How different would game two of 2013 Bledisloe Cup series have been if the offending All Blacks been sin-binned for their professional fouls early in the game?
It’s high time that rugby referees were instructed to get tougher on the perpetrators.
It’s no small wonder that Ewen McKenzie was frustrated when the Wallabies were denied five pointers because of this.
A yellow card should automatically be issued when a defender denies the attacking team an obvious try scoring opportunity.
If this is anomaly is not sorted, players will continue to infringe, because they know that they can continue to get away with it.
Rugby could take the lead from soccer/football where referees have long been instructed by FIFA to issue automatic red cards when an offence “denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.”
The message has been made abundantly clear to those footballers, because they know how easily they can be sent off when they commit such a foul. Although it has sometimes been controversial, one of the (similarly to union) unsportsmanlike sides of the round ball game has been rectified.
If this happened in Heaven’s Game we would have none of the tedious “soft” warnings from the referees before they finally threaten the offending team with a card. And by the time action is taken to sin bin a player, the course of the match has usually been decided.
The IRB too can fix this by amending Law 10 (Foul Play) with similar effect.
A simple way to change player behaviour may be to issue an automatic yellow card for any penalty infringement within five metres of the defending team’s try line.
This will immediately stop this nonsense, because the defending team will hesitate before committing a professional foul.
The laws should also be revised to clearly instruct referees about the circumstances when a red card and penalty try awards should be awarded.
It’s not to say the Wallabies would have won on Saturday – if this proposal had been enforced – but it could have been a much tighter contest, not to mention have enhanced the game to a more exciting level with more tries being scored.
And of course it cuts both ways, the referee may have had cause to send off Wallabies last Saturday for similar unsportsmanlike transgressions.
jrod
Guest
Jokerman, that stat says that the AB's were caught less than the WB's
DilzfromHtown
Guest
So what about the games where richie wasn't playing? Would you still beat the all blacks?
DilzfromHtown
Guest
Dear writer, please uppercut yourself
Jerry
Guest
He didn't release before going for the ball. I don't think that play was particularly cynical, 3-4 years ago it would have been a penalty against the Wallabies, but refs are more insistent on releasing before playing the ball these days (rightly, imo). Smith kept a hand on the ball which prevented CLL playing it, so fair penalty but not necessarily a professional foul - certainly no worse than Toomua playing the ball off his feet after Dagg's break 10 minutes earlier.
Jarryd
Guest
I'm a bit confused by how aaron smith was 'cynically offending' after the break by CLL (wallaby centre), the player was isolated and aaron smith merely went for a ball that was unprotected by any wallaby players? Just curious as to what he did so wrong? Cheers
Wal
Roar Guru
First Mention of Richie in the Comments Thread was the Author The obvious perpetrator to some is the unthinkable suggestion to every New Zealander. It is none other than the President of the Shaky Isles The man who refused a knighthood ……………..Richie Mccaw. Not a positive or constructive comment just a snide dig.
Jerry
Guest
It wasn't a Kiwi who first raised McCaw in this thread.
Pete
Guest
Its funny how defensive the AB supporters get about richie... there is no mention of him in the article but they are defending him vehemently. I wonder if we are going to hear about this for the next two years...
Ian
Roar Pro
I rest my case.... It is not possible to discuss this objectively even if we point out time and again that the Wallabies are behind the All Blacks in so many departments. My point about the AB's getting an easy ride is a general observation made over a long period of time and is not focussed on this game in particular. And I have agreed in my article and in some of my responses that the Wallabies are also at fault and were not the better team. And they too often get any easier ride against the lesser teams. The result is really more of the same for long suffering Wallaby fans having lost less than 1 in 3 matches to the AB's since the first tests were played. The best we can hope for is the occassional Bledisloe Cup win or a surprise win in a World Cup semi-finsl which we can long savour because they occur so infrequently. So maybe just maybe consider that there may be some possibility that what we non-AB fans are saying. Your team are undisputable kings of the code. We all accept that. There's always next year for the gold jersey.......but not the way the AB's are dominating every facet of our encounters.
