Consistency.
It is a wonderful word. One too often misinterpreted by referees across the world when it comes to this wonderful game.
Brenden Nel – Superrugby
It is all you can ask for from a referee because, as they always remind us, they are only human.
It is something now we need desperately from the International Rugby Board’s boss Paddy O’Brien when it comes to refereeing standards across the world.
This week’s swift and harsh punishment for touch judge Cobus Wessels may have been welcomed after the fact by Australia, but to us here in South Africa it only served to highlight the gross lop-sided action by the IRB bosses when it came to refereeing indiscretions.
But before we get into that, let me state this clearly. This is not an attack on referees. They are some of the best people in rugby, fit with sharp minds and who constantly bear the brunt of a losing team as the blame for everything that goes wrong.
A referee makes mistakes, as do rugby players. And in a perfect world, they would not have to interpret rules and regulations but rather just blow the letter of the law. Blowing the letter of the law is, after all, what we are told they need to do. It is what we expect.
Instead, because they are human, some have strengths in certain fields and not in others. Some like a flowing game and are therefore lenient on certain indiscretions – like throwing the ball in crooked into the scrum.
Because there is a hierarchy, and jockeying for positions (anyone familiar with the refs society knows the politics are worse than general rugby politics), you tend to favour the interpretations that the refereeing bosses tell you too.
Otherwise you’re off the panel, no explanation and may find yourself refereeing the under-9 game at the local primary school.
Referees have a lot more to deal with than just the on-field antics of players who push the borderline, and this is more reason for them to be consistent. As spectators we don’t often enough applaud the good performances and always seem to remember the bad ones.
But back to Paddy, who this week moved quickly to censure Wessels for a wrong decision in yellow carding Drew Mitchell for a late tackle that apparently wasn’t. I say apparently because thanks to Fox Sports we never saw the incident either in real time or on a replay (but that would be suggesting home television stations target certain incidents while ignoring others?).
So we will accept Paddy’s explanation that Wessels made a mistake. O’Brien goes on to say Wessels also called a crooked lineout throw when it was straight, which is negligible and happens almost to every touch judge in every game nowadays.
He moved to remove Wessels from the Tri-Nations panel, and banish him to Siberia. But thanks to the limits of travel, will have to be satisfied that Wessels referees Currie Cup rugby in future.
It wasn’t that his action was wrong, but where was he to move so quickly when Alan Lewis or the Citing officer failed to punish Rene Ranger’s shoulder charge on Zane Kirchner? If giving a yellow card for the wrong reason is punishable like this, why did Alain Rolland not get a roasting for yellow carding Danie Rossouw for nothing more than a push with his leg? Why was the third Irish referee George Clancy not brought to book for allowing David Pocock to transgress with a professional foul twice on his own tryline? Why was Rolland not given his marching orders for repeated warnings to Richie McCaw that never resulted in a yellow card?
It is these inconsistencies that have us foaming at the mouth. O’Brien came out strongly and defended the three Irish referees in those Tests, but banished Wessels without even thinking twice.
And if one puts it into perspective, this could be far harsher than just a banishment. A few years ago, some of you will remember Percy Montgomery getting two very harsh yellow cards – which turned into a red – against Wales in Cardiff.
On the replays it was clear that the touch judge – Bryce Lawrence – got it wrong. Was anything done about it? Percy had to accept his punishment and the matter was quietly swept under the carpet. It would be wrong to suggest that it was done simply because Lawrence, a New Zealander like O’Brien, was a bright prospect and his dad Keith Lawrence was promoted to head of referee development at the IRB as O’Brien’s second in charge shortly afterwards, wouldn’t it?
Interestingly referees have spoken several times that their instructions are to “over-react rather than under-react”, with referee bosses promising to protect them when things go south. One example of this is the tip-tackle scenario – refs are told to “start at red, and then look for mitigating circumstances”.
Referees are understandably concerned at the precedent the action against Wessels presents, as they have been removed in the past for “under-reacting” – like Marius Jonker was during the Six Nations this year.
Which all brings us back to consistency. Paddy, all we can ask for is consistency – from the players, coaches, referees and in this case especially you. I believe you owe us some answers.
p.s. As a sidebar, consistency is not O’Brien’s best trait. Three weeks of trying to get hold of him for an interview elicited a response from the IRB communications department that “he will not be doing interviews in the Tri-Nations.” Lo and behold a day later he lets rip in the New Zealand press. What about some consistency there Paddy?
August 5th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
You can not expect someone with no brians to be able to aswer these questions.
