2012 S15 All things Referee thread

[Sully]

This is pretty much the way the ruling has gone for years. You can run the dummy line to draw the defender but you can't make contact. I know it seems unfair. And Aussie backs have complained about it for years.


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[PaarlBok]

Match officials
Blues vs Hurricanes
Referee: Steve Walsh
Assistant referees: Jonathon White, Ben Skeen
Television match official: Bryce Lawrence
Rebels vs Force
Referee: Marius Jonker
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner, Rohan Hoffman
Television match official: Matt Goddard
Waratahs vs Sharks in Sydney
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Ian Smith (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
Television match official: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Crusaders vs Cheetahs
Referee: Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Garratt Williamson (New Zealand), Matthew Muir (New Zealand)
Television match official: Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
Brumbies vs Highlanders
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
Assistant referees: Marius Jonker, Simon Moore
Television match official: Steve Lesczcynski
Bulls vs Reds
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant referees: Quinton Immelman, Stefan Breytenbach
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman
Lions vs Stormers in Johannesburg
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry (South Africa), Christie du Preez (South Africa)
Television match official: Gerrie Coetzee (South Africa)

 

[PaarlBok]

More about Lourens van der Merwe who will debut in Canberra, another fine young SA ref.

Van der Merwe's big match
Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:18

Lourens van der Merwe of Bloemfontein is in Canberra to referee his very first Super Rugby match between two high-flying sides - the home Brumbies who are joint top of the Australian conference, and the visiting Highlanders, who are top of the New Zealand conference. Talk about starting at the top!
Mark Lawrence was originally appointed to the match but had to withdraw and Van der Merwe was appointed in his place, with eager backing from SANZAR's referee boss, Lyndon Bray, who foresees a great future for Van der Merwe in refereeing.
Van der Merwe himself is excited at the prospect, saying: "This appointment obviously means at this stage everything to me, but I also realise that this appointment is only the next step to get to the top."
The young man has ambition and he is also aware that he does not act alone: "My whole career has happened only because of God's Grace! There are so many variables in refereeing, His grace is the only constant!"
He is also fortunate to have experienced Marius Jonker as an asssitant referee.
Van der Merwe is no refereeing novice. Born and educated in Pretoria he went to university in Bloemfontein and started refereeing there.
A member of the Free State Referees' Society saw him refereeing an Under-19C schools match and took him along to a society meeting in 1999. Van der Merwe joined the society and his promotion was rapid - first match in 2000, first national week in 2001, onto SA Referees' panels in 2002 and onto the top panel in South Africa in 2010. This has had him refereeing Currie Cup rugby, including matches like Western Province vs Sharks at Newlands and the 2011 Final of the Division One of the Currie Cup.
Now, after refereeing for 12 full seasons, he is breaking into Super Rugby, and grateful for all the help he had along the way, local and national. He has had a taste of Super Rugby as an assistant referee at home and abroad but this is the big thing. He is one of five referees being introduced into Super Rugby this year - along with Mike Fraser of New Zealand, Angus Gardner and Andrew Lees of Australia and Stuart Berry of South Africa.
And he still lives in Bloemfontein.
Lourens van der Merwe was born in Pretoria on 3 February 1977 and educated at Hoërskool Staatspresident CR Swart before going down to Free State University. Now he has been teaching physical science at the great Grey College and been involved in the rugby for the last six years. He is married to beautiful Liena, who runs her own drama school in Bloemfontein, and the father of five-year-old Llewellyn and one-year-old WJ.

 

[PaarlBok]

Bray on tackle area
SARef

Bray on tackle perceptions
Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:20

The perception is that there have been a lot more tackle penalties this year because of the action taken against 'sealing off', where the ball-carrier's team mates fold over the ball and make it impossible for the opponents to get to the ball.
Lyndon Bray, SANZAR's game manager which includes refereeing, is able to set people's minds at rest.
The object of the tackle emphasis in Super Rugby this year is twofold - to produce a fairer contest for the ball at the tackle and to produce a faster game.
To achieve the second the target was a three-second tackle - that the ball be available for play within three second of the tackle taking place. The target was to get this to happen at 70% of tackles. After three weeks of Super Rugby this aim of the three-second tackle was achieved in 68% of cases.
Bray is pleased. He says: "The tackler is no longer an issue at the tackle and we are getting arriving players to stay up a bit better.
"If they are higher there is a better chance of a fair contest for the ball at the tackle. If a ball-carrier's team-mate staples himself over the ball, there is no chance of a contest, but it he is up he can be attacked in a contest for the ball."
And the tackler's team, who won a contest in tackling the ball-carrier are entitled in law and commonsense to contest for possession. The turnover, after all, produces some of the game's most exciting moments.
Does this not produce more penalties? Bray says that the penalty count in 2011 averaged 24 per match; this year it is 23. There is on an average five penalties per match for sealing off.
Does this emphasis not discourage teams from carrying the ball in their own half? Bray believes that it forces the ball-carrier's team to be more accurate in their protection of the ball. "They need a greater work ethic. There is a risk but the teams need to be smart.
"There is an advantage for the ball-carrier's team as well. By getting the pillars around the ruck to get back we have created more space, so that if the ball-carrier's team wins the ball, they have more space to play in."
Penalties are still two to one against the defending team.
The referees are encouraged at the tackle to avoid actions that have no bearing on getting possession of the ball.
"When they see something that is not OK, they should ask themselves, 'Why shouldn't I penalise?'."

