to improve the standard of officiating.

"A lot work goes into preparing video clips of things. The answers are that it won't be allowed ... then you see the same pictures in [today's] game and it is allowed.

"So, it think one thing we're going to have to work out is how can we, through the URC, find a way to get [decisions right].

"I've heard there's zero tolerance on hands past the ball on the ground, but it didn't look like that tonight.

"I heard that if you sack a maul, and it's a tackle, then you can't lie on top of the ball. But that didn't happen tonight either." 

White, somewhat snidely, credited the Stormers for staying on the right side of the referee's decisions.

"But to be fair, that's what the Stormers do well and you've got to adapt to that. They do it well, they're very good at it.

"For argument's sake, one of the things they did really well tonight was that they played the support runner in the breakdowns and then got over the ball, and never once got penalised for taking out the support runner without the ball.

"But credit to them, they've obviously worked really hard at their breakdown and it works for them. They've got a good set-piece, they defend well.

"So, if I analyse the game... it's funny how we went 7-0 down and I actually said 'sheesh I don't want the ref to give a penalty at scrum time when someone slips'… and then we were 10-0 down.

"And then when you're 10-0 down against the Stormers it's incredibly [tough] because you have to chase the game. And then their defence is so good that once you have to start chasing the game you put yourself under pressure." 

MATCH REPORT | Stormers sizzle at electric Cape Town Stadium, down Bulls to book home URC semi-final

When asked about flanker Cyle Brink's yellow card for taking out counterpart Hacjivah Dayimani near the tryline, White added:  

"I saw exactly the same picture on the other side of the field when the captain asked the official 'didn't he tackle him head to head'? And then he said, 'No, he didn't have the ball'.

"I didn't know you could tackle a guy without the ball. For me it was a yellow card against Cyle for exactly the same picture as against Keagan Johannes in the other corner.

"So, I repeat, I think we’re going to need to find a way ... we've spent a lot of time and effort ... and Rassie (Erasmus) has taught you this many months ago, putting videos together asking about it... and then you see the pictures and then you don't get any joy from the same pictures.

"I've got a lock (Charlie Ewels) playing for the Bulls (against the Sharks in the Currie Cup) tonight... he got red carded in a Test match for exactly the same tackle that I saw tonight in this game." 

White, though, did acknowledge that the Stormers were the better side.

"They looked sharp, they're explosiveness is very good. [And] we're missing that. The Stormers are a very solid outfit. 

"They can hold you in the first phase, they can put you under pressure when you try and play from lineouts, they have an incredible defence system. And as soon as you turn the ball over, they can punish you. 

"They're not scared to have a crack and that seems to be the winning recipe for the way you want to win this competition."