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The Roar

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SANZAR gets it right, but ARU are not as Sharpe

15th March, 2011
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15th March, 2011
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South Africa's Bryan Habana, right, lines up Australia's Nathan Sharpe during their Tri-Nations rugby union match Saturday, July 24, 2010, in Brisbane, Australia. Australia won 30-13.

South Africa's Bryan Habana, right, lines up Australia's Nathan Sharpe during their Tri-Nations rugby union match Saturday, July 24, 2010, in Brisbane, Australia. Australia won 30-13.

SANZAR took a giant step towards improving the sub-standard Super Rugby refereeing by suspending showpony South African Jonathan Kaplan for three weeks, for incompetence.

It’s a wake-up call to all referees when the most-capped international whistler can cop a holiday.

Brilliant.

But the ARU took a big step backwards by offering tireless Wallaby lock, and Force skipper, Nathan Sharpe a second-rate contract.

Humiliating.

SANZAR couldn’t bring itself to say suspended. “Rested” was the term used. But suspended is a deserved description. Kaplan is a blight on the game they play in heaven.

His refereeing over the last two years, at least, has been hell.

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But he has paid the penalty for his ridiculous decisions in the Rebels-Brumbies game three weeks ago and the Wales-Ireland Six-Nations clash last weekend.

Kaplan’s arrogance knows no bounds.

The blatant forward pass that led to the Harry Speight try late in the game, which gave the Brumbies the lead against the Rebels, was inexcusable.

Then, right on fulltime, the Kaplan penalty awarded against the Brumbies after a minor dust-up was atrocious, handing the Rebels their first win.

Both were superceded by Kaplan awarding Wales a try after a quick throw-in, the turning point in their clash with Ireland.

The ball had been kicked into the stand – Kaplan saw that. But Welsh captain Matthew Rees took another ball off the ball-boy for the restart that led to the half-back Mike Phillips’ try.

Illegal! The same ball must be used.

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Kaplan covered his butt by asking Scottish touchie Peter Allan if it was the same ball. Allan confirmed that, so both Kaplan and Allan were wrong.

But there was no recourse available to the TMO, that system reserved only for making sure the try-scorer wasn’t in touch and had grounded the ball properly. All previous phases are the sole responsibility of the referee and the touchies.

That’s a loophole the IRB must correct.

Cold comfort for Ireland, but at least Kaplan can’t create any more mayhem for three weeks.

Nathan Sharpe’s in a vastly different category. He’s done nothing wrong. In fact,. he’s one of the best locks in world rugby.

Not according to the ARU, who offered Sharpe a vastly reduced contract for next year alone, contingent on the big bloke playing a minimum of six internationals in 2012.

Barring serious injury, Sharpe will do that on his ear.

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But the offer shows no recognition for his standing in the world game, nor how much he has meant to Wallaby rugby and how vital he is to the World Cup campaign in September and October.

Shabby treatment for the 33 year-old with 93 caps.

If the decision-makers took his DOB as the criteria for the offer, they are barking up the wrong tree. Obviously they haven’t seen how sharp Sharpe has been for the last two seasons, playing like a spring chicken.

And if a senior player can be treated so badly, the rest of the Wallaby squad will be looking over their shoulders.

Sharpe is very popular with his peers. So this is a decision that could disrupt the squad, damaging morale with the World Cup in their sights.

Bad call ARU, well played SANZAR.

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