Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Refs miss things, it's a fast paced game and they can't see everything. Home team bias happens. But the TMO has time to review things and there's no excuse for being biased other than blatant favouritism.

he played fantastic today.

No problem taking the loss on the chin. We are pretty experienced in that regard.

Doesn't mean we can't highlight an issue that is a blight on the league.

Neutral pundits will look at the game and see connacht's questioned tackles were video reviewed and leinster's were not. Even leinster fans will acknowledge that hit on Aki should be atleast reviewed by the ref to rule it was not in question. If not maybe connacht players should copy leinsters behaviour and delay the game and queastion everything like soccer until the ref is bullied into reviewing it. I would hate to see connacht going down to that low level but if that what works for leinster sure we would be fools not to work the system rhe same way.

Gutted not to take a losing bonus point from that but also some real positives, Cian Prendergast is definitely as close as Ireland have to a like for like replacement for O’Mahoney on current form, Josh Murphy has a good bit of dog in him, don’t think anyone in URC has gotten under the skin of Snyman quite so effectively this season. Nice to see the physicality in second half, needed that earlier. Connacht line out created loads of pressure on the Leinster throw as well, shame to muck up the two most important ones on our ball. I wonder if Tector could be enticed as an option going forward at 10 for Connacht, can’t see him getting enough game time in Leinster at 13, on not much evidence I’d still rather him than H. Byrne.

I think that IRFU has huge accountability for Barrett issue. Last Friday,O'Toole of Ulster receive Red (about 31min) because of 'high hit'. It looked almost same situation like Barrett's play. What the difference is between O'Toole and Barrett? Add on it , I want to know one more thing. In the same Ulster match, they were conceded a penalty because of 'horrizontal tackling'(about 21min from KO). At the next night, Barrett tackled Connacht player while (with) obviously lifting and droppingat 4th quarter. But game played on without nothing. Then he received POM after the match. angry of Hansen seems quite reasonable. Now this news and video are diffused worldwide.

Thank you very much. And is it heavier than high hit in dangerous level ?

That is a lie!

Wait a minute! Do you think the law is that there should be no head on head contact?

There is clear video of Barrett's shoulder striking Bundee's head with force. Penalty and yellow or red card depending on the severity of the impact.

I think there is a certain irony to Mack Hansen complaining about referees not being fair on Connacht the week after they played down in Perpignan and were steeped to not have a player binned for persistent infringing. Hansen is a cracking player, but has always had a big mouth and rarely has anything particularly insightful to offer, other than 'banter'. I get that he is frustrated, but players are emotionally tied to decisions as well as having a vested interest in them. They are never/rarely impartial. To say that Connacht are specifically singled out by referees is nonsense. All teams are at the receiving end of poor decisions from time to time. Maybe Connacht should focus on themselves instead of scapegoating match officials.

Very true. Hansen has a bit of the Aussie yobbo about him. Quick with the banter, the sledging and the whinging.

I can see both sides of the Hansen rant debate.

Free speech on one side and my experience as a ref on the other. Think the compromise is constructive feedback.

I always try to take feedback after a game from both players but if they just rant at you, it's walk away time. They have to be prepared to listen to me as much as I have to be prepared to listen to them.

So, think players should be allowed to give opinions on refs at press conferences or directly to the ref after game but if it is going to happen at a press conference, someone should be there to challenge them so that if they start ranting they are called out quickly. Think this would represent a balance between free speech, constructive feedback and respecting players and refs.

Buzzer can't defend himself.

Solo run from Mack, but no, just no.

It's one thing for a ref to miss things, and we have to understand that one person with 30 players running around is going to miss things. One ref and two assistants are also going to miss things. However, the TMO shouldn't be missing things that are obvious. And tmo should be consistent in what they show to the ref for review.

I think refs get a lot of abuse that is probably meant for the officiating team but directed at one person

Its not a lie. The footage appears to show Barrett impacting Aki shoulder on shoulder with subsequent contact to the head as he drove through. I have not seen any video where the point of impact is conclusively shown as shoulder to head.

Is it definite that the TMO didn't look at it, nonetheless? The TMO reviews multiple incidents in a game without bringing same to refs attention.