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Neutral referees in Super Rugby are a must. My team (The Stormers) got the benefit of some seriously dodgy calls last weekend and not to mention one of the whackest tries ever given, but in all honesty, I find it rather adorable that we’ve had articles about terrible referee decisions the whole week now.
It never seems to be a problem when it equates to a negative against a South African side. I remember the game between the Stormers and the Hurricanes at Wellington last year; ended up 25 – 20 for the Canes. Hoffman officiated the game and missed a clear and equally a obvious knock-on from Conrad Smith in the buildup to an otherwise spectacular full range try.
Now the score was already 14-0 at that stage and I won’t go into the theoretical saying that the Stormers would have won if not for that try (there was still a good half of the game left and it’s not to say that the proceeding would have followed the same as it did when the try was awarded), but most kept hum on that. I love the selective thinking we’ve got going here. There are other examples, of course, where the South African team was blatantly hard done by, but I won’t go into detail unless asked.
I can understand that this is an Australian forum and, well, the Kiwis are just a hop and a skip from Aussieland, but if I can be objective and see that what happened in the game last weekend was just totally wrong then I would think that a lot here could be a little more subjective when their team blatantly gets the benefit from a few out of control calls.
Whenever some kind of perceived injustice is done to an Australian or New Zealand team when playing against a South African team, the floodgates open. When an injustice is done to a South African team there is not so much as a passing mention. I struggle to see how that is really reflective of sportsmanship.
Neutral referees must be appointed in every single game. A New Zealand referee should have got the Stormers vs. Brumbies game just like a South African referee should get a Australia vs. New Zealand game. It just makes sense. I am simply asking Roarers in general why blunders against South African teams just get swept under the rug. I’ve always acknowledged when my team gets the right result from the wrong decision. I just wonder why that never happens the other way around.
We are all victims in the end, it happens to everyone. I know of many instances that Australasian teams got screwed over in games against South African opposition. It happens to us just as much. I just wonder why it never quite gets this much limelight?
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.