Bulls coach White bemoans Grobbelaar’s red card during their URC loss to Scarlets

Bulls coach Jake White said they will have to recover from their first loss of this season’s United Rugby Championship (URC) to the Scarlets on Friday in a match that saw Johan Grobbelaar sent off. 

It was the second week in succession the Bulls had a player sent off when Grobbelaar was punished for what was deemed a high tackle during the narrow 23-22 loss to the Scarlets. 

Last weekend, in their win over Ospreys, David Kriel received a red card for a handoff, but it was later rescinded after his disciplinary hearing and the one for Grobbelaar has left White unimpressed with the refereeing. 

“I seem to be spending most of my week at judiciary meetings which is not helping the coaching,” he said. 

“When you are red you go straight there. I don’t think they are going to change their minds between now and when we need to meet. There is so much debate with red cards for 20 minutes and there are head contacts. We have to find the middle road.

“Players lie down all the time if they get knocked and you have the risk of losing him next week with the head injury assessment (HIA). That’s what makes it so difficult and we must be strict on head contact. 

“I have sons who play rugby and you don’t what a situation where you neglect that. It is a difficult one because it is a game where people run hard at each other and there is such little time for getting it right or wrong. 

“I said after the hearing this week that one thing that I am really chuffed about is that at URC you have a realistic chance if you present your case.” 

The Bulls continue with their tour of Europe and next on their menu is Italian side Benetton on Friday. 

“We are going to need to play well against Benetton, not that we didn’t always want to but it’s a question of we are a little bit desperate. We need to be clinical and have an understanding of where we got it wrong [against Scarlets]. 

“It is the way we train that we need to change, it is something that is catching us because we start well, put teams under the pump and then when we got our hands on their throats we let them get out. 

“But it’s all about learning and growing because over the past four years no team has been unbeaten in this competition. It just shows you how tough it is to actually to win week in and week out.” 

Look back at the loss to the Scarlets, White admitted there were mistakes in their game. 

“We turned the ball over a couple of times in the 22, lost a couple of line-outs, turned the ball over at line-out time, lost it in the maul but when they got into our 22 they finished. 

“It is thought to win away from home, that means you have to work hard. Scarlets are not as poor as everyone makes them out to be. They must have struggled last year with lots of injuries but they have signed props and they have big back rowers. 

“It was always going to be a tough game and again I say at certain points in the game we should have finished them off and we didn’t.”