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.
High plains Drifter
Guest
We see this type of play all the time in Rugby, will minimal yellow/red cards! So why change things for this one game? The Brumbies style of play worked well for them, when it became obvious that the ref was going to throw cards around the Reds needed to to change their style. They would have trumped the Brumbies if they had of kicked a few penalties!! The Brumbies game planned would have been screwed!
Dan H
Guest
Cheers mate. I think alot of people will be moving on by now. There will always be those who like to have something to talk about... I think that is common in sports fans across all sports and fan bases. Americans will hold onto something from a world series or superbowl for generations. Lets hope we never get there.
dahl
Guest
So the repeated reds cheating in the scrums should have led to yellows and reds agsinst them too. And illegal maul techniques too. I count 6 yellows and two reds. And because they happened before the brumbies penalties, the scor should be recognised as 72-0, brumbies favour. This is fun. I should analyse all brumbies games like this. It serves no purpose but to embarrass me and the other brumbies fans. Nevertheless, I could post it to national blog sites...
Justin2
Guest
The ref was woeful, end of story. http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/reds-v-brumbies-referee-should-have-issued-red-cards/
Rob na Champassak
Roar Guru
'I dont know how you can talk about entitlement whilst the tahs exsist.' Touché. As far as blood-in-the-veins grudges go, the Reds are not very high up on my list (unlike a certain sky blue team). After all of these years of them getting spanked, it is great to see their die-hard supporters getting something to cheer about. I do sometimes get the impression that they can be a bit precious about the way things turn out. If there's one thing that has always annoyed me, it is people who dwell too long on referee decisions. It is fine to be shocked at being dudded when it happens, but carrying on like a pork chop after all has been said and done shows a lack of resolve and a lack of grit. It's a bit like the difference between Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey. The latter always managed to take his bad dismissals in good grace, and I respected him for it. The former... well... I respected his record, but that was about it. So kudos to you, Dan, for not joining in on an extended whingeathon. I have no doubt that the Reds will have a great shake of the competition this year, especially if they adjust their tactics in their future fixtures.
Red Kev
Guest
I am not sure if it is the same scrum (this was a Reds feed, attacking scrum in the first half) but I recall one against Holmes for collapsing because that was the side the referee was on. I actually thought Holmes had a point when he complained, but the penalty should still have been against the Reds because Slipper blatantly stepped out and bored in at Moore.
matty
Guest
they were too scared to take the penalty shot for fear of being penalised for ??obstruction?? from the restart
Milksteak
Guest
But it's the problem a pychological one. Once you start taking quick taps/ 5m lineouts, you can't then eventually just take the points arbitrarily, because you are effectively saying that "you win this one". The referee has to be able to read the game, and if one team chooses NOT to take the penalty goal option, they should be rewarded with some sort of advantage. Otherwise defensive lines know that they can continually infringe and the other team will not be taking the points. This is probably where yellow cards should come into play, and the reds definitely deserved another 1 in that last quarter.
PeterK
Guest
you can give a yellow for a cynical infringement on the first time. Also a yellow should be given if a penalty try is given. IMO the collapsed mauls going forward near the line deserved a penalty try.
PeterK
Guest
Earlier on the Reds should of kicked penalties, mind you if they did would they got back in range and been given more penalties? There is no way if they had taken them that the brumbies would of given them 7 penalty shots as people assume, after all you do not get to stay in the 22 to receive more, you get to receive the ball in your half. In the last 10 mins going for the try was the correct decision since they were 7 points behind. IMO Continually mauling, and pick and drive was wrong. Cooper was playing very well the ball should of gone to him more often, even as a change up to keep them guessing. If they kicked a penalty in that last 10 minutes they still needed 2 more penalties or a try to win. More chance of scoring a try whilst you were there and dominating play. Mind you as has been pointed out the overall game plan was not that flawed. They crossed the line or were bundled into touch on the corner post that many times. Very small margins in it that Davies could of planted the ball instead of losing it. Also Daleys try could easily have been awarded in that the TNO had nothing conclusive and it was the refs decision. If his positioning was better it would of been awarded. (IMO 9/10's times that is a legitmate try). Brumbies got lucky. Brumbies ever since the stormers thumped them have reverted to a negative territory based plan.
