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Stormers coach slams rugby’s held-up and goal-line drop-out law

Adnaan MohamedRugbyLeave a Comment on Stormers coach slams rugby’s held-up and goal-line drop-out law
Adnaan Mohamed

DHL Stormers coach John Dobson believes World Rugby should revisit the law governing held-up situations after his side were denied two tries during their 44-21 United Rugby Championship quarterfinal victory over Cardiff in Cape Town on Saturday.

While the Stormers progressed comfortably to the semifinals after scoring six tries, the result did little to ease Dobson’s frustration with a law he feels unfairly rewards the defending team.

The Stormers have been held up over the tryline more than any other side in the URC this season, with Dobson suggesting it may even have cost them a higher finish on the log and the possibility of hosting a semifinal or final.

Speaking after the match at DHL Stadium, Dobson described the current law as one of rugby’s biggest anomalies.

“It’s our season. It’s our season. It is,” he said when asked by Modern Athlete how the held-up and goal-line dropout law affected the Stormers thus far in the 2025/26 URC season.

“It’s the worst. It’s one law in rugby that has to change. I’m not saying because it’s against us. I don’t understand this concept. You do so well, and you’re rewarded with receiving the ball back on your ten-yard.

“The old law was much better. Give it a five-metre scrum. You’ve attacked well, five-metre scrum.”

Under current laws, a defending team receives a goal-line dropout when an attacker is held up in-goal. Previously, the attacking side was awarded a five-metre scrum.

Stormers captain Ruan Nel experienced the frustration first-hand after being denied near the line against Cardiff.

“It sucks, actually,” Nel said.

“The arms were pretty there. When I dotted the ball down, I just put it straight on his knees. So I actually felt him at the bottom of the ruck. Well done. Proper effort there. Obviously, it’s very disappointing.”

Nel admitted the missed opportunities were frustrating, though he viewed them as evidence that the Stormers’ attack is consistently creating scoring chances.

“It’s encouraging because you’re obviously getting to the right spaces.

“It’s disappointing, but obviously over the line, just get the flipping thing down. But it’s encouraging at the same time because we are breaking them down, we are getting the reward in terms of position there.”

The experienced back also noted how frequently the issue has affected the Stormers this season.

“It’s funny. I’ve never been a part of a season where we’ve been held up so many times.”

Dobson’s concerns will take on added significance this week as the Stormers prepare for a semifinal against Leinster in Dublin.

The Irish province underlined their title credentials by demolishing the Lions 59-10 in the quarterfinals, running in nine tries in a clinical display at the Aviva Stadium.

If the Stormers are to challenge Leinster on their home turf, they will need to make the most of every scoring opportunity. Against a side renowned for converting pressure into points, being held up over the line and conceding a goal-line dropout could prove a costly setback.

For Dobson, the issue extends beyond the Stormers’ campaign. It is a law he believes fails to adequately reward attacking enterprise, and one he hopes World Rugby will eventually reconsider.

Image: Adnaan Mohamed

Franco Mostert Cleared as Rugby’s Referees Enter Full Circus Mode

Adnaan MohamedRugby, SpringboksLeave a Comment on Franco Mostert Cleared as Rugby’s Referees Enter Full Circus Mode
Opinion – Adnaan Mohamed

Welcome to another breathtaking episode of Rugby Officials Gone Wild, where referees improvise, TMOs hallucinate, and World Rugby’s disciplinary panels sweep up the mess like long-suffering parents at a children’s birthday party.

This week’s headliner? Springbok lock Franco Mostert sent off in Turin after referee James Doleman and his French TMO partner squinted at a replay and dramatically declared “clear head contact” and “always illegal”, which we now know was about as accurate as a prop attempting a chip-and-chase.

On Wednesday, actual functioning adults on the disciplinary panel calmly overturned the red card, downgrading it to a yellow and effectively telling the match officials:

“You were wrong. Spectacularly wrong. Please stop embarrassing yourselves at this altitude.”

But wait, the chaos gets better. Not only was Mostert’s dismissal wrong, but Harry Hockings’ red card was ALSO declared incorrect by a separate independent panel.

That’s right: two red cards, two panels, zero functioning officiating moments. Rugby’s governance is starting to feel like a group project where one guy does the work and the rest just show up with snacks.

And Rassie Erasmus? Eddie Jones? Oh, they were THRILLED.
Both stormed into their press conferences like two coaches who’d just watched their debit orders bounce. Steam, fire, smoke signals, everything short of interpretive dance.

Meanwhile, the bunker review system, the expensive technological safety net installed specifically to stop this exact variety of nonsense, was NOT USED.
Not consulted.
Not even glanced at.
They left it sitting there like a lonely gym bike in January.

Instead, Doleman and his TMO opted for the “wing it and pray” method: a bold, innovative approach with a near-perfect failure rate.

The ruling now exposes rugby’s head-contact framework as a full-blown Picasso painting: abstract, confusing, and open to interpretation by anyone with enough confidence and a whistle.

One weekend a player gets red for breathing too aggressively; the next weekend someone performs a WWE finishing move and walks away with a warning.

And through it all, the Springboks just keep winning, like a team powered entirely by spite and trauma.

Two weekends.
Two red cards for the No. 5 jersey.
Two matches with 14 men for ridiculous lengths of time.
Two victories.

France? Beaten with 40+ minutes a man down.
Italy? Smashed with 65+ minutes one man short, AND fielding fringe players.
The message?
“Give us 14, give them 15 – see who cries first.”

Now South Africans are coping the only way they know how:
By laughing at the officiating until it cries back.

With Mostert cleared, he’s available for the showdown in Dublin, a place where the Boks haven’t won since the world last took Blackberry phones seriously.

The last time the Boks were on the winning side in Ireland was 13 years go. The Irish have won four of the last five against South Africa, including that World Cup group-stage arm wrestle in 2023.

The Boks name their team Thursday. And if fate has a sense of humour, the referee will keep his red card in his pocket this weekend, or at least try to.

But with the way things are going in rugby’s officiating universe, expect anything: a red card for tying your boots too slowly; a yellow for “intent to run upright”; a penalty for existing in the wrong postcode.

Sit tight.
The circus continues.
And the clowns, unfortunately, are still in charge.