Rugby refs rubbish, yellow cards a joke, argies fo six nations?

toomevara

After watching this weekend's internationals a couple of issues got me stoked up. First the lamentable standard of refereeing which prevailed in both the Ireland and Scotland game. Both Scotland and Ireland's chances were severely and adversely affected (in Scotland's case I'd say comprehensively ruined) by appalling decisons which can only be put down to complete ineptitude on the part of the officials.

South Africa were effectively awarded a 14 point turnaround, which when combined with one, if not two highly dubious decisions on the referee's part in the Durban game last weekend leave them with a well-justified sense of grievance.

It seems that now, more than a decade after the offficial introduction of professionalism, the referee is often the only remnant, on the field at least, of a more genteel bygone era.When one considers the stakes for which modern teams now play it's simply not good enough.

Surely the Rugby League tradition of a robust but respectful enagement between players and officialdom is now the way to go, not to mention allowing the 4th official to examine the lead up to a contentious try and not simply adjudicating on the grounding. Given the ever dwindling pool of competent and effective referees, and the increasingly complex nature of union at international level they need all the help they can get. And why is it that linesmen seem to abrogate their responsibility in the face of difficult decisions time and time again?

And what about the yellow card issue. Let's not forget that these cards were introduced in an attempt to eliminate the more crass and obvious elements of cynical and professional play which inevitably crept into the game after the arrival of pay for play. The reluctance of referees to produce yellow cards in the face of some hugely cynical play, particularly in the red zone, surely defeats the whole purpose of their introduction. I've lost count of the amount of games which have been ruined as a spectacle by cynical play i.e. killing the ball, lying on, and a particular bugbear of mine, coming up offside in defence. It strangles the game, and ruins it as a spectacle while actively encouraging and often rewarding negative play. There were a number of incidents of such play in all three games at the weekend. A single warning followed by a card should be the rule of thumb.

And will someone please explain to me at what point in the game a pass which would have been clearly considered half a mile forward not five years ago is now considered to be "flat". At times some of these balls are are so far forward you'd need to be in the tardis to cach 'em. I mean, come on, I'm all for encouraging enterprising play and attacking rugby but the forward pass issue does need to be addressed.

On a broader and more worrying note, why is the set piece becoming so devalued of late? Why is it that Australia can routinely field a team which can't scrummage or conduct a lineout, in effect a rugby league approach to the game, and continue to prosper? And why is Kevin Mealamu allowed to take 6 weeks to put a ball into a line out when no other interantional hooker would get away with it......?

And finally, can we please please get the Argentinians into the six nations. Base 'em in Spain, most of them play their rugby in Europe anyway. They've just comprehensively trolleyed wales in two tests and we in ireland dont need any reminding of how good they can be...

RuggieBear

so tell us what you really think....:D

Welcome to Rugby and great first post here....even if i don't agree with it all.

Those who know me, know well my opinion of refereeing standards and how the modern game is simply too quick and complex for one man in the middle to officiate.

i disagree about yellow cards. i believe alot of refs are brave enough to use them. the ireland A England A game had england reduced to 12 for cynical play. The problem i have with yellow is that more often than not a ref will use it instead of a red in the event of extreme vilent conduct.

I'd love argentina to be in the 6 nations....they really need to be embraced after thew SH temas ignored them yet again. They could have the san sebastion stadium in North spain or even play at home: These days teams travel down to OZ and NZ for a week or two to play...so why not to Argentina....it's closer.

Diamondmaker

Argentina said they would come to Spain and set up camp for the "7 nations" duraution........imagine the knock on effect in also developing Spanish rugby as a result!!
I know a spaniard who lived with Stringers Bro in Cork...hes a mad Munster fan now:D

What is the public reason given by IRB etc on why this cannot happen does any one know.??..they are obviously far superior to Italy and will trouble the rest and as we see Wallop the Welsh!