Wardad
Guest
Lets consider how Pocock has openly stated how he has tried to emulate Richie as much as possible .And lets consider how all these articles about the "dreadful reffing " are just a smokescreen for terrible playing and coaching .As for being brazen ,well you just show how you realy feel about the whole issue didnt you ? You make it clear yet again that you think the ABs and Richie in particular are at fault while the purer than driven snow Wallies are ever so hard done by . Time for the Wallies and their fans to man up and shut up.
Firstxv
Guest
The ref was poor, thats accepted. Was that the AB's fault? No. Would tthe W's have won had the unfavourable decisons gone their way? No. What is the connection between Ritchie McCaw and the performance of the referee? None. Is this article another dig at the AB's using the referee as cover. Absolutely. Is the refs performance relevant to the state of Australian rugby.? No. Suggest you concentrate on identifying how Oz rugby can get out of its current slump than worrying about one off performances by a ref, or jumping on that mythical Refs pander to the ABs wagon. Thats old hat...
Wal
Roar Guru
Ian Fact checking is also a wonderful thing, No match report I can find on has Richie conceding a single penalty last weekend. Sure Refs miss things but as you so eloquently put as an international referee Jaco Pyper is "much better credentialled and knowledgeable rugby people than most people on this site". And you hardly yellow card a bloke if you can't find a penalty against him. It is great t have an opinion but perhaps best if backed up with facts rather than jingoistic quotes. Or Some of the accusations thrown at the Wallabies over the years http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-08-04/boks-coach-labels-wallabies-scrum-cheats/1378876 http://www.theweeklyreviewmooneevalley.com.au/story/805919/pack-of-rubbish-wallabies-laugh-off-nz-cheat-bleat/ And over recent years Australian coaches past and present have accused the following teams of cheating NZ, Lions, SA, England, Italy, Wales, French.Starting to sound like a lot whining to me The best writers and contributors on this site like Scott Alan, Sheek, BiltongBek David Lord, Elisha, Brett McKay contribute unbiased and informed opinions on the game as opposed to a spleen vent followed with a qualifier at the end.
Jerry
Guest
Isn't that the point though? It's the biggest sport in the world and makes billions of dollars annually, so there's no incentive to change.
Loosehead
Guest
I wish I still had the replay!
Jerry
Guest
Let's also consider that the better credentialled Nick Mallett also said this "As far as I'm concerned if a referee has seen four penalties and he has shown a prop a yellow card, I think we should have had a penalty try." So, you know, he might not always be the best person to cite when discussing points of law.
Jerry
Guest
Being a coach/player doesn't necessarily mean they're flawless in their analysis. Nick Mallett for instance was moaning to all and sundry that the Azzuri should have been awarded a penalty try for repeat offences in that test against the All Blacks in 2009 which shows that he doesn't actually understand when a penalty try is awarded.
Ian
Roar Pro
Before you all continue to rush to the defence of Richie Maccaw and the AB's, stop a moment and consider the comment made by much better credentialled and knowledgable rugby people than most people on this site: "Nick Mallet Naas Botha .......... agree with you Maybe the issue here is not that they all do it, it’s just the way that the AB’s do it, they’re so brazen about it because they know nothing will be done to them, and that’s just killing the game". Nobody's perfect..... .........apart from John Eales :-)
Ian
Roar Pro
FIFA still live in the Dark Ages and are reluctantly only now trialling goal mouth technology whilst the referees make one howler after another. Quite hard to believe that the game watched and played by the majority of the world's population with the billions of dollars at its disposal, is so backward. I wonder if Sepp Blatter trusts himself to use an electronic calculator :-)
Garth
Guest
FIFA needs to use a sinbin for the yellow card, the ref to look at the big screen replays BEFORE reaching into his pocket, to red card ANYONE who goes to ground "in agony" with no contact being made. They should also yellow card ANY player who mobs the ref, followed by a red card if they don't back off. They won't though.
Kevin J
Guest
The author of this article makes a valid and logical point. Simple. And if the ref ain't sure whether to send the player off or not he can always ask the upstairs ref for a confirmation of the ruling. If the players know what the rules are before they commence play they will indeed play by the rules.