A New Zealander, Keith Brown, is to take his place. Wessels will be the television match official.
The release noted that the re-arrangement of officials followed a ‘routine review’ of match officials in Melbourne, and that the change had been approved by SANZAR.
There was not enough information here for my liking. I sent an email to the appropriate IRB official asking “why has Wessels been stood down?”
On Thursday, we all received an answer to this question. The IRB apologised to Drew Mitchell for being given a yellow card (his first for the match) for an illegal tackle on Richie McCaw.
During the Test the ‘tackle’ was missed by the television producers. I saw it later and what it amounted to was a slight hit on McCaw after he’d passed the ball. It’s history now that Mitchell was given a second yellow card for stopping a quick line-out being taken by the All Blacks.
And two yellow cards equals one red card. So Mitchell was off the field for 47 minutes all up.
The IRB referees boss Paddy O’Brien said that Wessels “saw something that did not happen … All we are saying is that referees need to be accountable.”
Hear, hear. Wessels is often seen raising his flag when he runs as an assistant referee. Too often in my opinion.
There has been a spate of yellow cards this Test season. The All Blacks’ Ben Franks was given one for a so-called shoulder charge which was more of a premature tackle.
Tacklers are taught to drop their shoulder before going into the tackle. Franks did this. Sometimes, though, the runner rushes into the tackle instead of bracing for it, rather like a driver trying to beat a red light.
When this happens, tacklers often find their shoulders making contact before they can get their arms up to wrap around the runner.
I’d like two changes to the way all this is being refereed.
First, the red card system should be abolished. It’s a bit like capital punishment – too severe, even if the person is guilty, and overwhelmingly unjust if the person is not. The rugby league system of putting a player on report should be used.
Second, before a yellow card is handed out, the referee and the video referee should look at the incident on the video replay system. This would ensure that incidents are avoided like the Mitchell debacle where the Wallaby winger, according to O’Brien, “put his hands up to avoid a collision with Richie McCaw.”
When Mitchell was first sinbinned, the Wallabies were down, but not out, at 21 – 14. When he returned, it was game over, 32 – 14.
As O’Brien points out, the yellow card that wasn’t had a “major impact” on the Test. His statement also conceded that several other yellow cards in the Tri Nations series had been ‘soft’ judgments.
And this bring us to an interesting point made by Robbie Deans.
The All Blacks have played three Tri Nations Tests this season and are yet to play against 15 players in the opposition for the full 80 minutes. Deans reckons that if all the Wallabies stay on the field for the entire match, they could give the All Blacks their first defeat in 13 Tests and prevent the sequence of All Blacks victories over the Wallabies inflating out to nine.
Wayne Smith writing in The Australian makes the point, though, that at Christchurch, the Wallabies will have to contend with “their nemesis referee,” Jonathan Kaplan.
I was at Wellington in 2000 when Kaplan allowed injury time to go on for nearly 7 minutes before awarding the Wallabies a penalty which John Eales kicked to win the Test. The mobile phones of the locals at the ground received a message when the full-time whistle was finally blown: “Bugger.”
Since 2000, though, the Wallabies and Australian teams in the Super Rugby tournaments have struggled when Kaplan is refereeing. According to Smith, Kaplan’s relationship with the Wallabies has been “spectacularly rocky.”
I asked a Super Rugby coach about Kaplan’s refereeing style. He told me that Kaplan allows a virtual free for all to take place at rucks and mauls. But as soon as he gives a call like ‘hands off,’ he expects an instant release.
He intensely dislikes foul and snide play. And he does not like being challenged on his decisions.
There is a sort of emperor complex about his refereeing, I would say.
So the Wallabies need to listen carefully and take note of exactly what instructions he gives them and the All Blacks. This means that Rocky Elsom will need to be more switched on mentally than he was at Melbourne.
If this sort of ‘referee/captain’ role made famous, or infamous, by Sean Fitzpatrick and George Gregan is beyond him, Deans need look no further than Will Genia for his next – and probably best – captain.
All this is before us, though.
On Saturday, the Wallabies are facing a confident All Blacks that is playing well. Deans has brought (through necessity) a new centre pairing of Anthony Faingaa and Adam Ashley-Cooper. In the slippery cold conditions of Christchurch, this combination looks to be a good one.
Kurtley Beale at fullback will provide some of the slick passing and running that Quade Cooper has given to the Wallabies this season.
The promotion of Saia Faingaa in place of Stephen Moore at hooker should give the Wallabies a bit more pace and menace in the pack. There is no Scott Higginbottom, which is a surprise.
Let’s hope this Test will feature 15 on 15 for the full 80 minutes.
JoJo
Guest
Agree 100%. Business is Business.
bozo
Guest
By RWC time, the referees will pick up on what the spectators can see now; the AB game plan has the defence playing off side the whole game. The ABs have peaked too early again and have allowed the referees 12 months to catch up.
Ben S
Roar Guru
Why should I not be asking a question like that?
