Red and yellow cards have been thrown around like confetti all season yet a blatant flip and dump copped a meagre yellow in Christchurch tonight.
Kiwi referee Ben O’Keeffe won’t be refereeing a quarter-final if there is any discussion about his feeble effort on the Pablo Matera tackle.
The picture: Crusaders flanker Pablo Matera grabs Queensland Reds centre Jordan Petaia between the legs to clean him out at a ruck.
The intent is to just tumble him away from the ruck. The result of so many careless grips is what happened next with Petaia’s upended body going beyond the horizontal.
Petaia is fighting the hold and the end result is Petaia landing on the turf in a combination of shoulder, neck and head.
It was the very definition of dangerous… a lifting tackle and a player landing on his neck among other contact points with the ground.
The most certain point in this debate is this. The Matera tackle and the Sam Gilbert tip tackle are a lot closer in penalty than a yellow card and a five-week ban.
I hate the pile-on from televised footy these days. Because the game is policed so hard, as soon as there is a hint of a high tackle, a shoulder charge, a tip tackle or a bony torpedo cleanout everyone is in uproar.
There are now so many prior examples that you can’t escape inconsistency.
O’Keeffe was trying to find a way not to red card Matera and that’s probably what we all want.
(Photo by Peter Meecham/Getty Images)
The fact is, the hardline laws have been set and leniency is a hard thing to show.
The match itself was not a spectacle in any sense and the Crusaders won’t put a single play from the 28-15 win in their season’s highlights reel.
The Reds kicked 30 times and half the time, at least, it was aimless rubbish. There were few contestable kicks and very few kicks that made you gasp like a long 1980s Grant Fox kick that finds grass and then touch 50m downfield.
Remember Grant Fox? Don’t tell me fields have halved in width and finding the grass is so much harder. The former All Black had craft and picked the right times.
The Crusaders hoofed it 29 times.
The Reds were staring at real trouble when down 21-3 at half-time because it could have become a blowout.
They deserve great credit for the ongoing trait of coach Brad Thorn’s teams… they fight to the end.
The Reds had a 12-7 edge in the second half when they actually played more rugby.
They still don’t take all the chances they need to beat a top Kiwi side. A misfire at a 5m lineout and nothing made of a Lawson Creighton step through the line were costly misses early in the second half.
Where do you put Harry Wilson in the Wallabies backrow?
He has so much go to him. He made 12 tackles to go with his 18 ball carries, saved a try and scored one.
Rob Valetini powers through the line with the best post-contact metres in the country. That’s why he’s in the Test backrow ahead of him at No.8.
Including Wilson ahead of Rob Leota as a blindside flanker? Some will agree but maybe Wilson is a bench weapon. It’s an interesting selection area.
We get to do this dance all over again next Friday.
The Reds and Crusaders will meet in a quarter-final.
“We were always going to fight. You expect that from this team,” Thorn said.
“We have everything still to play for. It’s a new comp (in the finals).
“Treasuring possession (more) is the big one for us. When we do we can put pressure on.
“I have a lot respect for the Crusaders and this place (Christchurch) means a lot to me. I think I played for them 92 times and another 30 for Canterbury.
“I’m here with my team, the Reds, and in this ruthless mission of trying to achieve something.”
The Reds have an outside shot but only if they kick far better, play their best game of 2022 and remember Jordan Petaia is on the field to use far more.
Poco Loco
Roar Rookie
JT, Thanks for an enlightened article. If players are to get red cards and then go to a judiciary to be judged as a result of the red card and have several weeks off because it is dangerous play, then shouldn't refs, tmo's and assistant refs be also cited and front a judiciary when they have failed to awarded a red card and also have several weeks off just like rugby players? After all that is dangerous adjudication. The current system of the refs judging themselves and behind closed doors is not acceptable. There needs to be a more transparent process with refs relegated when they consistently do not perform. This diparity between the peformances of the NH refs and those in the SH should not exist together with different emphasis in interpretations of laws. All we want is consistancy. Cheers.
