New Zealand fans got a taste of the appalling refereeing endured by the All Blacks at Cardiff in the RWC quarter-final with Nigel Owens, the Welsh referee, saving England at Auckland from a monster defeat with a series of bewildering decisions and non-decisions.
As it was NZ 37 – England 20 (which included two runaway tries against the run of play) represented a thrashing that was acknowledged even by the most biased of the UK rugby writers.
And examples of Owens’ woeful refereeing? England were awarded a penalty, for instance, right in front of the NZ posts when Richie McCaw was penalised for being on the wrong side of a ruck while playing the ball. ‘I made the tackle,’ a bewildered McCaw told Owens. ‘No you didn’t,’ was the reply.
The television replay clearly showed McCaw making the first tackle, getting to his feet and facing his own tryline legally winning the ball. Daniel Carter made the second tackle on the English player. And this was the only tackle Owens saw, even though it was only a few metres away from him.
It’s time NH hemisphere referees start to referee what is in front of them, instead of what they think they see. McCaw, along with George Smith who is also unfairly treated by NH referees, has an exceptional skill in making a tackle, getting to his feet and winning the ball. There is not one player in Europe who can do this. NH referees tend to think that because their players can’t do it, it can’t be done.
Owens was dreadful also at scrum time where the All Blacks monstered England to the extent that England in the last 20 minutes just collapsed scrum, and scrum, and bizarrely gained short arm penalties doing so.
Then there was Owens’ tolerance of England’s forwards coming in from the side, a no-no refereed very strictly (and rightly so) every ruck and maul by SH referees.
The All Blacks have not been beaten in NZ for the past five years. On the evidence of the first two Tests this year, the All Blacks are going to remain the team to beat at home and abroad, at least for this season and probably up to 2011.
There is a physical edge and abrasiveness to the forwards that was lacking last year. The lineout, however, creaked against England mainly due to Owens allowing England to come across the line with impunity before the ball was thrown in.
The NZ scrum is becoming a monster wrecking machine. McCaw and Daniel Carter are back to their best (which is as good as any player in their position in the history of rugby). And a centre pairing of power with Ma’a Nonu and high skills with Conrad Smith (something absent last year, too), is being created.
The South Africa 37 – Wales 21 Test at Pretoria was expertly refereed by NZer Lyndon Bray. This allowed both sides to play rugby, rather than the football the NH whistle-blowers seem to prefer. And both did so splendidly, with Wales, in particular, showing flair and grit that was a credit to the players and their coach.
So freely did the South Africans throw the ball around in the first half that at half-time the experts begged the Springboks to go back to basics and use their 63 per cent possession to play ‘less rugby.’ The Springboks had a slight 17 – 15 edge, even though they had opened up the Welsh defence time after time.
It was quite remarkable that despite the fact that they were defending most of the match, and doing the job splendidly, Wales was actually in the lead three times in the Test. The reason for this was two unbelievable tries scored by the genius, Shane Williams.
The highest praise that can be given to Williams is to say that he is rugby players can be reincarnated like Dalai Lamas, then Williams is the new David Campese, just as Campese reincarnated the great Dally Messenger, Australian rugby’s first super-star.
At times the Springboks looked to be an exceptional side. The loose forward trio are terrific. The second row is great in the loose and in the lineouts. But at other times, especially at scrum time and in the mauls, they looked vulnerable. They do not play the ad lib game as well as Australians and NZers. But the athleticism of the loose forwards is very impressive.
If I were rating the two teams on the their first two Tests, I’d say the Springboks look like a good side and the All Blacks look like a very good side.
But whether this is the way it pans out in the Tri Nations tournament we’ll have to wait and see …
Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.
Do you have what it takes to become a sports writer? Write for the roar
Rugby Union articles
- Will Super Rugby crowds continue their slide? (198)
- Will South African rugby force a Super 21 by 2018? (172)
- Brumbies 2012: New coach, new players, new attitude (128)
- Dan Parks and the unsolved questions of expat rugby (61)
- Pocock set to be named new Force skipper (56)
- Can the ‘Tahs win the battle after losing the Waugh? (51)
- What does the future hold for the Six Nations (50)
- Wales show Southern Hemisphere how to play running rugby (28)
- What opening matches of Six Nations taught us (18)
- Will Super Rugby crowds continue their slide? (201)
- Clinical Chiefs cost rusty Rebels in Corio (9)
- Six Nations shows rugby is a parochial game at heart (5)
- Goose’s Super Rugby up-and-comer XV for 2012 (29)
- What does the future hold for the Six Nations (50)
Harry said | June 16th 2008 @ 9:12am | Report comment
Williams try for the Welsh was absolutely fantastic. Smith @ 13 for the Kiwi’s is carving up the NH teams and lesser oppostion with his excellent skills and rugby nous, I just wonder whether he’s a bit slow for the highest level i.e. v Stirling (or Ryan Cross) and de Viliers.
There was one profoundly depressing game on the weekend – the U/20′s losing to the Poms. We focused on matching the Poms attritional forward bash instead of using our backs and duly got squeezed out by a lack of composure – oh, and our scrum failed at critical times allowing the Poms to sneak a win. Sound familiar?
