The refereeing debacle in the Tri-Nations has taken a new twist with a possible court case on the horizon and players and referees now openly questioning the application of the laws by certain referees.
Hendrik Cronje – SuperRugby
According to a news3.co.nz report, International Rugby Board (IRB) referees chief Paddy O’Brien is planning legal steps against former Wallaby coach Bob Dwyer.
He is even demanding a public apology from Dwyer after the former Wallaby coach accused him of being partial to the All Blacks.
Dwyer said that O’Brien only voices his concern about performances when the referee disadvantages New Zealand as was the case last year when Italy annihilated New Zealand’s scrum in Milan.
Meanwhile, All Black prop Owen Franks has said that referees should not mercilessly penalise borderline incidents. His call comes with the Tri-Nations having already yielded eight yellow cards.
Franks, who received a yellow card in Melbourne last week for a dangerous tackle on Wallaby No 8 Richard Brown, said that referees should take their cue from State of Origin rugby league matches in Australia.
Franks said it would be good to see that test players are not penalised for offences like the one by Wallaby wing Drew Mitchell at the weekend.
“It’s a physical game and both sides want to win. I don’t see any problem with it.”
Franks’s proposals are unlikely to get a tick from O’Brien as the IRB boss is on a mission to rid the game of dangerous tackles.
Meanwhile, Wallaby coach Robbie Deans has — according to AAP — proposed to Sanzar that referees use a NRL-system for offences that don’t justify an immediate yellow card. He believes there is a lot of merit in a system where steps are only taken against a player afterwards.
“There are people out there saying: ‘Is this really what the public wants — a match between 15 and 14 players’?”
Deans said that it did not help that the IRB said four days after a test that a mistake had been made with Mitchell’s yellow card. However, he does not want referees to be any less strict.
August 6th, 2010 at 8:58 am
I cannot believe I am backing an Aussie…
Call his bluff Bob, take this to the court and expose this idiot.
August 6th, 2010 at 9:04 am
If I understand correctly the rest of the world get a SS feed when games are played in SA?
How about SS start replaying AB transgressions that every ref seems to miss a bit more?
Expose the AB cheating and embarrass these incompetent cheating refs!
August 6th, 2010 at 9:25 am
I’d actually like to see this go to court.
Simply to see what Patio (SANZAR) has got to say for themselves. Or just to set some sort of precedent, whoever wins.
August 6th, 2010 at 9:28 am
This is turning into a complete circus – it’d be better to be talking about rugby than the refs.
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
August 6th, 2010 at 9:29 am
Reply to Fromthebottomoftheruck @ 9:28 am:
Unfortunately this circus has a huge influence on the actual game, but it is or remains a circus no-less.
August 6th, 2010 at 9:36 am
“Franks said it would be good to see that test players are not penalised for offences ”
yeah… he would… as one of the main offenders…
August 6th, 2010 at 9:39 am
speaking of apologies…
this all started with us, the Boks… our own players commiting mindless fouls and acts of thuggery…
instead of taking stock and taking responsibility and making a proactive choice NOT to commit any fouls… and thereby not being in the refs cross-hairs… they continue to foul and get pinged… we have only ourselves to blame…
any ref worth his salt IS going to watch footage of teams they’re about to ref and look out for how those teams play the game… (the teams do the same thing to learn how the refs control a game to try and adapt to the the invidual’s style)…
so if a ref continually sees footage of a team fouling or thugging… it’s only natural that he will thik he has to keep his eyes open for such acts…
and it then becomes understandable that he perhaps focuses on that one team and misses errors and offences commited by the other team…
the thing is… we have built this big bad rep… and now have to live with it…
the only way to try and stop it is for PdV, Hoskins, Smit and Matfield to own it…
Hold a presser and say… “We’ve looked long and hard at ourselves and and realise we are wrong and the architects of our own problems. We apologise for all the negativity that has erupted from SARU and the Springboks. No one is to blame but ourselves. We apologise unreservedly for all the unfounded criticism we have levelled at individuals and teams and hope they will accept this sincere effort to mend our relationships and our image.
We as a team and union have commited to cleaning up our act both on and off the field. We understand others may be sceptical but ask you to judge us from here on on our behaviour on and off the field. We will restore the pride of Springbok rugby.”
Yes, I know it’s not likely… but IMO… that is the only way we should handle this mess.