Waratahs v Highlanders, semi-final, Saturday 27 June

[Brumby Runner]

Please remind me why Kearns comments on Tahs games? He should've done the earlier one.

You're too generous.

 

[Shiggins]

It will be a final I am not watch. Boycott. Not worth it. The better team doesn't always win

 

[Pfitzy]

Jeez Shiggins, back off on the angst. Or try this: go ref a game and see how you do! Not an easy job, and in park footy there is no TMO to save your arse

Next week could be the game of the season!

 

[Shiggins]

Jeez Shiggins, back off on the angst. Or try this: go ref a game and see how you do! Not an easy job, and in park footy there is no TMO to save your arse

Next week could be the game of the season!

2 things.

I'm. Not a professional reff.

I'm on holiday next week so might struggle to watch the game haha

 

[galumay]

2 games. Both had terrible adjudicating. It's a shame it didn't go both ways so at least there isn't going to be so much in the press. Clearly both new Zealand teams had the rub of the ref.

Shigs you really need to see a doctor about that chip on your shoulder. This obsession with slagging the refs is tiresome. Maybe you should go and join the rugby referrees forum, you might learn to gain a little perspective.

Neither the Tah's or Ponies would claim to have lost those games through anything but their own lack of ability and accuracy on the day.

The refs do an increible job - and if were not for them you would have no rugby to watch - they make most of their decisions in real time, watching a huge amount of activity, sometimes they make a call that might have gone differently - but they call it how they see it and any suggestion of bias or favourtism is a slander equivalent to calling them cheats and is a really immature and irresponsible attitude to hold.

Try focussing on the rugby, the 2 better teams on the day got through and we should have a hum dinger of a final to watch.

 

[Shiggins]

Shigs you really need to see a doctor about that chip on your shoulder. This obsession with slagging the refs is tiresome. Maybe you should go and join the rugby referrees forum, you might learn to gain a little perspective.

Neither the Tah's or Ponies would claim to have lost those games through anything but their own lack of ability and accuracy on the day.

The refs do an increible job - and if were not for them you would have no rugby to watch - they make most of their decisions in real time, watching a huge amount of activity, sometimes they make a call that might have gone differently - but they call it how they see it and any suggestion of bias or favourtism is a slander equivalent to calling them cheats and is a really immature and irresponsible attitude to hold.

Try focussing on the rugby, the 2 better teams on the day got through and we should have a hum dinger of a final to watch.

So if they make mistakes or are not consistent we Shouldn't point it out?
The yellow and penalties try in the tahs game is a joke. In slow motion you can see him aim Low at the ball but by the time ozzy drops it hits him On the chin. Massive call and changed the game. The brumbies game was much worse though

 

[Shiggins]

And I never said they are cheating. They just got it wrong

 

[Set piece magic]

As a referee that penalty try was nothing short of shameful

 

[Teh Other Dave]

It will be a final I am not watch. Boycott. Not worth it. The better team doesn't always win

...except that the better team won tonight in both games. Shit, the Waratahs couldn't even secure their own lineout throw. To blame refereeing or even call it substandard is completely missing the point. Our teams lost those games tonight, possibly even moreso than their opponents won them, and certainly moreso than any influence the refs had. And no, I did not agree with the penalty try in the Tahs game; however, I suspect they would have conceded a try in the next play anyway.

 

[galumay]

but by the time ozzy drops it hits him On the chin.

...and therefore is foul play, yellow card and given where it happened arguably a PT - which is how Joubert saw it. You might disagree, but then you are not an elite international referee so I will accept his call. You simply cant say its wrong because you dont like the call.

As I said go and have a chat about it over on the Pro Rugby Referees forum, see how you go with your attitude there!

Or as PFitzy says have a go at reffing yourself, its not as black and white as you would like to believe.

Bottom line is that if Jackpot hadnt dived in with a swinging arm then it wouldnt be an issue.

Really, you should try letting it go, I suspect you would enjoy the rugby a lot more if you just accepted the refs are doing an indispensible role in the game and sometimes you wont understand why they made a particular decision - which by the way doesnt make it "wrong"

 

[galumay]

As a referee that penalty try was nothing short of shameful

So as a referee of some sort, you believe that 2 international referees, who discussed the decision over their coms and watched multiple replays were both "shameful".?

Thats rather a large call.

 

[ACT Crusader]

It was poor from Pot. He could've attacked that collision very differently but chose to swing his arm, and that swinging arm hit FnCs in the head. It didn't need to be like that.

Given the size of those screens, the replays were there for all to see pretty clearly. If that had been a Landers player, the crowd would've been baying for blood.

 

[Moono75]

It will be a final I am not watch. Boycott. Not worth it. The better team doesn't always win

English Shiggins English.

 

[Swandive]

Wow. What a miserable day. Both Aussie teams bitchslapped.
I have not seen the Brumbies game yet so can't comment.
The Waratahs were completely outplayed, outclassed, outsmarted and dare I say, out-muscled.

