Sharks were robbed; Reds keep it interesting
Roar Pro By kynang, 7 Mar 2010 kynang is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Queensland Reds, Rugby Union, Sharks, Super Rugby
My prediction of a two point Sharks victory was so close to being right… 21-25 down and the Sharks had three opportunities to kick at goal in the dying minutes.
They spurned two and missed one… two successful kicks would have put them 27-25 up. Why?
And then Kanko’s penalty try! Or what should have been a penalty try – even the Australian papers are admitting as much. He had an open run in! But really, what good is it blaming the ref. Terblanche could have passed half a second earlier, or they could have just kicked at goal those few previous times… they were robbed, but ultimately they robbed themselves (and me, and all their other fans) of a great victory. But there were a few glimpses of a potential revival there… very faint glimpses.
The Reds! What a surprise… or maybe last week was the surprise. They were good against the Waratahs, great against the Crusaders, mediocre last week against the Blues, and now fabulous. Perhaps they are serious contenders… if they can only string a few wins together – 7 or 8 wins will get a semi-final place this year – losing every second week probably won’t be quite good enough. But step aside Berrick Barnes and Matt Giteau – Quade Cooper is the new face of genius in Australia – on current form he is the best choice for Aussie # 10.
And the Cheetahs… they’re a dark horse, just like the Reds – diabolical one week, sensational the next. I doubt they can sustain it, but Brussow and Smith really are beasts. They smashed the Hurricanes at the breakdown, just like France are going to do to New Zealand at the next World Cup… it’s totally unrelated, but I’ve said it: France will beat New Zealand at the 2011 World Cup in their Pool A game.
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- Explore:
- Queensland Reds, Rugby Union, Sharks, Super Rugby
March 7th 2010 @ 7:13am
hammer said | March 7th 2010 @ 7:13am | Report comment
Marks wasn’t just incomptetent he was biased – the final line out penalty was the cherry on top of a one sided display – the bloke shouldn’t allowed near a S14 game after that – appalling
March 7th 2010 @ 7:26am
Chris said | March 7th 2010 @ 7:26am | Report comment
The Australian teams get just as badly done by in South Africa (witness Mark Lawrence putting an NFL block on a Brumbies player before one of the Bulls tries). Marks, however, was particularly bad. There needs to be a return to neutral refs ASAP. I don’t care how much money it is saving SANZAR – it is totally ruining the credibility of the comp.
March 7th 2010 @ 7:43am
katzilla said | March 7th 2010 @ 7:43am | Report comment
The thing is Chris I don’t see how it is saving SANZAR money when they’re flying NZ refs to SA to ref a NZ/SA game. Note Bryce Lawrence in last nights Hurricanes/Cheetahs match.
If they wanted to save money then home refs should be reffing every game surely? Thats the ultimate money saver, if that is their goal. Not Mark Lawrence reffing in OZ while Bryce Lawrence refs in SA.
The cheaper option is a 400 flight for Bryce Lawrence to ref the NSW/Sharks game and a small domestic flight for Mark Lawrence across the country to ref the Canes/Cheetahs.
I just saved SANZAR about 1500 dollars.
Btw what is with the text on this posting? It hurts my eyes
March 7th 2010 @ 8:36am
hammer said | March 7th 2010 @ 8:36am | Report comment
I wasn’t trying to comment on the overall ref system – just that Marks up to last night has been simply incompetent since arriving on the scene – last night crossed the line – he was biased
March 8th 2010 @ 2:41pm
Eric Lytton said | March 8th 2010 @ 2:41pm | Report comment
Couldn’t agree more Chris, particularly in South Africa where the local referees appear to be either slightly partisan, inconsistent, or just plain incompetent. I would also have to question the abilities of a lot of the touch judges who don’t seem to be able to spot clear offside play, forward passes and crooked throws to the lineout. It makes a farce of the S14′s not having neutral refs for every game.
March 7th 2010 @ 7:24am
Roger Rational said | March 7th 2010 @ 7:24am | Report comment
It’s about time SANZAR invited some NH referees down to officiate a few S14 games. Christophe Berdos has been doing GP matches, so I see no reason why, say, Nigel Owens shouldn’t take charge of an S14 match. It looks terrible for the game when a home town ref is giving the home team dodgy decisions all evening.
March 7th 2010 @ 7:55am
Ora said | March 7th 2010 @ 7:55am | Report comment
It’s no different to an away ref over compensating the home team as not to look baised towards his own countrys team,
I’m all for neutral reffing as it takes away the oppurtunity for fans to say the Ref is baised. I think there already has been a few questionable matches so far. The Bulls Brumbies games is the standout
March 7th 2010 @ 7:29am
Elbusto said | March 7th 2010 @ 7:29am | Report comment
The penalty for the last line out against the Sharks was the last straw. I am sure it was based on some magical technicality but it left a bad taste in my mouth.
March 8th 2010 @ 2:12pm
Apelu Tielu said | March 8th 2010 @ 2:12pm | Report comment
Elbusto, the ruling was correct. Team mates cannot form a wall around the player with the ball and stop the opposition from contesting the ball after the player who caught it had come down, which is what the Shark players did. This is an obstruction in all cases except the rolling maul where it is still allowed because the NH unions want o keep it that way. A number of penalties have been given so far for the same offence, mostly from the kick-off.
March 7th 2010 @ 7:50am
RickG said | March 7th 2010 @ 7:50am | Report comment
It was the first Waratahs game I’ve seen this season and I wasn’t too impressed. Way too much kicking to the point where the croed actually booed them near the end. There’s something seriously wrong with the cohesion of the backline. I agree why wait until only 10 or so minutes to go to bring on guys like Horne? I think Andrew Logans’s article through the week about the tahs losing consistency by changing backline positions holds water – they need to decide on a combiation and stick to it. Carter’s copped a lot of flak on here, and based on last night’s performance (even though he scored a try) I’d probably agree he’s not the right man in the centres.