Dan H
Guest
On the live blog it was not just the reaction from reds supporters. In fact supporters from most teams believed another should have been sent, it was just the reds fans who were upset about it as you would be if the shoe was on the other foot. You are even stating now that you agree with what was being said. IMO no point in going on about it now though... ref lost control of that game no use crying over spilt milk. As reds fans we need to harden up a bit and cop it on the chin. Yes another player should have gone and perhaps in the first half too. I think 10 is a bit excessive but whats done is done. I feel confident that the reds will hold onto this and I think there will be alot of doubt in the minds of the brumbies players because in reality it was even for the first 40 and in the second 40 they were spanked... I think mentally reds will have the wood on them should they meet later in the season. I dont know how you can talk about entitlement whilst the tahs exsist. Everyone seems to hate the reds and their fans, personally I dont care because I live in QLD where the weather is awesome, the beaches rock, and the girls are fine... plus love us or hate us we produce the majority of the best rugby players currently in Australia.
matty
Guest
Mate the brumbies left everything up to the ref, knowing they wouldn't be carded or a penalty try given for foul play, so they continued their spoiling tactics. I was a brumbies fan, but that was worse infringing than kiwis.
Better Dead than Cynical Red
Guest
I was at the game and loved the game - it is exactly what sport is all about. Two quality teams, both well coached, and playing different styles of very professional rugby. Almost Test match intensity. The Reds butchered the opportunity to win by not attempting to kick a penalty when it was obvious the referee had no intention of changing his method of awarding successive penalties & advantages. On the other hands he Brumbies played a fantastic team defensive effort. Well done all round It has really whet my appetite for the B & I Lions.
Meatsack
Guest
OK so here is the law for repeated infringements: http://www.irblaws.com/index.php?law=10&language=EN "10.3 b) Repeated infringements by the team. When different players of the same team repeatedly commit the same offence, the referee must decide whether or not this amounts to repeated infringement. If it does, the referee gives a general warning to the team and if they then repeat the offence, the referee cautions and temporarily suspends the guilty player(s). If a player of that same team then repeats the offence the referee sends off the guilty player(s)." So it has to be for the same infringement type. I only heard a final warning for offsides (could be wrong though, was around the 65 minute mark). If they were only warned for offsides, the 'not rolling away' and 'going off feet' cards you gave aren't actually yellow card worthy as the ref has to warn them first. That said there were at least 2 offsides called after the 'final warning' which should have been one yellow card and one red card according to 10.3(b). This is further clarified in a ref quiz made by the IRB, check scenario 4 : http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/news/newsid=2045355.html#you+rugby+world+cup+referee
Rebel
Guest
Actually, for the good of the game, I hope they sort themselves out. Cheika is on the right track and a strong Tahs means rugby should be strong in Aus. Strong Aus rugby means more money and hopefully depth. Sorry patch fell off.
Winston
Guest
Spot on. I know a great cheese that would go with this whine
Rob na Champassak
Roar Guru
I have to say, I have been looking forward to this article since I saw the reaction of the Reds' fans on the live blog. Queenslanders have the most embarrassing sense of entitlement on the planet. I was reminded of that time when Matt Giteau kicked that penalty at the death to deny the Reds a bonus point that they had not deserved. People were up in arms on forums about how 'unAustralian' it was to not just kick away the ball and give the Reds a free point in their quest to top the table and win a home semi. The lesson then, as it is now, was to take the points on offer and to punish the opposition whenever they gave you an opportunity, no matter who they were. The Reds, much like their fans, seem to think that they are above common sense as evidenced by their arrogant refusal to go for the posts once - despite a penalty count in their favour of 17 - 7. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Brumbies fan and as biased as they come. I will admit that we should have had an extra player in the bin, and I think it was great for Queensland that we didn't. Why? Because maybe now they will learn to trust themselves and not leave everything up to the ref.
momentumwins
Guest
i do believe the brumbies scrum penalty was awarded because the reds loose head was angling in
Red Kev
Guest
Yeah I'd've walked both sides at various times for backchat - Jackson certainly lost control of the players in that match
tubby
Guest
the TMO looked once very briefly at the reverse angle that suggested the ball was never grounded. The call may have been correct but from what we saw there's no way he could have made a decisive decision from what was viewed