All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has launched a broadside at World Rugby following separate Test series in New Zealand and Australia marred by refereeing confusion.
Hansen expressed empathy with Wallabies counterpart Michael Cheika, who unleashed frustration at match officials following the series-deciding 20-16 loss to Ireland in Sydney.
At the heart of Cheika’s concerns were the inconsistency of how laws are being interpreted.
Hansen reiterated those views in the wake of referees being the talking point after each of the All Blacks’ three Test wins against France.
He says the sport is being ravaged by uncertainty for players, coaches and spectators and has demanded World Rugby start listening.
Rugby, he said, is changing at a speed that is making parts of the law book redundant.
“It’s an area of the game that World Rugby needs to take some ownership of and lead,” Hansen said.
“You’ve got Cheiks not happy with how his game is reffed too. It’s got faster, it’s got really fluid but we haven’t really changed the way we ref.
“It has got to a point where we have got to do something because it is starting to affect the game.”
Hansen has challenged rugby’s officiating in the past but has found change almost impossible to achieve.
Asked how the voice of coaches can be heard, he shrugged his shoulders.
“To get them to listen? If you can answer that you are a better man than me.”
Hansen revealed he and other leading coaches got nowhere when they took a proposal to World Rugby five years ago to introduce a challenge system.
Under that suggestion, coaches would be allowed two challenges if they disagreed with rulings, similar to cricket’s on-field model for captains.
Hansen said the referees themselves are becoming confused.
He said Australian whistler Angus Gardner followed the letter of the law when sending off French fullback Benjamin Fall for his high ball challenge in the second Test, but World Rugby later said Gardner got the call wrong.
“I was talking to Gus (Gardner) and he is shrugging his shoulders (saying) ‘what do I do?’,” Hansen said.
“I said ‘well, you can’t do anything other than what you did’.
“World Rugby now have to go away and have a look at it themselves. Common sense should surely prevail.”
CJ
Guest
Yes, where do you see a sport where the results of top class games is so regularly altered by really bad calls from the refs?
Bakkies
Roar Guru
How about Hansen show some leadership by coaching his players not to shoulder charge ball carriers in the head.
Carlos The Argie
Guest
Maybe Mark is the Australian's version of Donald.
sheek
Guest
Independants eh? I thought they were Indian!!!
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Conceivably, captains get 2 challenges, calls out for a challenge and signals the ref some how, play continues but the TMO reviews it in the back ground and makes the decision. Communicates his decision to the captain, its either play on and keep playing, or he blows the whistle and they come back. This way play is not really impacted by the challenge, the TMO can decide if the event requires a stop, which he can communicate, but ultimate decision still resides with ref. For example, the Folau carding would go like this, hypothetically, ref misses the contest, Ireland calls out for a challenge, TMO determines it was at minimum a penalty, lets ref know, ref stops play, has look, and cards Folau. TMO and ref would need to work together, to TMO didn't flag up a challenge that ref wouldn't agree with, but I imagine these will be few and far between. Especially with teams of refs are kept as in the latest series, then you would get more in sync with the other Refs and ARs.
Steve T
Guest
Only in one single still shot can you see Izzy's hand on O'mahoney at all. No pulling or grabbing or pressure based on full replay. I am talking about his yellow card incident. Haven't had a good look at other incident yet. Regardless, lifting is the problem, not an opponent clearly contesting the ball in the air.
Steve T
Guest
CUW, I don't think neutral refs have made much difference to home town decisions at all. Australia is probably one of the few places where parochial crowds aren't intimidating the refs, or at least drawing their focus on the slightest infringements by the visitors while ignoring fouls of the home team. Just look at penalty counts and the 50/50 calls.
