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After the disappointing performance by the Springboks in their match versus Scotland on the weekend, a number of pundits, ex-rugby players and the like had a lot to say about the breakdown.
A lot of it had to do with the manner in which South Africa was unable to adjust during the match to the interpretations of Raymond Poite, and how Scotland managed to dominate the breakdown both legally and illegally.
Heyneke Meyer was not enamoured with the way Poite interpreted the breakdowns, and I made a mental note that we really need to stop blaming referees and start worrying about the things we can control.
I just read an interesting article written by Gary Gold, who was the forwards coach during Peter de Villiers’ tenure.
What he had to say about the statistics of penalties at the breakdown in 2009 compared to the present day caught my attention.
Gold said: “Around 2009, in particular, about 50 percent of penalties were awarded to the attacking team while the other half went to the defending team.
“This is fundamentally why the Springbok game worked so well during those days. We played no rugby in our own half and any team that chose to play rugby in their own half would be punished by our suffocating defence and accurate goal-kicking.
“This approach led us to a hat-trick of wins over the All Blacks that season.
“At this point in time, however, the ratio is 75:25 in favour of the attacking team. The benefit of the doubt is clearly favouring the team with ball in hand.
“The principles I discussed last week pertaining to the scrums apply to the breakdown. I share Heyneke Meyer’s call for a standardised approach to policing the breakdown.
“At the moment, much like the scrum, the referee’s interpretation at the ruck and tackle area is far too subjective.
“For example, it’s now common practice for one referee to place an emphasis on the tackler rolling away, while another official will prioritise the first arriving player on attack. And a third referee may pinpoint the arriving defender, other than the tackler, coming through the gate legally.
“The classic case is Bryce Lawrence’s officiating of the 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
“From extensive prior analysis, we found that he awarded an average of 25 penalties per match and had a 65:35 ratio in favour of the attacking team. Furthermore, he awarded a higher percentage of penalties at the breakdown than any other international referee at the time.
“However, during the now infamous clash between South Africa and Australia, he awarded the fewest penalties any referee ever had in a Rugby World Cup match since 1987. In total, he blew for 17 penalties: 11 against the Springboks and six against the Wallabies. In one match, his entire mechanics had changed.
“Thus, as professional coaches, we are ultimately calling for a clearer outline from the game’s lawmakers in order to eliminate refereeing discrepancies.”
Reading Gary Gold’s opinions on the breakdown, and how even referees are inconsistent does suggest we have more to worry about than just simplifying the laws. We would at least expect referees to be consistent in the manner they officiate the breakdowns.
The fact of the matter is that the breakdown is not only the most difficult area of a match to officiate accurately, but it is also the most common occurrence on a rugby field. In fact looking at recent Super Rugby matches there are way over 100 breakdowns per 80 minutes these days.
The question, though, is what the South African Rugby Union is going to do in order to clarify the rulings, simplify the laws at the breakdown and ensure consistency of referees, not only between themselves, but as individuals as well?
I know South African supporters have often been reminded over the past few years that we should adapt to the referee, to the point where I even agree that we should stop blaming the referees.
However, how does one adapt to a referee that is inconsistent himself?
It makes me wonder if there is a solution to this problem, and whether teams will simply ‘improve’ the manner in which they transgress at the breakdown. Sometimes organised chaos at ruck time looks a lot more legal than just one individual transgressing.
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.