Tahs try hard, but can't halt Highlanders

matey no stress at all.. kids can have that affect.. especially on the weekend when the rugger is on!! cheers lad..

@ Riddler. Apologies for snapping, my daughter was screaming at me throughout the game so I may have missed a fair bit!

The problem with ruling on the Buckman try is emphasised by the photo- there is no footage of where Whitelock's leg is as the ball strikes it. The redline needs to be drawn through that point but can't be because that is obscured. An overhead cam would be definitive. I initially thought that the try would be ruled out, the replay suggested that Buckman was more likely offside than on. However the TMO correctly stated there was no conclusive evidence to contradict the referee's onfield decision, presumably because the only camera angle that had Buckman in the frame obscured Whitelock. I was reffing a junior game years ago (opposition coach did first half, I did second). I was directly behind a player that received a pass. He dropped it and it must have popped up directly to him. Thing was I didn't actually see him drop it, perfectly unsighted I was (80 odd kg Polynesian lad U13). Going by my boys reaction I could guess what happened but I didn't see it. The worst part was a try was scored and we had a close loss. Was I right or wrong?

They weren't really soft tries. Izzie in space on a 6 was no disgrace. And TN was a nice try. He's a big unit and I think if you asked Ben Smith if it was a soft try he'd say no.

I can totally forgive referees for making the wrong decision in running. Everyone does that. Everyone sees things differently. But for TMOs to make wrong decisions every single game often ludicrous and laughable decisions with all the value of replays is just terrible. It's no better in league. Who are these clowns? I used to think 'Wow TMOs what a great idea. No more wrong decisions.' How dumb was I? There's HOWLERS every week!!

Hey Alan - talk about making lame excuses for another poor performance by Tahs. They tried hard did they? Evidence that 2 tries to Highlanders should have been overturned you say? Tahs showed they have attacking potency huh? Frustrating night was it hehehe In an absolute must win game for the Tahs I saw only sporatic evidence of serious fight, passion or grit. I saw a team cut to pieces by a far superior outfit who were more skillful, faster, better coached and played with far more passion & will to win. I saw no evidence that those 2 tries should have been overturned - they were fair tries imo. Tahs attacking potency comes in only very brief spells - there's nothing consistent or committed about it. Calling this only a frustrating night is how the Tah players appear to view their appalling season. Hooper and Phipps keep talking them up and there's simply no significant response from anyone except Hooper & Folau. This is a squad clearly lacking fight, spirit and passion.

Yes I am a bit concerned Fionn with the not straight throws that are just let go and teams know they can get away with it and the number of tries or moves that include a clear forward pass at the moment is getting beyond a joke - and that is all round The flat pass has become the "only a wee bit forward pass"

He certainly good to watch

Interesting jersey the Tahs were wearing - with the red shoulders. Something the ARU have planned to reduce the Super teams to 4 now that the Force and Rebels have threatened legal action? Merge NSW & Qld to form a super Super team! If they need to reduce the number to 3 they can merge in the Brumbies and have a heartland team woth Melbourne and Perth as feeder teams; or The Empire, The Rebels and The Force. Just get George Lucas as a sponsor!

The Highlanders were always going to win, and I don't think that the decisions really affected the outcome (Mumm was a 50-50 call but the first try I thought was clearly offside). It more has to do with the fact that the standard of refereeing is worrying for the integrity of the competition for the games that are actually close affairs.

Yes Taylorman and there was not a single decision that should have gone the HIghlanders way but didn't. Nope - not one. Where were the Tahs fans with two Tahs tries last week from forward passes and pointed out on Fox Sports as being just that. Nope that was just lucky old Tahs eh?. But this week those crap decisions were just a dreadful business. Let's face it, bitter pill though it may be to swallow, the better team won, and the Highlanders are a better side and their record this year shows it. What's more, they have done it without Liam Squire, Neholo, Ben Smith, and Sopoaga for quite a few games which shows the depth they have. The difference is in quality of the benches which showed big time last night. When Sopoaga and co came on they were simply outstanding. The Tahs just didn't have the all round impact and class on the bench and if there is a major difference between NZ sides and Australian sides that is less talked about it is the quality and class on their benches. I think it is a given that the Brumbies will be the Australian side that will top the conference - both sides have the daunting task of playing the Chiefs away but barring an upset by the Reds the Brumbies should go through. But how long will they last as they may have to play the Canes or the Chiefs in a quarter, all be it, with a gifted home final? But will a home final be enough?

Good win by the Highlanders... But wasn't great, their first half was terrible. 14-13 at the break they had to step it up in the second half. The biggest thing was the poor defence by the Highlanders allowing the Waratahs to score soft tries. The Highlanders fell off 26 tackles, not good enough especially with the Crusaders game coming up. Ben Smith made a massive difference being back, but unfortunately they gave away a BP at the end. Oh well, nine wins in a row cant complain about that. Buckman's try.... Play to the whistle kids.

