Stormers stand by Paulo: Fourie says lineout mess was 'a collective thing'
by Craig Taylor · KickOffOne area of focus for the Stormers this week as they build up to their local derby against the Sharks will be their lineouts.
It was a major stumbling block in Friday night’s defeat to Edinburgh, where the Cape-based franchise lost possession 10 times on their own throws, for only a 57% success rate on the night.
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It didn’t help that they lost regular hooker Andre-Hugo Venter to a head injury, with his replacement Vernon Paulo having a night to forget.
But veteran Stormers flank (and sometimes hooker) Deon Fourie says it’s imperative not to lay the blame at Paulo’s door.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Fourie said at the end of the day, there are many parts to the system, and that’s what the Stormers will need to look at over the coming days.
“I think he must go and look at the whole system, at the plan. I think it’s a bit harsh on the public out there and all the media outlets just to point fingers just at Vernon. I think it’s a collective issue,” Fourie told reporters.
“Conditions weren’t the best as well. So I think just go and look at the collective thing of everyone’s job in a lineout. It’s not just Vernon or the hooker that throws in. It’s lifting. It’s making the right calls as well. So everything plays a part. So I think we’ll do a review on that and then see where we can be better.”
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Fourie said he understands how Paulo would have felt after the lineout malfunction, and noted that he had been there before during his illustrious career.
“Yeah, I will definitely support him,” Fourie said.
“I think I’ve been there through my career. Stuff that doesn’t go your way in a game and you feel a bit down, and feeling that you let the team down. But that’s absolutely not the case. It’s like I said, it’s a collective thing.”