Was Chieka out-coached? Or did he never have the cattle to compete?
I hope he learnt a few things today. Palu & Skelton should not play at the same time for the Wallabies. It's one or the other. (This is a pity as I was preferring Ita Vaea anyway, but they're pretty much the same type of player, just different by age.) They must have three decent jumpers! I guess that means Higgers at 8 or no Skelton in the starting squad.

I also think that Foley is not the man to direct the Wobs. He cracked under pressure - the worst game I have seen him play this year. I am not sure he can handle the pressure of the big occasion. His kicking was pop-gun at best. Phipps also struggled and was completely outclassed by Smith. So I guess it has to be Genia or White with Cooper or To'omua/Lealifano.

The Waratahs were so one-dimensional tonight. They can play much better so curious why they weren't up for this. The Highlanders really mixed it up and the Tahs had no answer. The unheralded Highlanders pack really stepped up and out-muscled the Tahs. They were all good but Nasi Manu was immense.

Would Kurtley have made a difference? Doubt it.

I haven't read previous comments but did notice the one above going on a about the referee. There's probably been pages and pages now bagging the referee. It's a tough and thankless job but I'm gonna be a poor loser and have a poke. I thought Buckman's try should have been called back for the same reason Phipp's was called back. I haven't seen a replay so maybe I am wrong.

Also, with the Poitgeiter try, I though he was very harshly done by. What was he to do? He would be abused for standing there and not having a crack at saving the try. If that is a swinging arm than all side on tackles are swinging arms. Could he go any lower to avoid the face? The scorers head was no more than a foot and a half off the ground. Pretty hard to go lower at that pace and angle. That is not so much the referee's fault but a comment about how ridiculous some of the rules of rugby are becoming. Men go out there to smash each other and stop the other team from scoring by all means, with some rules thrown in to stop it becoming complete chaos...but soon it'll be just like tag as you won't be able to do this and you won't be able to do that. Perhaps a gross exaggeration but you get my point.

Well done to the two Kiwi sides. Miles ahead of the Aussies and Saffas.
Daylight second.

I thought that I could see good times ahead for Aussie rugby but I must be kidding myself. I think I need to be a little more realistic. The Kiwis are gonna smash us. I can only live in hope.

Cheika is going to have a few headaches over the next few weeks. Hopefully he can bring the best parts of Australian rugby together to form a whole that is better than it's parts. And hopefully he can out-coach his peers. That is yet to be proven and the biggest challenge ahead of him.

 

[Moono75]

One team showed up to play tonight and if that's the best we have to dish up in the Rugby Championship against the AB's then the less Tahs in the team the better. Pathetic effort and with the resources thrown behind the Tahs that is money being pissed down the drain. Did Michael Foley sell the blue print to beat the Tahs to the Clan?

Impressed by the Higlanders heart all year but will be backing the Canes and the family bloodline out of Karori. Go Canes!

 

[Bullrush]

So if they make mistakes or are not consistent we Shouldn't point it out?
The yellow and penalties try in the tahs game is a joke. In slow motion you can see him aim Low at the ball but by the time ozzy drops it hits him On the chin. Massive call and changed the game. The brumbies game was much worse though

The problem is that I don't think I've ever seen you complain about the standard of the refs whenever your team wins.

It doesn't matter where Potgieter aims, it only matters where he connected - simple as that.

I think the Buckman try was rubbish. I've said for ages that I hate players going down in the tackle being able to get up and go again without releasing the ball first. Especially when there is a lot of emphasis on the tacklers to release. Release too soon and they can just get up and have another crack?

 

[Moono75]

The problem is that I don't think I've ever seen you complain about the standard of the refs whenever your team wins.

the fault in your argument is we very rarely win....dagger to my heart!

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

The Tahs looked one dimensional throughout , they really seemed to miss Kurtley Beale as an additional playmaker which heaped more pressure on Foley and made it easier for the Highlanders to capitalise in spades . The lineout was a major disappointment , possibly one of the worst displays in recent memory . Well done to the Highlanders who simply out enthused the Waratahs across the park . Thanks to the Tah's for getting to this point in the competition and thanks and best of luck to those departing in pursuit of new challenges . And Big Will , good to see you attempt to charge down the field goal near the end , something unheard of last season . I get the feeling after the last few rounds across the franchises Chieka may opt for a more mobile Wallaby forward pack with a high workrate mantra as many of the big boppers have appeared flat and not contesting full minutes (Except Skelton). And as far as the Refs go , we just need to suck it up as it will invariably be more pedantic at the RWC ...we lost through poor position , poor choices and poor execution in the end .

 

[Bullrush]

the fault in your argument is we very rarely win..dagger to my heart!

Unless you'r playing the Tahs!

 

[Moono75]

Unless you'r playing the Tahs!

......I think the Tahs are in enough pain already