Referees named for Lions rugby tour

BB- in agreement with you about teams getting snotted by bad reffing decisions.Unfortunately,you have a game with a multitude of laws that are open to interpretations by refs.And as a consequence you have a game that is more often than not decided on a refs whim.I honestly can't think of another game with this problem,and until they get some uniformity in the rules in both hemispheres,little is going to change. I actually agree with the basic gist of your argument,we're just approaching it from a different angle.

Hahaha, those gates confuse even the referees.

Mate if you think my beef is for SA only then you are sadly mistaken. My beef is for every team that is hard done by decisions. We soon forget matches where referees influence results (though it doesn't happen everytime) but careers are at stake, I just want a fair contest. I don't like winning or losing by refereeing margins, I feel as guilty when we are fortunate as I feel robbed when we are unfortunate. Whether you want to call it tactically naive (nice term by the way) or stupid, it is still not what rugby is supposed to be. I rules are simpler, there is lees chance of misplaced or erronious interpretations, which means rugby is won or lost by physical skill, domination and execution.

I shudder at the thought of further rule changes (we'll end up like the NRL with two refs on the park - yet they still get it wrong - and countless "expert" match officials deliberating in the video ref box). Refs simply need to be put through a gruelling ref school. Chris White the Englishman for the most part was the yard stick of reffing standards. On the rare occasion he got it wrong. The current crop of refs (Walsh can be excellent on his day, arguably superior to Joubert) too often allow their personal bias to cloud their judgements, imho. (Eh editors, where's me updated avatar? Hope it arrives with the Easter Bunny come Sunday.)

"Yeah, maybe you’re right, we are stupid, I can’t for the life of me understand the ruck." Simple, you enter through the gate, the "imaginary gate", What could possibly be simpler... :)

You think your team is the only one to suffer at the hands of refereeing decisions.NZ had it happen at a number of WC's,and we too could be aggrieved by that (1999 comes to mind).In that game,the AB's went to the ref to complain,and were brushed off, just as you were in 2011.And,yes,the AB's should have been pro-active and dealt with the problem on the field i.e French thuggery.They didn't and the rest is history.Also,the French tried the same rubbish v the WB's in the final and Eales threatened to take his team off the field if something wasn't done about it.By putting the onus on the ref to police the French,Eales had taken away the only weapon they had,and without the thuggery they were flogged.It's called being pro-active. World Cups are won by brain power and experience,and that includes being able to read the referee as much as the opposition.The "stupid" comment I will take back if it offends you so much,let's say 'tactically naive" and leave it at that.

Those famous words, didn't read the referee. They tried to speak to him for clarificatin, he dismissed them. But I do agree with you, they should have played illegally, he wasn't blowing anything up, oh, but then again we were penalised twice in the Red Zone for playing illegally. Yeah, maybe you're right, we are stupid, I can't for the life of me understand the ruck. Hence my suggestion earlier this week to simplify ruck laws, you know, simple rules for simple minds. Maybe then will we win our next RWC.

If the appointment of referees can generate this much controvesy its really is time we had some rule changes. I find in almost every game decisions by the refs I dont understand and neither do the commentators or the crowd.

The Lions will be a far better side than what the Wallabies can throw out, but even that won't stop the Wallabies winning the test that Joubert refs. He is a continual brown noser of all things Australasian.

Glen Jackson is still only in his second S15 season, having made a debut in 2011, but not a full season. Good ref, but had a few blind spots last year, i.e. as a back he wasn't on top of the scrum as much as he was general play. Within a couple of years he'll be amongst the elite refs, and would be my pick for the ref of the 2015 World Cup, if NZ don't make it.

Erm, yes, got the wires crossed.

Congrats to Chris Pollock...been the best S15 ref last few years, deserved appointment. Can cope with Joubert. Would have preferred Glen Jackson for game 3 but then 3 southern hemisphere refs....wouldn't look good in UK!!

across the Tasman - a reunion of sorts with Wayne Barnes. the All Blacks and France in June; quite an event - at Eden Park a replay of RWC final albeit with mostly different players - even minus McCaw who'll still be holidaying. Barnes has refereed in NZ numerous times since 'that' NZ-Fra match 2007 without any bother, but this is the first time he's reffed NZ-Fra again.

BB,just saying the tactics employed by the boks that day were stupid,just the same as the AB's in 2007. On both occasions,both teams were stupid in not reading the play,or the referee.Your last sentence I agree with,as I alluded to in my earlier thread.

Not a bad group, delighted Rolland didn't get a gig. He blows the pea out of the whistle.

No I mean Poite. Rolland isn't flash either.

To be fair, am so biased and anti Joubert these days, i.e post 2011 rwc final, that Every decision he makes is suspicious to me! Tuilagi's try during this game was also controversial, but I guess it's tough to see everything for a ref...dunno really. Just hope refereeing doesn't ruin e series ahead and that all three refs in charge will be consistent in all matches. Nothing more frustrating to get penalised with one ref and get away with the same infringement the next week. They have plenty of time to all be on the same page.

Mark Lawrence, I liked him as a ref too, but - Ireland v Argentina late 2009 killed his career. A performance so poor he was dropped from all/any involvement at all in the 2010 6N tournament. Effectively ruined his chances of any RWC involvement too - he became non-grata, as did Marius Jonker for his efforts Ireland v NZ late 2009, also dropped from all 6N rugby. Quote from The Independent: IRB deserve praise for punishing sub-standard refereeing "Lawrence’s performance which included some completely wrong calls, astonished certain senior officials. At times he seemed only to be refereeing one team, Argentina, and his mistakes clearly cost them several points on the score board. He failed to award a clear penalty try to Argentina, bizarrely rewarding Ireland for twisting the retreating scrum with a penalty to them. It was one of the craziest decisions you will ever see on an international field. He then gave Ireland another penalty when an Irish hand clearly shoved the ball back on the ground. And another penalty which erroneously went to Ireland led to a converted try by Stephen Ferris. "

nickoldschool Joubert was disgraceful this year in the England VS France match at twickenham, was awful England got all the crucial 50/50 calls was terrible advertisement for sport of rugby.

Agree re Joubert jiggles. He just can't resist any form of home pressure. We have an expression in French: 'Home refereeing'. Arbitrage a la maison. Says it all. Might be going for him this time though but the home nations might have briefed the refs before their trip. Not impressed by Poite either.