Idiot at work!!!!
Nice read
August 5th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Sorry answer!!
August 5th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
August 5th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Basically follows the same trend so not going to publish as a thread:
JJ Harmse
The Springboks are really lucky, we are told by one of their big sponsors, as they have 23 players taking the field on any given Saturday.
Player 23, who represents all those who support the team, is there on our behalf. That’s great for the Boks to know, I am sure.
Unfortunately for the Boks, they can have as many Player 23’s as they wish, if they don’t have player 31, they are stuffed.
And they have been stuffed, have they not?
Four yellow cards, numerous debatable decisions and three suspensions are the result of player 31 in recent weeks.
Player 31 also had a massive impact on the match between the All Blacks and Wallabies in Brisbane, but it seemed that player 33 actually had to pay the price.
Poor Cobus Wessels.
Here he is, being sacked for making two mistakes, one of them involving an incident where Drew Mitchell tackled Richie McCaw. The way things have been going for McCaw, one could have expected a red for Mitchell, daring to tackle the All Blacks captain at all!
After all, was it not Jamie Heaslip who saw red earlier this season when he tried to knee McCaw in the head?
Anyway, it seems that the tackle was not worth the yellow recommended by Wessels, as judged afterwards by Paddy O’Brien, the big IRB boss of all players 31′s.
In addition, Wessels actually called a skew lineout throw against the All Blacks, when it was straight! How dare he, no wonder Paddy was upset.
But then something even worse happened. Mitchell prevented the All Blacks from taking a quick throw-in after referee Craig Joubert had warned both captains that he will not stand for any deliberate attempts to slow down quick-tap penalties and quick throw-ins. He even marched both teams 10 yards when they did that.
So what does Mitchell do? He prevented a quick throw-in two minutes into the second half, giving Joubert no option but to send him packing.
Now Wessels becomes the villain? How do you explain that, Paddy?
Mitchell knew very well that slowing the ball down was off-limits. His team was spoken to about it. He still did it and got burned. So suddenly Wessels is wrong and is dumped?
It is pretty much like dropping your goal kicker who missed in the opening minute of the match and the last kick of the game, because if he kicked the first one, your team would have been ahead by the time he missed the last one!
Also, were all match officials not advised by their SANZAR bosses to ‘over-react’ rather than ‘under-react’ when they had their big refereeing conference? Yes, they were.
And please explain to us, Paddy, how is it possible that a touch judge who missed Jimmy Cowan pulling back Bakkies Botha AND Botha head butting Cowan seconds later, goes unpunished, but poor Wessels get nailed? Surely not because he is from South Africa?
Maybe because the complainants are from Australia then? Remember, you acted on their instruction earlier this year as well when you removed Steve Walsh from a Super 14 game after complaints by a certain Australian Super 14 team.
Sorry if it seems that I am clutching at straws here, but a lot of things happening at the moment in your department seem a bit confusing.
Why is it again that when New Zealand and Australia play, they get the top three referees in the Southern Hemisphere, who also handled 90% of the Super 14 games these players have played this year, but when South Africa play any of those two countries, we get referees from the Northern Hemisphere?
Your referees are impartial and should be able to handle any match, are they not? If not, you may have a massive problem at next year’s Rugby World Cup.
If South Africa make the final, playing say New Zealand, will this mean that the best two teams in the world will play the final but will only be reffed by number four or five from your ranks? That’s not fair, is it?
Anyway, I suppose one needs to congratulate you because there was actually some reaction on what you call a poor performance by one of your boys. I also believe that the yellow cards flashed so far in the competition, but for the two tip tackles, were wrong.
What also was wrong is the way no yellow cards were issued to McCaw in Wellington and Australia’s David Pocock in Brisbane.
The All Blacks, as wonderful as they have played this year (although most of the time against 14 men) have conceded 34 penalties so far in Tri-Nations.
Twelve in Auckland, nine in Wellington and 13 in Melbourne. But no cards. The Springboks have conceded 24 (5 + 9 + 10) and got four cards…
Two of those, Bakkies Botha in Auckland and BJ Botha in Brisbane, were for slowing the ball down or so called professional fouls. Yet, the most penalised team get warning upon warning.
Mmm, maybe Peter de Villiers is right after all…
August 5th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Does anyone know how this process works?
To ‘demote’ a ref, who decides? Paddio on his own? Surely not?
It appears that Paddio enjoys too much power.