Harty
Roar Rookie
Not just you :laughing:
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Headlines are designed to be emotive and grab attention. I tend to ignore them. And as for public opinion, if it’s Australian public opinion on an NZ ref making a decision in favour of an NZ team, against an Aus team… well, where do we expect sentiment to lie? This was completely in line with Bell and once they ruled on that (Bell), they set a standard. So this is actually consistent with that decision. I always said this was closer to Bell than Gilbert. The interesting thing is all this uproar was largely nonexistent with Bell. Or it flared hot then disappeared. If people are happy to accept that one, they have to accept this one. For the record, I’ve always maintained both should have been Red.
Cam
Roar Rookie
I shouldn't be surprised, but will definitely give up looking for consistency in Super Rugby refs and judiciary. Some of the headlines from the weekend probably indicate where the viewing public sat on the issue: "Lost the plot, fans fume", "Outrageous Matera tackle", "Matera's tackle puts spotlight on Kiwi referee", "Matera's unacceptable WWE moves cause fury online", "Crusaders coach defends Matera tackle amid outrage", "Fans shaking heads as Pablo Matera escapes red despite Sam Gilbert-like tip-tackle". He is a lucky, lucky lad.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
If he found a RC, the judiciary overturn it, and he gets lambasted for a potential game changing wrong decision. Knowing where the judiciary set their precedent, he ruled accordingly. Now we know the game played out how the judiciary and panel deemed it should have.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
So… free to play and ref next week then?
Paulo
Roar Rookie
And have also now been proven correct by the judiciary. Whether we have different views, BoK ruled on how they are viewed right now.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Nope. This didn’t age well did it.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Well, just like Bell, the panel have ruled it’s fine. The angst and fist waving has all been for naught. After they let Bell off, this was always going to be upheld as a Yellow. I called it on the night and have consistently said it. They made a bed they have to lie in it. What I have found interesting is all the moral outrage and angst shown in this article and others. Yet when Bell came up there was not even half this commotion. Is it because it was a Crusader? A kiwi ref and a kiwi team? Just plain annoyance and concern for Jordie P? I’m sure everyone has their own reasons, and this isn’t trying to play the victim at all. After all I thought this should be RC too, but knew that after Bell it was going to be YC. Just found it interesting it has raised so much emotional rhetoric.
RayinSydney
Roar Rookie
Well SANZAAR has had their say and he's free to play, I guess they know better.
CUW
Roar Rookie
whichc is worse ? giving a yellow that becomes a red after a citing ? or giving a red which becomes nothing after review? OR not giving any card which becomes a red after a citing ? all 3 happened this season so go figure :laughing: :laughing:
Fox
Roar Guru
Apolgise for all the horrible typos reader was in hurry - Yuck!
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Bloody hell… I’ve just woken up… I feel like crap but I guess an Irish coffee will get the day going.
Englishbob
Guest
The least they deserve!
James Boags
Guest
Not really my point. Change it to team of refs. Does change what I was trying to say
Jacko
Roar Rookie
No Ozinsa you are being silly in believing that a shoulder hitting the ground mm before a head hits the ground is enough to clear a player from a red card. Technicalities dont stop a neck from being broken. Tip tackles need to be punished severely whether you are from Aus NZ or Argentina. The clear facts show you and many others are all sweet for bell to get off but want others severely punished. Its childish of you not to see ALL of these tackles for what they are and your monthlong defending of Bell and critique of Gilbert and now Matera is dumb and bias. .
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
I understand the process. The mitigations on sentencing are frustrating though. The Rebels lad who nailed CLL first game back from a suspension should have had no mitigation on sentencing. And I’d suggest Gilbert should have had his reduced by a couple of weeks rather than 50%.
Wooliej
Roar Rookie
Any tipping past horizontal needs to be red card, regardless of the part of the body that hits the ground first. If not, players will not put in the extra effort to stop doing it and a serious, life changing injury is always possible.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
That’s plain silly, Jacko. The judiciary explained clearly the difference. You’re simply choosing to ignore it for reasons only you understand. I’d have said you’re better than turning this into some childish nationalistic argument but for a month now you haven’t been so perhaps not
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Mate, have another look, as it was Sevu, that was sliding towards the defender. I was looking it at it again, this morning.