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Will poor refereeing ruin the upcoming rugby tours?

Roar Guru
1st June, 2012
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Roar Guru
1st June, 2012
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Before the last World Cup, we all hoped that no big game would be decided by a controversial referee’s call. The very fact this was said so many times was an indication that we suspected it would happen.

Sure enough, we got quite a few controversies. I won’t dig them up here again: they were aired at length at the time.

As the northern hemisphere teams begin their summer tours, we can hope all we want, but we’re bound to see a situation which has one side or another up in arms.

This time, of course, there could be repercussions for Super Rugby. The franchises will already be resigned to the prospect of losing some of their players in these matches to injury. They could also lose them to suspension if players get carded or cited for indiscretions on the pitch.

We still don’t seem to have much consensus about what constitutes a dangerous tip tackle. There’s currently a cottage industry of clips on YouTube where you get to assess how far legs go above the horizontal, whether a head is being driven into the turf, and if a scowl on the tackler’s face demonstrates intent.

Incidentally, since Welsh lock Bradley Davies will be facing Australia in the first Test, Wallaby supporters might like to see footage of an incident against Ireland being discussed on the BBC:

He got a yellow for that, although a disciplinary commission after the match turned it into a seven-week suspension.

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Dangerous play isn’t only offence which can bring a ban but it was a talking point in the Six Nations and has cropped up in the first rounds of Super Rugby too. England centre Manu Tuilagi almost missed going on tour after he was cited for a tackle in the opening minutes of the Aviva Premiership final. Here it is:

Test matches are high pressure environments at the best of times. We also have some three-match series now and they are a different kettle of fish again. Losers in the first match have an immediate chance for redemption and can come out like berserkers the next time.

The second match between the Lions and South Africa in 2009 was one of the most brutal I’ve seen. Much of the damage was done through ordinary, not foul, play but there were a couple of unsavoury moments. It’s not necessarily that players set out to cross the line. More that the desperate desire to win, or avoid being embarrassed, can lead them over it in the heat of the moment.

The red mist certainly can descend. Professional players may be under greater camera scrutiny but grudges develop over three consecutive contests in ways you don’t tend to see happen in 80 minutes.

As far as I know – and I’d appreciate any correction here – the white card system being used this season in Super Rugby is just for that competition. I haven’t heard about it being used in any of the forthcoming Tests. The citing officer will still, of course, have the job of reviewing post match footage for any questionable play.

There’s more chance, though, that referee’s decisions will have greater impact in areas like the breakdown and scrum. I’m watching the Highlanders play the Crusaders as I write this, and Steve Walsh has already given two yellow cards, one to each side, in the first 30 minutes. Both were for offences at the breakdown.

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It will be a surprise if teams don’t find themselves down to 14 men on a few occasions more from these kinds of infringements. Supporters often know which players on their side have a tendency to become penalty machines and will be hoping that they can keep their discipline on the day, or at least pass unnoticed by match officials.

So, let’s all hope again for good, clean, well officiated matches but be prepared to pick the bones out of it all when that rosy scenario doesn’t transpire.

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