Rugby’s house of cards: Stormers coach Dobson warns of ‘complex issue’

The basic premise of what constitutes a regular rugby match — 15 combatants doing battle with 15 others — has increasingly ventured into the realm of wishful thinking.

Teams may take the field in that configuration, but rugby’s myriad highly prescriptive laws have dramatically reduced the possibility of both teams going the distance with a full complement.

Stormers coach John Dobson and his team have been on the receiving end, as well as the beneficiaries of referees reaching for their cards.

“We do have a problem in rugby,” said Dobson after his team’s 28-14 win over London Irish in the Champions Cup.

Red cards in particular have a way of leaving teams more than just short of breath when they permanently lose a player.

London Irish had two players seeing red against the Stormers. Ben Loader was banished after a tackle in which there was head-on-head contact with Manie Libbok, while Ciaran Parker was sent off after a dangerous clear-out of Deon Fourie.

While Dobson concedes rugby collisions, as was the case in the former incident, fall in a grey area, the shudder of grey matter, violent or otherwise, is deeply frowned upon by the game’s lawmakers.

Players being “cleaned out” at the ruck can enjoy greater protection from the laws, Dobson argued.

“It’s such a complex issue dominating the game,” said Dobson. “I do think strongly that the jacklers, when attempting turnovers, must be protected from leading shoulders. That is controllable,” Dobson said.

“I would differentiate slightly between Ben Loader’s thing, which is at high speed, and Deon Fourie getting hit. We can control that to a larger degree than Loader’s situation.

“Those are where all the dangerous breaks are, on the top of the head like that. That is where guys are really exposed.”

Jacklers are exposed as all their focus is directed at turning over possession. When their work is interrupted by a human missile it potentially carries devastating consequences.

While Fourie was unharmed, Libbok will miss the Stormers’ clash against Clermont Auvergne in Cape Town on Saturday.

Dobson takes a more philosophical view of the collision that has ruled out his flyhalf. “I do think we are in a grey area when it comes to rugby collisions. You can’t have the Springbok flyhalf going off concussed and I am sure that is a red card.

“However, it’s something where we as a game need to get better. The cards were cards. I respect them and understand them and I agree with them.

“This rugby collision story is a tricky area.”

Players being sent from the field detracts from the spectacle the sport is trying to create. The game is designed around 15-on-15 combat, and results are mostly determined by it.