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On Saturday night I was bewildered that the Brumbies were yellow carded only twice throughout the course of the match.
For a team that was hell bent on playing an appalling style of rugby, there needed to be more yellow cards, penalty tries and even red cards.
That was my view walking home, very frustrated that the Reds did everything but get the win.
So I decided to have a second look at the match, and analyse where there should have been yellow cards, penalty tries and the possibility of red cards.
Let’s take a look at the rolling maul.
In the 11th minute, the Reds get a lineout on the 22 and maul it forward seven or eight meters, only for it to be pulled down. The referee plays advantage and it is eventually called back, ‘White 3’ (Dan Palmer) pulling the maul down.
The Reds go for a five metre lineout, and push, getting within centimetres of the line. Dan Palmer blatantly tries to pull the maul down and the referee plays advantage.
Given that it is five meters out, this in itself has to be a yellow card for cynical play, compounded with the fact that Palmer already was penalised for pulling the previous one down.
The ref is playing advantage already for an in the side infringement, when White very blatantly, very obviously goes straight onto his knees and pulls the maul down preventing a try.
This is an outright penalty try and yellow card.
If not for Mowen’s move, the Reds almost certainly would have scored a try. The referee blows for a penalty and the Reds go for touch again.
This time Jackson warns Mowen that any further indiscretions will result in a yellow card.
So a ‘final’ warning if you like. This sets a precedent that at least for the rest of the half (if not the match), any Brumbies offending five metres from the goal line will result in a yellow card.
Moving onto the 26th minute now, the Brumbies are penalised for offside after a sleek attacking move from the Reds. It’s borderline yellow but I don’t think it quite meets the criteria.
James Horwill takes a quick tap and is very blatantly and very obviously taken by a very blatantly and very obviously offside Brumbies player on his way to the try line.
Penalty try and yellow card to Ben Alexander who wasn’t even 5 meters back, little known ten. In my view this almost warrants a straight Red for blatant cynicism, which is frankly disgusting and has no place in Rugby.
Nevertheless in the letter of the law it is a yellow card. Jackson missed the offence altogether. That is unforgivable – in an under 8’s game a referee would have been dropped for missing that call.
Horwill later blows up about it after he knocks on only to find there is no advantage. There is no response from Jackson.
Two phases later (before the Reds knock it on), Ben Mowen is blatantly slowing the Reds ball down on his line. It is missed by Jackson but again should have been a yellow card. (Note Mowen has now committed two goal line yellow card offences and should have been red carded now.)
From the following scrum, the Reds get a penalty and shift it wide. Christian L doesn’t roll away and is yellow carded.
Moving to the second half now, currently there should have been five yellow cards, two penalty tries and a red card.
Fast forward to the 64th minute and begin the Reds tirade after Colby Fainga’a is penalised for a cynical offside intercept from a scrum. It’s not yellow but it is inside the 22. This is the first in a long line of penalties.
From the ensuring lineout and ruck George Smith is blatantly offside and is penalised. It’s five meters out, the ball was definitely still in the ruck and there is no doubt at all that warning or not it’s a yellow card.
Jackson instead opts to give the Brumbies a final warning (for the second time in the match), so from here until full time, any penalties within five meters of the line simply HAVE to be a yellow card, and any within the red zone can be yellow depending on their type.
The Reds take a quick tap and are eventually held up. From the scrum and next ruck Jackson plays advantage for hands in the ruck and losing feet, which has to be a yellow card as it is one metre from the goal line. White then falls right on to the Reds ball and a fresh advantage is played.
Both of these players simply have to be yellow carded, anything less is completely unacceptable.
Daley goes over the line and Jackson goes upstairs. (ignore the debate around whether the try is scored), whilst the TMO is deciding, James Horwill talks to Jackson and says, “Mate, that’s gotta be, that’s three in a row in the 22 again.”
Jackson nods and says, “yeah.”
The TMO eventually decides a try hasn’t been scored, however no one is yellow carded. Why?
I cannot fathom at this point why no one was sent to the sin bin.
The Reds go for touch from the penalty. They go for a rolling maul which is pulled down again two metres out. Penalty try and yellow card.
Jackson does go yellow but doesn’t give a penalty try. Why?
The Reds go for touch again and this time Slipper goes for a run and is tackled and Palmer doesn’t roll away cynically seven metres out. Yellow card again.
This time it isn’t given. Why? Palmer should have accumulated two yellow cards and thus a red card by now.
Moving to the 74th minute and the Brumbies go off their feet and attempt to kill the ball at a ruck five metres out. Again, Ben Mowen and Kuridrani are off their feet.
Kuridrani should have been given a yellow card.
In the same phase Kuridrani rushes up on Digby Ioane when he had Jonno Lance outside of him unmarked and causes Ioane to knock the ball on with a try on.
This should have been a penalty try and a yellow card. Kuridrani should have then been Red carded for two cynical offences within five meters of the line.
From the ensuing quick tap the Reds finally burrow over and there are no more cynical offences for the rest of the game.
So my tally, for those of you following along:
Yellow Cards: 10
Penalty Tries: 4
Red Cards: 3
But here is a message to the Brumbies: I don’t like your style of play.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.