How many internationals a year do they play out side of playing USA , canada and Uruguay!!??
As our A teams showed US and Canada are no where near the Argies standard!
Is there a reaosn I cannot fathom it...more sposorship money, more gate receipts, more TV rigths...More great rugby!
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Chucky the tree

RuggieBear wrote:

i disagree about yellow cards. i believe alot of refs are brave enough to use them. the ireland A England A game had england reduced to 12 for cynical play. The problem i have with yellow is that more often than not a ref will use it instead of a red in the event of extreme vilent conduct.

Only saw the last 2 minutes of that match unfortunatly so cant comment on it. But isaw the last try(great time to just switch over ) and the fight. I think the prop should of been sent off for that instead of a yellow.


I wonder how come i didnt see all these posts about bad refreeing/decisions after we beat england in the 6 nations this year, very stange that... :rolleyes:


One thing i want to whinge about the is joke a punishment roger wilson got for his headbutt. 3 weeks, a disgrace. 3 months would of been right.

RuggieBear

Chucky the tree wrote:

One thing i want to whinge about the is joke a punishment roger wilson got for his headbutt. 3 weeks, a disgrace. 3 months would of been right.

agreed....and him claiming it was accidental:rolleyes:

toomevara

Indeed, I would have to say that even the most one eyed, knuckle-dragging, card carrying, Irish rugby partisan would have to agree that ireland have benefitted, particularly last season for some unfathomable reason, from a number of extremely dodgy refereeing decisons, and no, at the time, to my neverending shame and illustrative of a regrettable level of personal hypocrisy I didnt complain. Promise to try and be more even handed in the future when the green mist of rugby illogicality and partisanship inevitably descends. And of course no honest Scotsman (i think there's a few of 'em around) could maintain that this years Murrayfeld victory over England was all down to his team's silky skills and workmanlike endeavour, so maybe these things do work themselves out in some sort of rugby style karmic wheel of justice.....

As for the IRB and their hare brained schemes, dont get me started. If getting Argentina into the six nations proves as difficult as the tortous accession process of Italy (and there's no reason to assume it wouldn't) God help us all. Lets not forget that one of the finest Italian teams ever languished on the sidelines for years, recording regular test vistories over the so called 'senior' rugby nations while the IRB dithered and faffed.

I for one will never forget the horror I had to undergo when as an Irishman teaching English in Italy we succombed to a very fine Italian performance in Rome back in,was it 95? Those Italians can make the Irish look like rank amateurs when it comes to lording it in victory. I have no doubt that had that team been admitted to the 6N, rugby in Italy would be a different and much stronger, game today.

Too often though the IRB is interested only in maintaining a cosy cartel of the top nations while playing lip service to developing the game internationally. Just ponder for a moment the shameful decision to award the '11 WC to New Zealand as opposed to Japan, an appaling, utterly indefensible decision in which, incidentally, the IRFU played a typically inglorious part. Hey we could be here for weeks trying to figure that one out.....

Trojan

That was a warm up match played in Treviso I think, coming up to the World Cup. And they've beaten us, what, about 3 times, all during that period? What a pity they haven't seen the same form since.

And as for your first post... actually RuggieBear, I had to check the username, I thought it was you on a ref-rant there...

mikedragon32

At first the phrase "cosy cartel" seemend a bit strong, then I remembered that a remark was made to me recently about the IRB's attitude to developing rugby nations, that they need to be kept "developing".

Look at how the Italian club (who's name escapes me atm) was treated over the frozen pitch debacle last season.

The reluctance of the tri-nations to play Argentina on a regular basis or incorporate them into that tournament.

Failure to promote adequatly the notion of a European Tournament for the likes of Gemany, Sweden, Romania, Spain etc where they get to meet the 6n teams (or even their A teams) and develop, along the lines of the Churchill Cup.

crybaby

actually I like the idea of a second tier six nations going on with teams like Romania etc coupled with the top countries A squads I think that would be an excellent way to develop the smaller nations. Really Argentina along with the Pacific Islands should be invited to play in the tri nations but Oz and NZ seems strongly against the idea.

Australia live off set pieces, every attack is launched off a lineout or a scrum. Their scrum is weak but their lineout certainly is not and coupled with their ridiculously long kicking game they have a good shot at the tri nations this year.

toomevara

I stand corrected on the Wallaby line out, especially on the back of todays performance.