August 5th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
In these days of ‘money driven’ rugby I’m very much surprised there aren’t more professional avenues to bring referee decisions (not them personally) to a tribunal if not for fear of legal financial reprisals…
Lets face it it’s no longer an “oh well the better team won despite a few dodgy decisions (again)”… winners take the Lion’s share of the prize money losers don’t!
August 5th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Reply to Morné @ 12:59 pm:
Mmm, maybe Peter de Villiers is right after all…
====
I’ll be right behind him if
he takes this up at the highest
level – which is not a press
conference.
August 5th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 1:10 pm:
PDV with SARU backing him to the hilt.
The establishment needs a good shake up. Juries has something he can sink his teeth into to really show his worth
August 5th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Of course, if it fails…..
August 5th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 2:31 pm:
What? What exactly can possibly happen… SA fans and tv rights are giving Murdoch the most cash… we are the cash cow… not England… not NPC… not the All Blacks … South Africa… what exactly are they going to do now?
I think the game needs a core shakeup of the little anglo saxon brotherhood in London
Unite SA, Italy, France, Argentina, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and add Canada, USA, Romania, Russia, Georgia and Japan and like the Aus / Eng hegemony on cricket… the days of colonials ruling the game is over….
I cannot wait…
Screw them all one and frigging all.
Paddy No Brain should be the fist to get a bullet… preferably in a part of his body where pain will be ever enduring
August 5th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 1:10 pm:
For appearances, SARU, the coach and the team should stay aloof of matters like this. Using the media as a proxy will be more effective. Especially viral video clips.
Bypass the authorities and plant the seeds in the minds of the referees directly.
August 5th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 2:49 pm:
Who knows, I fear the last thing we actually want to happen.
August 5th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 3:48 pm:
Which is what?
August 5th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 4:31 pm:
No idea, I suppose my sentence should read “I fear the last thing we actually expect and want to happen”
August 5th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Reply to fyndraai @ 3:15 pm:
Ja maybe. But I would like
to see a more challenging and confrontational style for a
change, provided you have
“watertight” and visual examples.
Put it in the open for all to see.
With the help of the media.
August 5th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 4:42 pm:
Ja but what?
Oooo Aaaahh
They kick us out?
Like hell that happens…
Murdoch will not stand for it…
August 5th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
And yaawwwnnnn…. been there got that…. bought the rebel tourists…
August 5th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 5:02 pm:
The Springboks have no effing clue how to market themselves.
Either promoting their brand or protecting their brand.
I am with Dawie, it is time to go Kamakazi on their asses.
I an @$%^&@ despising this apologist attitude of South Africans where we have to be #$^&*@ sorry for everything in this country including our rugby team and its supposed reputation.
August 5th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
All the talk about the refereeing doesn’t change the fact the Boks are playing rubbish rugby. Let’s stop looking at the 10% factor and start looking at the 90% factor- badly executed gameplan, wrong gameplan anyway with the players that are fit.
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
August 5th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
FTB
I’ve played the game up to low club level from primary school
Believe me
When you see a ref consistently as biased as that it affects your playing terribly…. more than 10%… it makes you so uncertain you start to hesitate in decision making. The opposition appears capable of getting away with anything and if it goes on and reflects on the scorebaord the idea is that forms is “what’s the use”
I’ve said what I wanted to say about the Boks.
The gameplan is good – there is something wrong with the players.
Morne
Even if PDV is found guilty tomorrow my sugegstion would be to tell SANZAR that SARU rejects the outcome of the hearing and put them on the spot… after all in cricket it all came to a head when Pakistan forfeited that test match in London with a Aussie ref… not a quiet behind the scenes whisper fest like some people want… no… t was full on balls to the walls screw you motherfraggers open warfare… and the next thing the subcontinent rules crioket… should be the same in rugby…
Create the confrontation…
Aside from Hoskins this week, there should have been far more media… in fact SARU should already ahve placed the pressure on SANZAR by demanding Rolland be removed and doing it in the open and public forums.. in fact they should be saying they won’t play in another game Rolland referees… and BEFORE the hearing tell SANZAR they intend to reject the outcome…
Screw this bias…
The same happened in cricket and let’s be honest… cricket’s been a far more fair match up since the Lords and SCG boys have no longer had their little boys club and the whole show is run out of Dubai..
August 5th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 9:08 pm:
Saru has never had balls.
Hulle het hul melk skoon
weggeskrik oor die gebeure
nadat hulle Justice4All
ondersteun het.
Laat my dink aan ‘n hondjie
wat op sy rug gaan lê en pis.