Mart said | June 16th 2008 @ 9:20am | Report comment
Spiro – what’s the rule on offside these days ? I watched the NZ / Eng game in the bar at Telstra Dome before the Wallabies game and thus had no commentary, but it seemed that every time Eng got the ball back from a scrum / ruck that the NZ backs (and McCaw) were way (and I mean way) in front of the ball when the Eng scrum half was releasing it. Allowed ? It’s interesting watching the game without sound as you see ‘blindingly obvious’ stuff like this and wonder why ! I agree with you on the ref’s performance, I couldn’t make heads or tails of most decisions (e.g why was Tindall sin binned near the end ?) going either way. Was also stunned by the speed of the Eng winger (Topsy someone, brilliant name !) for his 1st try. So NZ clearly a good team, Eng a collection of individuals (starting out as a team). So NZ looking good to go unbeaten at home ahead of the next RWC when they will, of course, be at home and need to win 7 games on their own soil. No pressure there then !
Mart said | June 16th 2008 @ 9:27am | Report comment
Harry – good point about the U20s…the way Aus self-destructed in gifting Eng the winning try was deja vu all over again. Didn’t seem too much difference between the 2 sides, I was impressed with both teams (esp the Aussie winger that got man of the match)
USRugbyFan said | June 16th 2008 @ 9:28am | Report comment
I think that the Springboks might be able to steal a game in NZ, if not this year than next year.
bob said | June 16th 2008 @ 9:32am | Report comment
Sprio, you say of the ref: “saving England at Auckland from a monster defeat with a series of bewildering decisions and non-decisions.”
You are joking right?
One AB try was scrored off a clear, meter and half forward pass, one was scored after a clear knock on, and one was scrored after a scrum back black was called when it should have been a white lineout.
So far only one NZ journo has been honest enough to point it out, and point out that all the RWC fuss over reffing means nothing if everyone ignores it when it suits them… go back, take off your black Sh coloured glasses and review the game again… if you can’t do that, your opinion as a commentator on rugby is worth nothing. If you can’t see the forward pass, or the knock on etc, and make fair comment, you are writing fiction.
It’s not about who was better… but call it not as youw ant it to be, but as it was.
Terry Kidd said | June 16th 2008 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Hello All,
I watched the game in its entirety and I have to admit that the ref did make some bewildering decisions but that they went both ways. Nuff said on that.
What I thought was very noticeable is that the All Blacks declined the English breaks in play, they deliberately kept the ball in play by refusing to kick out, even from within their own quarter. I thought that this was a deliberate tactic designed to run the English pack around, to tire them out and denigh them set pieces where they could regroup. In that respect they were successful and the pace of the game seemed to stress England and put them off their own game.
All in all the better team won and did it convincingly.
Mart said | June 16th 2008 @ 9:44am | Report comment
Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob – this is Spiro reporting on (a) Eng and (b) an Eng game with a NH ref. Whatever did you expect ?!?! The only suprise was he didn’t manage to include rants about Francis Baron or the disgraceful English national anthem !
And how good is the para “As it was NZ 37 – England 20 (which included two runaway tries against the run of play) represented a thrashing that was acknowledged even by the most biased of the UK rugby writers”. Biased rugby writers ? Hmmmm, the words pot, black, and kettle keep coming up here but I can’t work out why !
The 2 runaway tries comment is an interesting one too – were the runawayer in a black or gold shirt they would be lauded I suspect. Such is life ! The 2nd try was a result of a cross kick that could easily have resulted in a NZ try but instead Topsy whatsit judged the ball / bounce best. A fair degree of skill I thought when shown on replays in slo mo. Barnes did this in the game I attended and it nearly ended in an Ire try after it was caught by them but, as Robbie Deans commented, worth a punt and that’s the kind of adventure he wants the Wallabies to show. So you spins the message whichever way you wants (or whichever way your audience wants more likely)……
Plus ca change etc etc
Mart said | June 16th 2008 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Terry – at last ! Some inteliigent comment !!! Agree with you, clever stuff…..
Harry said | June 16th 2008 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Mart I hope that Pocock and Cooper – the captain and playmaker – really learn from that loss, as both are potential champions. It seems we made the mistake of underestimating the Poms who apparently won the 6N U/20′s undefeated. And we lost our composure and some players with great reputations were found wanting when the heat was on. Yes indeed, deja vu all over again.
Mart said | June 16th 2008 @ 9:52am | Report comment
Harry – understand what you mean but I really thought the 2 teams were pretty well matched. Just a bit of panic at the end turned the game – yes, let’s hope they learn, they looked pretty upset at the end. I really enjoyed the game and it seems from the (limited) press reports that the semis (Eng / SA, Wales / NZ) could be crackers. From the limited I’ve seen of this tourno it’s been interesting, to say the least, to see how good the structures are for having Ustrong 20s in these nations and Aus, they really do seem to be ‘the next generation’. I even enjoyed the commentary of Nigel Starmer Smith and team (as opposed to the dreaful commentary we normally have to endure this side of the world)