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

I think that guy (Van de Merwe) gave a speech at our pre-season referee conference. If not him, someone who looks very similar.

And if it is him. He was extremely interesting to listen to and I'm sure a very confident referee. Good luck to him.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Am I reading too much into it to think that "very confident referee" is damning him with faint praise?


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[Bruwheresmycar]

Well whoever it was (a tall south african that looks similar) gave us a speech on how to confidently referee and control a game. So he'd be an expert in that respect.

edit: come to think of it I could be mistaken, will find out later anyway.

 

[Braveheart81]

I posted this in the Tahs vs Sharks thread, but perhaps here is more appropriate.

I think it was early in the second half, the Sharks had a lineout that was eventually called not in straight after the referee got a call from the touch judge.

The Sharks players however jumped and tapped it back one handed with his outside hand. Surely this is illegal or have they changed the rule? I was really surprised it wasn't called up instantly and was even more surprised when I got home and watched the replay and the commentators didn't even mention it.

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

A rule might have been changed because I've never heard of that before. Are you thinking along the lines of; if a hooker clearly throws it not-straight, then his jumper is denying the non-offending team advantage by tapping it to his own halfback?

 

[Braveheart81]

Found it!
19.10 OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN A LINEOUT


(j) Catching or deflecting. When jumping for the ball, a player must use either both hands or the inside arm to try to catch or deflect the ball. The jumper must not use the outside arm alone to try to catch or deflect the ball. If the jumper has both hands above the head either hand may be used to play the ball.
Sanction: Free Kick on the 15-metre line

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

Good find. Makes sense.

Stuff like that should be picked up by whoever was reviewing the game, so hopefully the same mistake isn't made twice.

 

[Braveheart81]

The rule exists so you can't fend off your lineout opponent with one arm and win the ball with the other.

 

[yourmatesam]

The rule exists so you can't fend off your lineout opponent with one arm and win the ball with the other.

I think this one is a hangover from the good old days when lineouts were a lot scrappier than they are now.

 

[Hawko]

Good find. Makes sense.

Stuff like that should be picked up by whoever was reviewing the game, so hopefully the same mistake isn't made twice.

Maybe "not straight" was the first infringeement so the wrong arm being used did not become pertinent. If I was the ref talking to the reviewer, that would be my defence.

 

[hannibal]

Has anyone commented on the changes made by the IRB to referees recently? It seems Paddy O'Brien is moving to oversee refs for the Sevens comp and Bryce Lawrence is getting a demotion.

What does this potentially signal about the way the Super comp is being reffed? Will we see some changes come about?

 

[yourmatesam]

Has anyone commented on the changes made by the IRB to referees recently? It seems Paddy O'Brien is moving to oversee refs for the Sevens comp and Bryce Lawrence is getting a demotion.

What does this potentially signal about the way the Super comp is being reffed? Will we see some changes come about?

I saw this the other day on the SA referees website, it seems Paddy has been promoted to selector of the sevens in preparation for the Olypmics.

Also, Bryce Lawrence has been dropped from the A Panel. I think this means he won't be doing any more test, but not sure about Super Rugby.

I wonder what happens with appointments for the Olympics? The guys who are on that Sevens circuit from my knowledge are there because they are the up and coming referees to see how they cope before getting a gig in the 15 a side game. I wonder if they will go with the up and comers at the Olympics or if they will bring in the guys who are doing the 15 a side game?

 

[suckerforred]

I saw this the other day on the SA referees website, it seems Paddy has been promoted to selector of the sevens in preparation for the Olypmics.

Also, Bryce Lawrence has been dropped from the A Panel. I think this means he won't be doing any more test, but not sure about Super Rugby.

I wonder what happens with appointments for the Olympics? The guys who are on that Sevens circuit from my knowledge are there because they are the up and coming referees to see how they cope before getting a gig in the 15 a side game. I wonder if they will go with the up and comers at the Olympics or if they will bring in the guys who are doing the 15 a side game?

I am curious what is going to happen here as well. Paddy's performance withstanding would you let him anywhere near the selection of refs for the Olympics? Currently it is only the major Rugby playing nations that have a beef with him, the Olympics will be a whole entire other shite fight.

 

[elementfreak]

Super 15 Week 6
Highlanders vs Rebels in Invercargill
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Vinny Munro (New Zealand), Matthew Muir (New Zealand)
Television match official: Kane McBride (New Zealand)
Hurricanes vs Cheetahs in Wellington
Referee: Ian Smith (Australia)
Assistant referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Television match official: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Chiefs vs Waratahs in Hamilton
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jonathon White (New Zealand), Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Television match official: Shane McDermott (New Zealand)
Brumbies vs Sharks in Canberra
Referee: Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
Television match official: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Force vs Reds in Perth
Referee: Garratt Williamson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Steve Walsh (Australia), Andrew Lees (Australia)
Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Lions vs Crusaders in Johannesburg
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Reuben Rossouw (South Africa)
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
Stormers vs Bulls at Newlands
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry (South Africa), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

 

[Slim 293]

Hopefully all the pathetic Saffa whinging doesn't influence Keith Brown's officiating of the Brumbies v Sharks match...

 

[elementfreak]

Hopefully Lourens has another good game.