I don’t think an attempted intercept is worthy of a penalty try by the way. The Tahs were repeatedly infringed right on the Sharks’ goal line and while the ref took action he didn’t go that far. Giving one 30m out is a huge call.
March 7th 2010 @ 11:57am
Even looser said | March 7th 2010 @ 11:57am | Report comment
That’s right. Besides from where I sat it wasn’t a yellow card. Beale attempted an intercept & knocked on. End of story.
If Beale had of caught it there was no full back home & it would have been the 4th try bonus.
Just putting the other case that’s all.
March 7th 2010 @ 8:13am
ballboy said | March 7th 2010 @ 8:13am | Report comment
What a shame. The Beale affair should have resulted ina penalty try. No question. Open line and 22 to run. The ensuing penalty was just as bizarre. But that’s only half the problem.
the Tahs were terrible. Thier first instinct always is to kick, even when they have open space and an overlap. I felt sorry for the players last night.being booed by the crowd but that’s what they deserved. Mitchell had anothert shocker, Carter was erratic at best, Barnes had no direction. What’s going on with their backs??? Their forwards are keeping them in the comp…just.
Down in my part of the world, Canberra, I didn’t think the Brumbies were much better. They are now onlyone of two teams not having registered a bonus point. They need to find their gear before next week.
The Reds beating the Chiefs was massive. They play te style of football that seems to be suited to the new law interpretations. I’ve never been a fan of link but I have to take my hat off to him.
I haven’t seen the over night games in SA but wasn’t that impressed with Blues / Saders either. Bulls will be licking their chops. Stormers sounded like they hit their straps again.
In saying that, a good weekend for th Aussie trams – first time for a while we’ve won three in a row…even if we didn’t deserve to.
March 7th 2010 @ 8:40am
Ora said | March 7th 2010 @ 8:40am | Report comment
I don’t for a second belive the Bulls would beat either the Brumbies or Crusaders at home. The Brumbies in my opinion were robbed against the Bulls on the high veldt from some dubious officiating.
The Tahs and Reds are so erractic it’s at times painful yet comical.
How the Tahs can beat the Reds at home, then go on to get a sound old spanking fronm the Stormers, as well as relinquish a 17 point lead against the Bulls and get praised for it it is just astounding. Then from what everyone is saying scrap past the Sharks in what seems controversial circumstances.
The Reds on the other hand lose to the Tahs, beat a out of sorts Crusaders, then go down to a bumbling Blues outfit(who last night went down to the Cruaders) at Ballymore the home of QRU and then pull off a dramatic win over the Chiefs.
Brumbies aside can anyone really have faith in either of these teams making the finals?
The Bulls are set up to win the competition this year unless they can be stopped on the road by the Reds who have taken down two high flyers already or there is the Blues who slew the giant slayers or the Chiefs who were consigned to a mere bonus point from the Reds. Yes I haven’t mentioned the Force simply for the fact they will be nothing but a training run for the rest of the Bulls tour down under.
March 8th 2010 @ 2:45pm
Uncle Eric said | March 8th 2010 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
Mitchell, yes he was rubbish last year for the Force and he hasn’t improved any this year. Can’t understand why the Tahs bought him, he must have been in the bargain basement.
March 7th 2010 @ 8:16am
ballboy said | March 7th 2010 @ 8:16am | Report comment
That opening line should have read, ‘What a sham’, not “What a shame”. Shame
March 7th 2010 @ 9:01am
Harry said | March 7th 2010 @ 9:01am | Report comment
Lucky Tahs.
Attack problems … 1) Barnes and Halenghua seldom threaten the line with their own running. 2) Burgess making sideways George Gregan look slick with his service 3) The kiwi import at 15 is a Dud 4) Mitchell and Turner never get the ball in space (well they did against the Bulls, why not last night?)
March 7th 2010 @ 9:04am
CraigB said | March 7th 2010 @ 9:04am | Report comment
Not only was it NOT a penalty try, it should not have been a penalty. Beale’s hand movement was upward, which is recognised as an attempt to intercept not just to knock the ball down. No doubt what he did was deliberate but there is no way the intention was just knock the ball down.
Regardless, it was a crap game, played by 2 crap teams. How can you go 10 minutes with 13 vs 15 and not score…
March 7th 2010 @ 9:52am
Nashi said | March 7th 2010 @ 9:52am | Report comment
Pretty crappy game, won’t be watching that one again!
I was listening to it on the radio for a bit and it sounded like the ref was having a shocker (in favour of the sharks) then later on I thought perhaps the Sharks were hard done by.
In the end just chalk that one down to a win. The back play was so disjointed it was gob smacking. I suspect the reason there was so much kicking in the end was that Barnes had no confidence in Carter’s positioning. Its time to give Horne a start, Carter has had 4 games to click and has done little to impress.
If they play like this next week, having settled back in at home, they will be lucky to make the top six.
March 7th 2010 @ 1:09pm
Chris said | March 7th 2010 @ 1:09pm | Report comment
Nashi – if the Tahs play like that again they will be lucky to make the top 10, let alone 6.
They played one of the worst teams in the comp, at home, with a 2 player advantage at one stage and could only manage a 4 point win. Says it all about the Tahs.
March 7th 2010 @ 10:10am
ohtani's jacket said | March 7th 2010 @ 10:10am | Report comment
Quade Cooper as Wallaby first five would be most welcomed.
March 7th 2010 @ 7:19pm
Rockin Rod said | March 7th 2010 @ 7:19pm | Report comment
Is Quade Cooper off contract?