Western Force coach Tim Sampson was left to bemoan a “whistle happy” referee after watching his side crash to a 27-11 loss to the Brumbies in Perth on Friday night.
The Force conceded a whopping ten penalties during the first half, with the home side giving up vital field position time and again to set the platform for the Brumbies’ win.
The Brumbies conceded nine penalties themselves in the second half at the hands of referee Graham Cooper, and Sampson wasn’t thrilled by the stop-start nature of the game.
“We couldn’t get the flow, we couldn’t get into the game. We heard a lot of the referee’s whistle tonight, which didn’t help,” Sampson said.
“I thought he was pretty whistle happy; 11-five (penalty count) at halftime against us, we were up against it.
“I think 16 penalties in 40 minutes of footy is a lot. We’re trying our best to play good footy, and that’s been the focus in the off-season with the officials.
“I think it was very stop-start – 16 penalties in one half of footy is not great viewing.”
When told the stats showed his team gave up ten first-half penalties and not 11, Sampson replied: “I had 11, so maybe I was a bit cranky and added one more.”
The Brumbies had the game in the bag after running in three tries to set up a 27-5 lead. But a try from Force scrumhalf Tomas Cubelli in the 76th minute robbed the Brumbies of a bonus point.
During the dying minutes, Brumbies coach Dan McKellar could be heard screaming from the coach’s box: “I want the bonus point. Get the message to them that I want the bonus point”.
Although the bonus point slipped through the Brumbies’ fingers, McKellar was thrilled with the result.
“I can’t let that cloud (the result),” McKellar said of the missed bonus point.
“We’ve come to Perth, big trip, against a good opposition, and it was an enormous effort by our boys.
“It would have been nice to have picked up five points, but it is what it is, we get on it.
“If you’d said before the game, 27-11, would you take that Dan and Al?, we both would have said yep.”
The Brumbies will be back in action next Saturday when they host the NSW Waratahs in Canberra. The Waratahs were thumped 41-7 by the Reds on Friday, and Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa is expecting NSW to come out firing.
“Everyone is writing them off, so I’m sure they are going to come up on Saturday with a point to prove,” he said.
The Force have a bye next week. Centre Kyle Godwin missed the loss to the Brumbies with an ankle injury, but Sampson is hopeful the former Wallaby will be fit for the Round 3 clash with the Waratahs.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
Coops has long been guilty of trying too hard to show he is not biased in favour of teams from his hone state.
Ex force fan
Guest
c) the coach doesn’t get the message out until half-time The Force game away 10 penalties in the 1st half and 2 in the second. You have point however you think that he players / leadership team / captain should also take responsibility especially with the experience on the field?
piru
Roar Rookie
Biggest clanger ref made was disallowing a brumby try after a forward pass when it was clearly backwards out of the hand and then floated forward. What annoyed me about that phase was that the Brumbies maul sat motionless, held by the Force for a good 10 seconds and there was no 'use it' instruction given, he just let them sit there going nowhere.
Purdo
Roar Rookie
Soapit: I think it's a matter of taste, and we can't really argue about matters of taste. I grew up on League, but later was exposed to Union, and found it much more interesting. I know people who prefer League, having played both and watched both. I think we should delay our decisions in matters of taste until we have properly sampled and understood all that is on offer. Union (in Australia) has been disadvantaged because it is unknown to most people, and because a lot of people have a class bias against Union. It will be good for Union that League and Union are both available on the same channel.
robel
Roar Pro
Was at the game then watched the replay as I thought the ref didn't police the offside in the game consistently. Unfortunately the TV coverage focused in on the rucks/mauls and so you couldn't see the amount of offside by the Brums, particularly in their half. A bit more time playing together for the Force backs will help things a lot.
Ex force fan
Guest
Three penalties for touching players in the air, just stupid
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
Thanks PeterK. It makes a mockery of the term "Professional" in any team if: a) the players don't know the game well enough to make adjustments when needed, b) the players don't make adjustments when they see the need, c) the coach doesn't get the message out until half-time, d) the coach only allows the players to make the changes he calls for. Play what's in front of you includes refs and their application of the Laws. Sadly, I'm reminded of the NFL coach who told his team, "We're all here for one thing and that is, to keep my job."
I think the defending team should be allowed to tackle as soon as the ball is tapped......In other words if the attackers choose to take the quick tap that should over ride the usual offside penalty as they decided their own path....
PeterK
Roar Guru
the defensive team are not penalised on a quick tap if they are inside the 10 IF they don't get involved. They need to be retreating until run onside or they get back 10. Murphy was very poor re the quick tap. He is obliged to make the mark for the quick tap, he did so and when the quick tap was taken he said no that wasn't the mark. Just poor refereeing. IMO the quick tap should be allowed to be taken within a 1 metre diameter from the correct spot but not closer than 5 metres to the tryline.
Charlie Turner
Guest
Ironic in a round where offside ruck defense was heavily scrutinized. Baby steps....
Peter i wish we had a bit more freedom around taking a quick tap.....I wish players were allowed to take it provided they were "roughly" in the right spot and I think the defensive team shouldnt be penalised for being inside the ten if they havnt had time to get back.....It would free the game up a bit and limit stoppages.. In the Reds game the Tahs were given a penalty and the ref stood on a mark and held his arm up to indicate the penalty. The tahs player took the quick tap only to be called back as the "Mark" was 4 mtrs further UP field.....It just waited time...
piru
Roar Rookie
Definitely. I'll leave it there
soapit
Roar Guru
yeah the forward pass understanding seems to have gone backwards. short passes going forward never called and long balls getting called wrongly because the crowd and ref has to think about it for too long. the short forward passes now getting seem to be being coached melbourne storm like (looking at you reds)
soapit
Roar Guru
yeah caught a few minutes and was good watching.
Mark Richmond
Roar Guru
I watched the Toyota Verblitz vs Toshiba Brave Lupus on Stan yesterday.....a thoroughly entertaining game with Toyota running out winners 34-33.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Biggest clanger ref made was disallowing a brumby try after a forward pass when it was clearly backwards out of the hand and then floated forward. The touchie called it and Cooper backed him up. He should of gone to the tmo and seen it was backwards out of the hand. It evened up later though when the brumbies scored a try and he missed an infringement they made leading up to it.
PeterK
Roar Guru
agree I am happy they enforce the offside and the ruck laws. But Murphy penalised for technical things that had no impact on play. An example was in the lineout jumping across the line. The offending player was contesting the ball in the air, did not knock the player down, the receiver won the ball clean. Only because it was thrown straight to the receiver did he have to jump across the line to contest it.
PeterK
Roar Guru
You raise a bugbear of mine. When quick taps are taken refs do not enforce players being onside enough. Often especially near the line they don't retreat and are offside and tackle the guy. The ref didn't even look at it. IMO Wilson never retreated and it deserved a yc.
PeterK
Roar Guru
the laws says a maul has to form immediately on catching the kick. Now if you are literal then this would virtually never happen, i.e at the point of catch , 1 defender and an attacker both bind to him and not 1 step is taken or feet adjusted. IMO Murphy forgot the law and his ego would not let him admit he got it wrong.
PeterK
Roar Guru
agree that Cooper should have yc'd more, brumbies as usual quite cynical in their play.