Former Springbok centre Brendan Venter says unless referees change the way they officiate, rugby will remain a game in which teams focus more on defence.
The Stormers are one of the teams who have received some criticism for their recent lack of impetus on attack and while they are reportedly working on it, coach Allister Coetzee admitted that the main focus will remain on defence.
“We’ll still be better off if we score fewer tries, but in the process not concede any tries,” Coetzee told Die Burger.
And Venter, the current technical director of English club Saracens, feels referees are making it too easy for the defending team.
“The coaches are now paying more attention to defence because they will do whatever is necessary to win matches.
“Until referees start making it worthwhile to attack, you will see coaches spur their teams on to kick and rather play without the ball. The referees are making it too easy for the defensive team and (too) hard for the attacking team.
“They (the referees) have gone totally overboard with the issue of players smothering the attacking team’s ball at the breakdown area. How can a player stay on his feet if he tries to drive his team-mate forward in contact?” said Venter.
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March 8th, 2012 at 9:16 am
I would love to watch a game where an attacking player can run into the defence without getting that
“something will happen now and the attacking team will be punished”
feeling in my tummy.
March 8th, 2012 at 10:10 am
thats for sure refs nowadays are eing to hard at the breakdown yet this was supposed to help the attacking team yet its killed attacking rugby
March 8th, 2012 at 11:42 am
I just know I’m not the only one
that has stopped watching this
March 8th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
It cuts both ways guys…
Every time players land on the ground I just wait for that arm and “advantage pink…” sound…
because the ref can blow so many infringements at breakdown that if he closes his eyes and chooses a “management” style he will be right if he blows any one of the twenty or so ruck infringements…
Tackler not rolling away
Tackler not releasing*
Attacking player moving twice after being held*
Support players not in “through the gate”
Contesting without “air”
Tackler contesting before standing up
Tackler contesting with hands after support players arrive and a ruck is formed
Sealing the ball
“Taking out” players
Not releasing the ball by attacker and defender in a tackle and ruck
* How effed up is this one? The tackler gets blown if he does not release quickly enough and the attacker can stand up and run further if “not held”… so hold on for too short and the attacker leaps up and sprints on and do it for too long and get penalized for “not releasing”…
These are just those I recall off the top of my head. I’m sure Morne and JT and Ollie who are in the game can add more…
Then ad the occasional punch, or attacker running a interference or defender advancing beyond the off side line … when does this form? Do our refs even know? When there are more then two players at the breakdown a ruck forms and it has an offside line (as a matter of interest)…
If refs cannot get it right and resort to “management” how the hell can you expect players to know what’s coming?
The worst offenders are the turgid twosome from South Africa Craig Joubert and Mark Lawrence and along with them Bryce Lawrence (who is there in daddy’s connections in any case), Nigel Owens (who has the decency to look guilty when he screws up though) and Wynne Barnes (who maintains an officious English stiff upper lip superiority in spite of being wrong)
The best of the lot at the moment I hate to say are Alain Rolland and the unfortunately retired Stuart Dickenson (who has come on in leaps and bounds the last few seasons).
March 8th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 11:42 am:
Yup…
Ek kyk highlights en Leeus games (al maak dit seer)… alhoewel ek laas week eerder EFC gekyk het…
March 8th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 12:00 pm:
last night at training we had a 15 min game to finish off the session and it almost turned out in a fist fight – trigger was the breakdown as usual. Argument was about tackled player trying to place the ball but tackler assist was on his feet and had hands on.
Tackler assist/1st player arriving – believes he has all the rights (on his feet etc.)
Tackled player believes he has the right to place the ball
This situation is becoming a real pain becuase not all referees see this the same way becuase the law is NOT clear IMO.
See Law 15.6 (player on his feet has the rights) and yet the ref sees the 1st player on his feet as tackler assist!? Either you are the tackler or NOT!
March 8th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
All I can add is that at some stage
the IRB ghurus wanted players to
stay on their feet.
Maybe this could have worked, but the
first thing “attackers” do is (1) to find
someone to run into and (2) selecting
a nice way and place to go to ground.
Now if they can stay upright and rid the
ball to a driving supporter things may
work.