Adjudicating the match between the Wallabies and France last Saturday was a random penalty generator, otherwise known as David Pearson.
Some of his decisions were mystifying, but there was one pretty early on that truly pissed me off and it’s in the video below.
It’s not the inconsistency that shits me as much as the complete pointlessness of these penalties. Even if you say Horwill went off his feet (I’d say he cleared out the French #5) who the fuck is he sealing off from accessing the ball? Sharpe behind him doesn’t even go off his feet, he’s bound to the nearest man in the ruck.
There’s no contenst for the ball that’s stifled, all it does is kill perfectly good, fast attacking ball and stuff up a game of footy. It almost makes you think the Mungos have a point. Almost.
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Tags: laws of rugby, mungos, referees, video analysis, youtube
Matt a.k.a Gagger or GAGR (short for GreenAndGoldRugby, not a fetish)
Matt started G&GR just before the 2007 Rugby World Cup and has been enslaved ever since. You can follow him on Twitter here http://www.twitter.com/Matt_Gagger 
Too true, there were a bunch of ones against the French that I thought were pretty harsh as well
Life isn’t fair Gagger…
Damn you fate, DAMN YOU TO HELL
.-= Gagger´s last blog ..Lote Tuqiri shown the door by ARU =-.
Rugby had the worst officialdom in the sporting world (maybe except for boxing). Until decisions are systematically reviewed and referees held accountable nothing will change. Unfortunately, refs do decide outcomes and it is a fatal flaw in our sport.
That’s the complex mystery that is Rugby, and why match officials are the greatest of hypocrites. It’s a complex game and the reason why so many people don’t understand it. That and because they huffed paint fumes in their youth and/or bounced down the stairs on their heads as infants…
And would we have it any other way?
Too many pedantic and arrogant people become refs. Anyone kept count of the number of big games which muppets like Chris White have absolutely ruined??
I think sharpe gets pinged for not clearing the guy out of the ruck, just tackling him and preventing the counter ruck.
Where as in the first one noone was there to be cleared just ball secured.
Its just when its a free kick it seems more fair to make such harsh calls though…
the change in ELVs to full arm penalties only increases the critical nature of getting calls right.
some say that the threat of a full arm will clean up ruck play. that may be, but only if refs properly call the game. otherwise it’s still a crapshoot, but now with more dangerous odds. no doubt that each infringement carries a harsher penalty, but so does each bungled call from
Mr. Sassy-Pants (Goddard).
i agree that there has to be a more systematic way to deal with things, for the players and for the fans. as a new person to the game, ruck calls are one of the hardest things to figure out. along with scrum penalties. it’s all fine and good to call these areas “dark arts”, but when there is utter confusion among players and fans, the sport is only hurt.
PS – i’m not saying the current state is that drastic, but that should things stay the same or get worse, i think it’s only a negative.
Agree with all, bring back the ELVs.
He says “One, two (pointing at both Horwill and Sharpe) gone to floor”
The two rucks are almost identical
And it’s Horwill that clears the guy out, not Sharpe (with eyesight like that Bobas – you should be a ref
)
On top of that the guy that Horwill clears out is about to come in from the wrong side. It gets worse each time I watch it
Matt..er Gagger, interesting discourse, but somewhat disillusioning. I have always felt that one of the really great aspects of Rugby is reliance on one official and the lack of whining by players and fans. This is in strong contrast to American Football where we get to spend hours watching officials check themselves on video. I say leave your sport as it is, it is great. But then what do I know, I learned all I know about Rugby from your father.
“ADSB” – you lost all credibility when you revealed your source of rugby knowledge!
Anyway, whining (and porn) is what the internet is made for!