Siya Kolisi’s decision to take draw against Crusaders praised
Whitelock says captain’s call was ‘smart’
Crusaders captain Sam Whitelock fully endorsed the decision by Stormers counterpart Siya Kolisi to go for the draw with the final penalty of a pulsating match between the sides at Newlands on Saturday. With the Crusaders leading 19-16 and only a minute on the clock‚ Australian referee Nic Berry awarded a penalty to the home side for a high tackle by the Crusaders. The penalty mark was almost directly in front of the posts. The Stormers were guaranteed one log point for losing by seven or fewer and a draw would have only meant two log points. If they kicked to touch and scored a try from a lineout it would have meant four log points. But on a night where they only breached the Crusaders line once — in the seventh minute when Kolisi ran on to a beautiful‚ flat pass from flyhalf Josh Stander to score — there were no guarantees a try would follow from a kick to touch. Landing the penalty and earning a draw was as close to a sure thing as there could be. Replacement flyhalf Jean-Luc du...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.