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Stormers head coach John Dobson shared his emotional exhaustion following a controversial late call that prevented his team from seizing a potential game-winning try against the Sharks in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship at Kings Park Stadium on Saturday.
In the closing moments of the match, Manie Libbok seemed to cross the line for a pivotal try, but the TMO intervened, ruling that he had knocked the ball on during the preceding ruck. This episode mirrored a similarly disputed decision during the 2023 Rugby World Cup final when Ardie Savea’s try for New Zealand was overturned due to a violation against the Springboks.
The Sharks, who dominated the first half with tries from Ethan Hooker and Siya Kolisi, ultimately emerged victorious with a 21-15 win.
“That was probably the turning point,” Dobson reflected, whose team had triumphed over the Sharks in their previous six encounters. “It’s very emotional for me. When Manie scored, we felt that was our hard work paying off, and that’s a point of pride for the Stormers. We need to regroup and contemplate, but it’s challenging to express these emotions. I don’t want to appear arrogant, but we truly deserved to win this match, and it’s essential to make the most of your chances. In retrospect, we were likely unfortunate to come away with a loss.”
The Stormers were already missing crucial players like Deon Fourie, Damian Willemse, and Steven Kitshoff due to injuries. The situation worsened when Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had to leave the game after suffering a head injury from a collision with Trevor Nyakane.
“This was a major setback,” Dobson conceded. “We had prepared those players intensively for three weeks. Losing Sacha was particularly challenging, especially when we had chosen a 6/2 split. His departure meant that, in the final 10-12 minutes, we had to play Herschel Jantjies on the wing. Sacha’s exit significantly disrupted our game plan. I believe he has a concussion.”
Looking ahead, the Stormers will turn their attention to the Investec Cup, where they are scheduled to face the French side Toulon at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium next weekend.
