The foreword to the laws of rugby state the object of the game is for the players to observe fair play according to the laws and sporting spirit.
Law 10.4(m) provides that a player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship in the playing enclosure.
Last Saturday, Nick Phipps pushed an Argentinian medic in the back, causing him to fall to the ground heavily. It was clear the Argentinian was attempting to play the ball in some way. Clearly, it was none of the Argentinian’s business to be anywhere near the ball. His actions were wrong. However, I suggest the actions of Phipps were worse.
The Argentinian was not facing Phipps when he was pushed in the back. It was obvious the Argentinian had no idea Phipps was behind him. Observing the Argentinian later in the match, I noticed that he was much older and appeared much less fit than Phipps is. Phipps, therefore, not only had a physical advantage over the unsuspecting medic, he also had the advantage of coming from behind.
Even if Phipps had come towards the medic from the front, the medic could hardly expect that he would be assaulted by a player.
If Phipps was able to obtain the ball, no advantage to Australia could have been obtained. Play was dead. It was about to be restarted by a scrum. The place of the scrum was about 20 metres away, but was yet to be formed.
Even if it had, Phipps could not put the ball in until the referee had indicated he could. In other words, the Argentinian who was wrongly attempting to pick up the ball had no effect upon the game whatsoever.
Law 6 provides that the match is under the control of the match officials. Under the Laws, the referee has the ability to refuse anybody entry to the playing enclosure.
The referee could have ordered the medic from the playing enclosure because of his interference with the ball, although, bearing in mind its lack of impact on play, perhaps the medic’s actions did not warrant that.
Nevertheless, it was not Phipps who should have taken the law into his own hands by doing what it did.
What Phipps did was crass, unsportsmanlike and not within the spirit of the game. It was tiny-minded and petulant, just as it was when he threw the boot of an opponent away in the Test against New Zealand a couple of weeks ago.
Is that what we want our children to see and do? Rugby prides itself on having values. Phipps does not reflect them. He should no longer be a Wallaby.
Peter Hughes
Guest
Geez Wally - don't care about this innocuous pushing incident - but I do totally agree with your headline. PHIPPS should never be picked in any Aust squad because he doesn't deserve it on playing form. He's THE worst halfback in international rugby imo. Aust has at least 5 halfbacks better.
Chris
Guest
Medics are not match officials (Refs, ARs, Citing Commissioners, etc). I agree that the match officials are untouchable. Anyone who can be accused of trying to influence an outcome just needs to stay the hell out of the way. Like it or not medics interfere in the game constantly. They delay play by assessing props injuries (the sort that only ever happen before a scrum) or hookers injuries (only ever happen before a lineout). There are even instances from the Aviva Premiership of them assisting in manipulating the blood rule. The medical team travel on the team buses. They are part of the greater team environment.
Chris
Guest
ClarkeG - look at the Ref - he places his foot on the mark, raises his hand and blows the whistle. That is how you restart play and set the scrum. If an official wants to do player things like touch the ball which he has no entitlement to do, he needs to accept being dealt with like a player who is getting in the way. I don't care if it an Argentinian medic, a Wallabies assistant coach, or an All Black's water boy.
E-Meter
Guest
Phipps looks so much like Keith Moon
Brian
Guest
Nick Phipps ....he's not a bad player. He's lucky the medic didn't get up and smack him one.....the right thing to do was thank the medic for getting the ball for him,it's not as though it was a penalty ,it it were ,the medic would have got sanctioned for it ,a different story then. Nick. Show greatness in the wallabies jumper and guess who would have seen that? The All Blacks . Watch your back come Saturday night. Kiwis hate short tempered little runts who do things that ruin our great game of Rugby Union.
Dally
Guest
Ruck - you must not actually look at peoples' comments before making your own. The majority of people condemn Phipps for his actions and Wallaby supporters have condemned him in general for as long as I can recall. Furthermore, you'll find Wallaby supporters are incredibly tough on the players and organisation, as evidenced by this very website where there are literally thousands of comments from punters and professionals alike ripping into the standards set by them both on and off the field.
Dally
Guest
Yeah agree, was disappointing to see Kafer and the rest of them making light of it. It just feeds the delusional bubble these players and ex-players live in. Where such things are ok, the team's form isn't that bad, we're not that far off the top teams and all the rest of whatever lies they want to tell themselves Just leads to poor results. And they scratch their heads unable to see how pathetic they all look on and off the field from an objective real world view, which everyone else but them has. Australian sides will never be consistently strong with these sorts of people and culture throughout them. It's that simple. They say better people make better All Blacks. Well, we need better people.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
Pity the medic didn't hook him in set defence.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
I announce Carlos as the winner.
double agent
Guest
I suspect that Phipp's passing,just like all halfbacks,would be seriously improved by playing behind a dominant pack.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
There's always hope Carlos, always. On Dylan, classic psychology - put the lunatic in charge. But like everyone, he still has a f*k up inside him somewhere. Only hoping it's gone deep this time.
Wally James
Roar Guru
The premise to this article is one of the objects of the game supported by one of its laws. They are far from ridiculous.
RT
Guest
Yawn. The dogs bark and the caravan moves on.
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Isn't "losing" the word, Ruck? I am not sure, English is a second language to me.
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Once in a while, I agree with you, Neil. It seems that whatever they told Dylan Hartley has worked (so far).
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Thank you, Peter.
Matt Ryan
Guest
He's a little turd.
Kirky
Roar Rookie
The previous programme was god awful but this latest one is butt ugly and terrible! ~ shut it down and get guys on who know what they're talking about!
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Nah Wozza. You got the premise right a bit later "....Phipps is a total dik who’s also an average player..."
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Hmm. Penny to a pound that's not the first time someone's had a word with him since he first strapped his boots. How do you think that's gone?