16 points would be enough tman

englishbob.. wasn´t having a go at u at all.. sorry if you got that feeling.. and am definitely not nit picking.. there was a definite tactic for one reason or another to kick to the left wing of the highlanders.. past couple of weekends i have been watching the out of hand kicking of all teams i can manage to see. both north and south.. because as per usual there is a lot of hyperbole on here about certain players..

@ Riddler I didn't say above that foley kicked badly - he didn't kick particularly well though - but that the tahs plan to dome the ball back to the highlanders didn't prove fruitful. The winger may have received some of the kicks, but I remember Ben Smith running it back most and making some great counter runs. If you don't agree fair enough mate, but don't nit pick, you knew what I meant, and you've listed two ok kicks and three terrible ones, at least one of which led immediately to a try. Vis a vie, a bad kicking display

There are many times when the tackled is player gets his knee on the ground but only after a teammate has helped him which means it is a maul which means the tackled player should be penalised for collapsing the maul. A maul is very rarely called when there is one.

Surely, the issue about refereeing has got to be one of incompetence, rather than favouritism. If so, then what's more remarkable is whether we assume anywhere up to half-a-dozen referees and their performances, fall into this bracket or, we consider the effects of one referee, albeit a former one who's decisions, could be the cause of all these issues. In this latter instance, I'm referring to the Referees Convenor - Mr Lyndon Bray. The incompetent performances, could also be exacerbated by the inconsistent decisions, that are decreed every weekend. For instance, one weekend, the Convenor may require all referees pay attention to over-the-ball ruck clean-outs whereas the next weekend, could be devoted to maul sackings and the following weekend, could be tackles above the shoulder and so on. The point is, if the directive changes each week it seems, the previous week's concern becomes old news and referees, fail to respond with similar urgency as they did, that previous weekend. Whilst all these decisions are necessary, it just seems that the weight of refereeing diligence or could I suggest vigilance, seems to unfairly occupy the referees concentration onto specific matters of the game rather than, an overview of the match, in total. To the extent, that one weekend we as viewers, will see the spate of over-the-ball ruck steals, is measured by the number of penalties issued out by the referees and the following weekend, we see no penalties issued for similar occurrences observed, the previous weekend. This inconsistent display is an example of what may have been decreed by Mr Bray, for referees to monitor in strict accordance with what has been stipulated which IMO, then causes the game to be seen as unbalanced, unfair and favoured. Referees surely, cannot continue with displays like we have seen in this 2nd half of the competition, that are bordering on a complete disaster, in terms of a fair encounter between two sides. It could be assumed that such vigilance was necessary in the 1st half of the competition but surely, now that the comp has rounded the bend into the home straight, the issue at hand, is to pay attention to issues that are deemed to be reckless and dangerous, thus allowing the game to flow. I know, it sounds a lot easier than it actually is and referees are only human hence, they're subject to making errors, just like anyone else. Their job is not an easy one but these people are paid professionals just like the other 30 blokes on the paddock hence, their performance should be similarly subject to review, just like the players. Why can't referees or their Convenor, come forward when there's been glaring decisions made, in a match?? Players are stood down by coaches when performances have been below expected standards so I'd ask, why not referees?? Sadly, if this 2nd half of the competition has been any guideline, then half the matches scheduled would've been postponed, for a lack of referees available. Nevertheless, for the players, for the supporters and for the goodness of the game itself, surely its not too much to ask for referees, to lift their game and give a performance that is stirling, rather than glaring.

I don't think the Tahs were ever going to win, they had a couple of brilliant tries, but the Highlanders created so many opportunities they were always going to win. Every time Ben Smith touched the ball he created a scoring opportunity.

Will be interesting having a look at the replay today Ffion, last two years there have been squeals of the Highlanders pushing the offside line in Tahs games, and then the review reveals it is just good line speed combined with really slow Tahs clearance from the base. I suspect the same may be revealed here Buckman and Feks owned that midfield all night and simply closed off the Tahs supply line out wide. As I noted last night, we were the receiptient of a couple of interesting calls, neutral officials are a must. But the referee was very generous to a Tahs scrum that got dismantled on a number of occasions yet the whistle stayed in the pocket and very slow to reward the Highlanders over the ball at ruck time where we totally dominated. Tans should be looking at their set piece, scrum and line out.

I agree riddler, Banks couldn't get the ball into the huge space behind the huge Naiyavoro for 50 minutes, Sopoaga went there with his first touch. Gibson dragged the big guy as soon as the Highlanders starting getting that right. Foley suffers from being the only kicker in that backline, he is always going to be pressured when there are no other options. Since the round robin game in 2015, and in the semi that year, the Highlanders have been more than happy to kick long and in play vs the Tahs and just make the tackle downfield, haven't been hurt by the ball being run back at them yet.