The Stormers lost 17-13 to Edinburgh at Hive Stadium in Scotland on Friday evening. Director of rugby John Dobson blamed the defeat on a poor lineout.
The result ended the Cape side’s unbeaten start to this season’s United Rugby Championship (URC). It also stretched their run without a win in Scotland, IOL Sport reported.
“We don’t have to look too much beyond probably our performance in the lineout,” Dobson said after the game against a young and spirited home team.
The Stormers played into a strong wind in the first half. Their defence held firm, and Edinburgh led only 3-0 at the break.
With the wind behind them after halftime, the visitors looked likely to take control. Instead, their lineout fell apart in the second half.
Replacement hooker Vernon Paulo could not find his jumpers and sent several throws off target. Edinburgh then scored two tries while playing into the wind to win the match.
The Stormers were without Springbok hooker André-Hugo Venter after he went off. Without him, they struggled to build any platform from their throw-ins.
When the lineout did work, it led to some strong rolling mauls. Those moments were too few to change the result.
“We lost about 11 lineouts and you can’t win a game if your plan is, in those conditions, based around the maul and then you are giving up possession. That was devastating with the wind and into the wind,” Dobson said.
He said the team would likely have held on if they had lost only half as many throws. “So yeah, it was very disappointing given our plan for the game,” he said.
The match ended with one more lineout problem. The Stormers had a final attack inside Edinburgh’s half, with a lineout close to the home side’s try line.
Paulo again missed his jumpers. The ball was knocked back towards him, and he could not secure it to start another attack.
The Stormers lost possession, and Edinburgh kicked the ball into touch to end the game.
“Our performance was probably summed up by the final lost lineout,” Dobson said.
Dobson said losing Venter hurt the team in more than one way. Venter received treatment for a head knock and was not allowed back onto the field.
“The loss of André-Hugo was a big, big one. Not just lineout-wise, but he’s one of our best players,” Dobson said.
“It was frustrating that he was not allowed to re-enter the field, but that is the protocol, so we have to respect it,” he added.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.