White launches broadside on Dobson: 'It's more serious than some stupid comments'

Bulls director of rugby Jake White launched a broadside at Stormers coach John Dobson for what he deemed a mischievous way of handling Willie Engelbrecht's citing for dangerous play in the derby in Cape Town last week.

Speaking ahead of the Bulls' United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against the Sharks at Kings Park on Saturday, White said he wasn't in the mood for sour grapes but had the responsibility of ensuring the on-field welfare of his players comes first.

Engelbrecht, a loose forward, was cited by the Bulls for allegedly making contact with the head and neck area of a Bulls player in a cleanout early in the game. Still, the panel found his actions neither reckless nor intentional and did not warrant a red card.

White, without mentioning Dobson but clearly targeting the Stormers mentor who's got the better of him in the URC, said coaches can use platforms to say what they want, but it must not infringe on the safety of players.

"On the record, it has nothing to do with being spurious or having sour grapes. The reality is that there was a head clash in an environment a player has concerns about concussions and everything else," White said.

"If the citing guy passes it forward and the committee decides that it is illegal and dangerous, then I want to find out why it wasn't blown or penalised?

"It was in the first minute of the game where there were two TMOs and a referee, so that was the crux of the matter for me.

"It's irrelevant or not that people are chucking things at me, saying I've got sour grapes. I want to know how a guy who gets cleaned out in the head in the first minute of the game with two TMOs and a referee wasn't penalised.

"The guy that was hit on the head was out for one year with a serious head injury and