Stormers Super 12 rugby players continue to have the support of their coach Gert Smal after allegations that a racial slur provoked Crusaders number eight Mose Tuiali’i into lashing out when they last met at Jade Stadium.
Tuiali’i was sent off for headbutting Stormers centre Marius Joubert in the round-robin Super 12 match on May 1.
He was subsequently banned for three weeks, forcing him to miss the rest of the competition.
The Stormers arrived in Christchurch on Monday night to prepare for this Saturday night’s Super 12 semifinal at Jade Stadium and Smal has hit out at the allegations which he believed had been brought up to disrupt his side.
When Tuiali’i faced the Sanzar judiciary panel on May 3, the panel found he had reacted to an ”unacceptable comment” which the the press understands was ”black bastard”.
”We have spoken to the player involved and he said there was no insult at all,” Smal said.
”The issue has been addressed through the right channels… It’s quite interesting that it [the allegation] comes now, just before a semifinal and we will just handle it in that light.”
Smal said all his players were aware they had to adhere to standards of behaviour and believed none could be accused of any wrongdoing.
”We address certain issues [of conduct] at the start of the season and we are a happy team. It’s part of our culture and we have never had a problem in the three-and-a-half years since I have been involved.”
Smal was surprised Tuiali’i was banned for three weeks when the minimum stand-down is supposed to be eight weeks. The Stormers lost captain and flanker Corne Krige before they played the Crusaders on May 1. He was banned for eight weeks for headbutting Chiefs midfielder Derek Maisey.
”It’s interesting that the penalty the number eight got for the headbutt was less than the minimum.
”It’s up to the people [Sanzar judiciary] to make the decision but I think it was quite light.”
Despite Tuiali’i’s dismissal, the Crusaders battled on for a meritorious 24-9 win with just 14 men that night but the Stormers played into the home players’ hands by not attempting to stretch them out wide.
Having to fly back and forth between New Zealand and South Africa twice in nine days and having previously lost to the Crusaders means the Stormers are ranked underdogs but Smal warns they will have more bite this time round.
”I think that [loss] is just the nature of the Super 12,” he said.
”If you lose, then you must prepare for the next game.
”This is a new game with new combinations and we are excited to be in a semi-final. – Sapa-NZPA