The Stormers produced a spirited performance against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Friday, but their 38-21 defeat was not without controversy, with several refereeing decisions coming under scrutiny.

New Zealand scored six tries to the Stormers’ three, but the hosts put the All Blacks under significant pressure with their physical defence and impressive line speed. They were also left frustrated by a number of calls from English referee Karl Dickson.

The All Blacks were shown three yellow cards during the match, highlighting the pressure they faced at times, although New Zealand coach Dave Rennie suggested it sometimes felt as though the referee favoured the team in possession.

There were, however, moments when the Stormers appeared to benefit little from their dominance.

One of the most contentious incidents came at scrum time, when the Stormers appeared to overpower the All Blacks but were not awarded a penalty. New Zealand went on to score a try a few minutes later.

Dobson questions key calls

Stormers coach John Dobson acknowledged that Dickson is an excellent referee but said some All Blacks infringements appeared to go unpunished.

“I think that scrum call where we were running with them, it went against us, and that ended up in a try back there,” Dobson said.

He also raised concerns about an incident during one of the All Blacks’ tries, claiming Jonathan Roche appeared to make contact with Neethling Fouche’s head.

“I think there were some big moments, some big calls,” Dobson said.

Dobson identified the scrum, as well as a maul near the All Blacks’ try line, as key moments that could have influenced the outcome.

“That scrum is a big moment, that maul on their line in the far corner is a big moment, in terms of the consequence of the game,” he said.

Despite his frustrations, Dobson stopped short of blaming the referee for the defeat.

“He’s an excellent referee; it’s a tough thing to referee. I mean, we had a chance to do it ourselves, and we didn’t get it right.”

The Stormers ultimately ran out of steam in the final 10 minutes, understandable given that they are only beginning their United Rugby Championship pre-season preparations.

Still, the disputed calls will likely form part of the post-match debate after an entertaining opening to the Greatest Rivalry Tour.

Source: Kick Off