Jerry
Guest
You really reckon any ref would back down cause a captain said something like that? Joubert had clearly warned both captains and prefaced Mitchell's second card with "I'm not responsible for the affect this has on the match" (which was correct, it wasn't his fault or Wessels, it was Mitchell's and/or Elsom's). Rocky had already stuffed up by not emphasising the warning sufficiently to his troops to say nothing of his raising the issue in the first place - if you're gonna highlight something the opposition does illegally, it should be something your team doesn't do - instead, after he'd raised it with Joubert, the Wallabies did it a couple of times leading to the general warning to both captains.
jameswm
Guest
Ben S - you can't seriously be asking that question, can you?
jameswm
Guest
If that. That sort of thing goes unpunished all the time. Thanks for the selective reply though.
Ben S
Roar Guru
'Kurtley Beale at fullback will provide some of the slick passing and running that Quade Cooper has given to the Wallabies this season.' In what instance does a full back provide slick passing?
Jerry
Guest
I've gotta say, I'm really quite amused by the SA reaction to all this. It's probably a reaction to them expecting so much better than the Boks have delivered, but it's bordering on the absurd.
Jerry
Guest
Ok, you've just showed you know bugger all. I'll post the link again, cause the above link is wrong. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzdjBcS2Hoo There's no law that says you're allowed to drive clear of the ruck on a guy - what happens to Thorn is illegal, just as it was when an AB does the same thing. And Bismark grabs Mils round the neck without the ball and throws him to ground- there was no ruck, the ball was still loose. It's obstruction, plain and simple. He and Andrew Hore kind then hold each other while running back, but neither actually interfere with each other (though Hore could be said to be holding him). Bismark then ends up over the All Black tryline not bound to anyone, whereupon he pushes Tony Woodock sideways to the ground. If you can't see that you're just not looking - it's exactly the same thing pointed out in the 4th example of the original video. The Smit one is harmless, he doesn't interfere with anyone, it's just an example of the guard dog position - you know, like the very first example in the link you posted? The example of Rocky at 3:13 is the same thing - all teams do it, that was my point.
Ben S
Roar Guru
'Enjoy it mate, enjoy the lobsided wins get overly confidant it makes the AB’s easier to pick off in the RWC. Once they play 15 men for 80 mins we will talk again.' Man, it is astonishing what one 3N win can do for a person. Wowweee.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Owen Franks was carded in Melbourne.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Wow, you got that last story mixed up.
dunc
Guest
Richie is the best player in the world mate. Everyone outside of Australia knows that. The Wannabies need to harden up and stop this pussy footin pretty boy rugby.
Jerry
Guest
Hahahaha, that's hilarious.
Sheldon
Roar Rookie
Suddenly the shoe is on the other foot and we have a pathetic rant from the Aussies. But personally I think this is great for everyone but NZ, this lob sided and bias officiating will only give NZ false sense of confidence. They will not win next year’s world cup. They have not overnight become this good. Mccaw’s constant cheating and disregard for the laws will come back to haunt them. It will be stopped eventually. If the officials do no want to stop it, I am sure the Boks can come up with their own way getting the job done. I am sure the “thuggery” might start leaving the game if the professional and cynical cheating is addressed, because essentially it comes out of player frustration. Even Bakkies Botha's headbutt came from frustration. He was held back by a scrumhalf using tradional All Black cynical foul play. It would never have happened if the "mighty" All Blacks were not cheating. After his little performance trying to get Danie Rossouw sent off for nothing was actually disgusting. Has he been taking acting lessons? I am betting Mccaw will be the first rugby player to reinvent the football dive for rugby. Richie “Ronaldo” Mccaw, rugbys finest cheat.
johno
Guest
So by your definition it's not cheating, it's merely getting away with cheating, which is something completely different...right
johno
Guest
Neither of them should be there. the next best scrummies are Pretorius and the Vermaak. Hougaard hasn't really played at scrummie and those two have been setting the world alight for a season or two. Why do you think Januarie left the Lions. He knew Vermaak was just way better than him.
johno
Guest
Karma's bad you know. usually it comes around at the worst possible moment, like a WC semi against France. But then again NZ has always been good at cheating and getting away with it, ask Boy Louw about having to defend himself against the NZ boxing champ a week before a test.
johno
Guest
Boet I don't see anything wrong in what Bismark is doing, there was actually an AB player that ran into him from the wrong side and pushed him pass the ruck and the 3:13 - 19 incident is all because of an AB hitting the ruck from the wong side, so no, you fail to prove your point again The Brad instance the springbok player was legal since THorne was part of a tackle and within one metre of the ball. The SA player cleaned him outby entering from the correct side of the ruck I missed that one at 2:25 completely, maybe it's because smith didn't do anything at all. The correct term would be clutching at straws I think The Wallaby 1:06 incident is irrelevant the player was part of the tackle and got cleaned out it had no influence on the game, it ma be construed as dirty play or a cheap shot though. I just can't see the 3:13 incident but I do agree with the 4:30 incident it was clearly already a ruck, there were about four or five bodies present. Pocock should have been blown up. But then again he should have been yellow carded.
johno
Guest
The All Blacks, as wonderful as they have played this year (although most of the time against 14 men) have conceded 34 penalties so far in Tri-Nations. Twelve in Auckland, nine in Wellington and 13 in Melbourne. But no cards. The Springboks have conceded 24 (5 + 9 + 10) and got four cards... Two of those, Bakkies Botha in Auckland and BJ Botha in Brisbane, were for slowing the ball down or so called professional fouls. Yet, the most penalised team get warning upon warning.