Steve T
Guest
When the jumper, Folau, and lifted player, O'Mahoney, both brushed each other in the air, who is it that touched who first and is in the wrong??? If Izzy falls and gets hurt is O'Mahoney binned or cited? Certainly agree that lifting constantly puts the player in a dangerous position and should be banned. But what chance the WR stooges allowing Izzy a free run at the ball that no Home Nations player is going to get near. Also think the deliberate knock on interpretation is farcical. If you throw a sh#t, poorly timed pass, you shouldn't be rewarded with penalty tries and opponents being carded. Game being ruined by officials that have no understanding of how it is played.
Chris
Guest
Wolrld Rugby and IRB showed be concerned about poor crowds for the last Springbok v England game and also the joke of the club/pro game in SH with RC/Super15 or something alongside the empty seats at a Currie Cup match and Air New Zealand or whatever it's called alongside the over subscribed rugby market of Australia with super Rugby/NRC and then Twiggys World series and also the Shute Shield competing to get bums on empty seats alongside the NRL. Both Rugby Union and Rugby League need a complete make over.
piru
Roar Rookie
Who are these Kiwi keyboard warriors you refer to? Are these warriors made of straw perchance?
dirtyrottenscoundrel
Guest
Steve Hanson has come out and seconded Cheika, regarding the crap refereeing we have endured this Test window. Oh come on kiwi keyboard warriors.... admit it! If Steve reckons it's BS then it must be.
cuw
Guest
i dont think that is correct as far as cricket or tennis is concerned. the challenges are made on real time play - not by looking a replay. i think there was one case in the 4tf ODI between Aus and Eng - when one team tried to have a review , when the replay had come on the screen - only for umps to say NO WAY! perhaps the Hansen method has to be clearly stated . in tennis the player calls it - anyway in most tournaments the tennis coach has no contact with player. in cricket its player who call it but then the game is a stop start thingy. once the ball is bowled one action comes to an end untill the next ball is bowled - so there is time for review of the previos action. this is not so in rugger - it is a very liquid and fast game. so players may not be in a position to challenge - unless it is a glaring error. how to use challenges will be a very hard thing to define - only the number 2 is good. i think what rugger needs is a better defined TMO service - by considering other games like cricket , BB, tennis etc. at the moment it seems to be evolving and inconsistent. for eg. if the TMO calls one no arms tackle , then he has to call all similar tackles in the game. also am not sure about the powers of the 2 . i have seen in some cases where TMO looks at things and says its ok to the ref. i have also seen some TMOs refer things to the ref for his judgement. so it seems both make decisions. this is not the case in cricket. once a review goes to TV ump , he makes the decision. the on field umps dont get involved. that clarity is lacking in rugger . i think if it is referred , then the TMO shud be the final judge - rather than the round table discussion that takes a lot of time and at times irritates everyone.
Danny
Roar Pro
I think Hansen is suggesting almost do away with TMO and have refereeing decisions made on-field with challenges allowed. Problem is coaches would have to watch replays quite quickly or refs would have to be allowed to stop the quick play-on where there might be contention - especially the quick drop goal when a try is scored that looked dodgy. Perhaps the challenges should be with the captains who might have better sense of what went on in the relevant play. Certainly the review system is a WIP right now. And WR seems to be playing a pretty good head-in-the-sand game.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Agree with you. I don't like the idea of challenges. It was tried in league and in most cases I saw, the original decision was upheld. Teams used the challenge for tactical purposes.
piru
Roar Rookie
Classic Ireland, diving head first into the turf to try and get an opponent sent off. Remember when O'Driscoll did that to Umaga and Mealamu?
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Of the Independents, one is SA and one is Irish so that makes six out of then eleven from the European five nations ( out of 11 from the NH)
piru
Roar Rookie
Wasn't a good look, but elbow to the jaw worse than being tipped on your head from height?
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Was the Irish winger cited for his elbow? Much worse than an inconsequential touch in the air.
Jacko
Guest
How did the TMO over rule the Frizzell try? Ref says he sees a clear grounding....TMO overrules Refs clear grounding
DJW
Guest
Challenges are a terrible idea. The last thing we want is something that slows the game down more. There has always been respect for the referee decision in rugby, right or wrong. It's starting to wane now though.