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Refereeing decisions

Tex

John Thornett (49)
The worst thing about the crack down on anything approaching foul play, is that I find myself sitting watching like that Scots hooker last night, yelling about missed penalties and cards for incidental actions that would have gone unnoticed any other year.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
I wonder if after watching last weeks games, and last nights we should perhaps be a little less critical on the crackdown on foul play, because for all that has been said it seems the players CAN avoid a lot of the head contact etc when they know they have to. Not saying it still won't be a problem in games but for all the cries we all made of hell players will just lead with their heads etc and how ill you tackle them close to the line, seems not a lot of it has been happening.
 

molman

Peter Johnson (47)
I wonder if after watching last weeks games, and last nights we should perhaps be a little less critical on the crackdown on foul play, because for all that has been said it seems the players CAN avoid a lot of the head contact etc when they know they have to. Not saying it still won't be a problem in games but for all the cries we all made of hell players will just lead with their heads etc and how ill you tackle them close to the line, seems not a lot of it has been happening.

Fair reflection. Time will tell. Also don't forget out of all the cards given out this tournament there were likely a lot less given to these top 8 teams. Though I also do wonder if things were let slide a little more with unusually quite TMO's. Not that I noticed any overt incidents, but I did think that tackle on Ardie Savea where the Ireland player used his head to flip/tackle/corkscrew him was rather dangerous, and I say this as someone going for Ireland.
 

formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
I wanted Garces and Skeen to be so much worse than they were. I wanted something to shake my fist at after our loss. A scapegoat who can't fight back.

But Garces turned in the best damn performance of the tournament, the froggy bastard.
.

His refusal to play penalty lotto as scrums went down led to more time spent re-packing, but was ultimately fairer to both teams and their supporters.
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
You know, the Cheika era was always going to end with a defeat at this RWC and I'm actually glad it was a resounding thumping. No smoke and mirrors, just comprehensively outplayed and out coached. It should do us good to sit with the bare truth of where we started and where we ended up. Time for a dose of humble pie.

I think the cards over the weekend we pretty much appropriate.

Todd's was tricky but I'm always for a professional foul being caught and punished. The stupid French lock deserved a red in what should be the baseline sanction for that sort of thuggery. So dumb. Beast was half a degree of impact away from a red too, but on the balance of point of impact and lack of injury to the player, he probably just scrapes in below a send off.

That said, a lifting dumping tackle has such a high chance of catastrophic injury that I really don't think we should be looking hard for mitigation in these circumstances. Refs and TMOs turn themselves inside out to find the slow-mo point where a defender has creased their ankles and knees in performing a high tackle across the throat, hoping to keep it within the yellow band, but picking a bloke up and driving him into the turf doesn't even get a second glance.
 

formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
Beast was half a degree of impact away from a red too, but on the balance of point of impact and lack of injury to the player, he probably just scrapes in below a send off.

That said, a lifting dumping tackle has such a high chance of catastrophic injury that I really don't think we should be looking hard for mitigation in these circumstances. Refs and TMOs turn themselves inside out to find the slow-mo point where a defender has creased their ankles and knees in performing a high tackle across the throat, hoping to keep it within the yellow band, but picking a bloke up and driving him into the turf doesn't even get a second glance.
The conspiracy theorist in me sees a WR (World Rugby) plan in action.
Hit all misdemeanours hard early in the tournament and nit pick via TMO. Then in the 1/4s onwards let most incidents go to ensure viewers get to see a full complete of players on the pitch. Teams will be self-policing by this stage.
The many scrum re-sets in the 1/4s tells me that refs have been instructed to stop pretending they know why 16 massive men fall down when their hulks come together just one meter off the ground.
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
I'd give Garces the NZ/Eng game, and Barnes the Wales/SA game.

They are the two best refs at the moment, and the better of them can ref the final (if England lose).
 

yourmatesam

Desmond Connor (43)
I think the cards over the weekend we pretty much appropriate.

Todd's was tricky but I'm always for a professional foul being caught and punished. The stupid French lock deserved a red in what should be the baseline sanction for that sort of thuggery. So dumb. Beast was half a degree of impact away from a red too, but on the balance of point of impact and lack of injury to the player, he probably just scrapes in below a send off.

That said, a lifting dumping tackle has such a high chance of catastrophic injury that I really don't think we should be looking hard for mitigation in these circumstances. Refs and TMOs turn themselves inside out to find the slow-mo point where a defender has creased their ankles and knees in performing a high tackle across the throat, hoping to keep it within the yellow band, but picking a bloke up and driving him into the turf doesn't even get a second glance.


I generally agree with the sentiments you raise here mate. The Frog was nuts and I have no idea why Jaco waited until the TMO told him about that incident!!

In regards to the Todd card, I was so happy to see that called up. This is the type of "gamesmanship" that the AB's have been getting away with for 'ears and 'ears. It was a professional foul, he knew exactly what he was doing and that was the right outcome.

I actually thought SBW was liable for something similar in the leadup to that card. He dropped to his knees in front of the player in a similar fashion - his aim was the same, to deny the attacking team an attacking opportunity illegally.

For me, that phase of play just shows how technical the AB's are and how far the rest of the world has to get to their standards. If they can manage to coach SBW into that type of technique in that area of the field, they are streets ahead of the rest of us. Also for Todd, his actions were those of a player pushing the limits of the law. He didn't get away with it, but he was smart enough to be thinking about that.
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
Devil's advocate: was Todd's sprawl across the post any different from a tackling player getting himself between the ball and the try line/turf?
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Devil's advocate: was Todd's sprawl across the post any different from a tackling player getting himself between the ball and the try line/turf?


I think the issue was that he was clearly offside and only got there to prevent the try by being obviously offside.
 

Spruce Moose

Fred Wood (13)
Devil's advocate: was Todd's sprawl across the post any different from a tackling player getting himself between the ball and the try line/turf?


I think Owens got it right the second time, he firstly claimed Todd was offside which was incorrect as he was behind the goal line but on the TMO review he mentioned that he went into contact using no arms or attempting to play the ball which is a penalty. Therefore penalty preventing a try = Penalty Try & YC according to the law. This doesn't apply to Wales who got away with penalty try against Fiji and didn't get a YC (which would have taken them down to 13 men). However I have learnt over the past weeks that the Welsh are refereed totally differently to everyone else.
 

yourmatesam

Desmond Connor (43)
Devil's advocate: was Todd's sprawl across the post any different from a tackling player getting himself between the ball and the try line/turf?

It's about his intent. He was never trying to tackle anyone. The only reason he was there was to prevent a "probable" try being scored.

I want to see this type of refereeing. Understand what the player's intent is and react accordingly.
 
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formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
It's about his intent. He was never trying to tackle anyone. The only reason he was there was to prevent a "probable" try being scored.

I want to see this type of refereeing. Understand what the player's intent is and react accordingly.

You would have pinged Faf de Clerk many, many times then! And Rightly.
 

molman

Peter Johnson (47)
It's about his intent. He was never trying to tackle anyone. The only reason he was there was to prevent a "probable" try being scored.

I want to see this type of refereeing. Understand what the player's intent is and react accordingly.

I agree it was the right outcome, but what should the call have been? seemed a bit of a muddled offiside, actually no arms tackle, not sure call by Barnes.
 

yourmatesam

Desmond Connor (43)
I agree it was the right outcome, but what should the call have been? seemed a bit of a muddled offiside, actually no arms tackle, not sure call by Barnes.

It's a professional foul, take your pick. The player knows what he did was wrong, the Captain does also.

The key is that Barnes had the gut instinct that the action was wrong. If it looks wrong, it probably is wrong.
 
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