Happy Hump Day fellow G&GRs, with the Lions touring not only do we have the weekend to look forward to we also have tonight. If the Brumbies lose by more than 11 does that make the Tahs the best Super team in Australia? Asking for a friend. The sheer scope of rugby going on at the moment is just awesome, it doesn’t matter who your favourite team is, or who you hate, they’re all on the field somewhere. Personally, I don’t read too much into the June internationals as they always seem more of a trial than a real game. The Rugby Championships followed by the 6N and then the Norther tour just seem a bit more real. However, let’s just sit back and enjoy the rugby and bask in what is the best game in the world.
Referee Corner
Wow! Just wow! what a weekend of officials-dominated rugby and wasn’t it crap? Far too many games spoilt by over officiating, long continuous reviews and just stupid interfering that spoilt what could have been a great weekend. I missed the Wallabies as I was out doing some coaching on some up and coming referees at an U16 tournament. One thing I did notice is that if we keep some of these players in that tournament we will have some very good players coming through. There was some great rugby and some very good skills, alongside some very average ones as well unfortunately. Far too many passes going behind or direct to the player rather in from them that forced the player to slow which killed off momentum, along with some fantastic kids who tried to do it all themselves and as such didn’t really help their team grow.
The president of the NSWRRA is Stu Dickinson, some of you may remember him when he was one of the top Aus referees, it was really great having him there and his appreciation of the game and what he wants referees to bring to a game and where they were doing well and not so well was fantastic. So great to learn off a master. I had a chat to him about the TMOs, his take on it is that in Super Rugby the referees are directed to ensure the game is a spectacle that the supporters will enjoy. As such the referees focus very much on the tactical application of the laws and tend to ignore the technical aspect that while correct from a law point of view, interferes with the free flowing game that we want to see. It sort of makes sense and is a huge reason why there is so much let go at rucks, lineouts and in open play that we sometimes don’t like. However, now we are in international game environment and the direction is from World Rugby rather than the local competition. This forces the referees to be a lot more technical in the application of the laws and less likely to allow incidents to be ignored and treated as not having a materiel effect on the game. The TMO has to be a lot more circumspect in their calls and have to follow the direction from World Rugby a lot closer.
The direction the TMO follows is laid out in Law 6.16: TMO Protocol Implementation as Global Law Trial: 1 January 2025. There is a lot here but it is based on the Timeframes for any referral which are:
- Since Last Restart of Play for any Foul play.
- So you can go back to the last set piece be it a scrum, line-out, 22 or goal line drop out, penalty or free kick
- The last attacking Passage of Play (Or 2-phases should an attacking passage of play be less than 2-phases) for Knock-on, Throw forward and Touch & Lineout.
- So anytime a team gets the ball and then attacks the line.
- Within 2-Phases of Play for Offside, Maul obstruction and Tackle complete.
- A phase is where the play changes due to a ruck or maul. If the maul is upright and is being driven such off a lineout then that is considered part of the same phase.
In addition to this; Aspects of play in the following laws may be reviewed if a clear and obvious offence takes place and it occurred within two-phases of a try being scored, but before the next restart kick:
- Law 8: Scoring
- Law 10: Offside in Open Play
- Law 14.1-14.3: Tackle
- Law 15.4-15.9: Offside at a Ruck
- Law 16.4-16.7: Offside at a Maul
- Law 18.30-18.36: Touch, Quick Throw & Lineout
- Law 19.27-19.33: Offside at a Scrum
- Law 21: In-goal
- Law 20: Penalty & Free-Kick
The following may be formally reviewed within the last attacking passage of play before a try is scored:
- Law 11 – Knock-on
- Clear & obvious knock-on, & where on-field team have awarded scrum to incorrect team. Where a PK is awarded after a knock-on is observed, the TMO should alert the referee to the knock-on and the referee will go back for the knock-on, unless the PK is for foul play.
- Law 11 – Throw forward
- Clear & obvious throw forward.
- Law 18.1-18.8 – Touch, Quick throw & Lineout
- Whether ball was in touch & who should throw the ball in.
Now for most players, supporters and coaches this is all just so many words and they struggle to fit it into what is happening. The issue for us all is that what it means is we are going to see a lot more TMO intervention in the games. I think that last weekend they all went a bit over the top and weren’t quite in synch with both how it is implemented and what the audience wants to experience. Hopefully they will take note of the negative comments and be less circumspect.
Even with this protocol there is still a lot of subjectiveness about it and some of the rulings could go a different way. A classic here is the obstruction call against the ABs that denied Will Jordan from getting a hat trick on the day. The play was one of those typical ones where the ball is taken in and then passed to the player behind the direct supporter. In this case the defending player had a runner between him and the ball carrier. Now obstruction in these instances is usually called when the defender tries to move in to tackle the ball carrier bit is prevented from doing so because the dummy runner obstructs his attempt. The TMO in this case agreed that the defender would have been unlikely to have been able to actually make the tackle but ruled that the obstruction prevented him from moving out further to the outside which would have allowed the other defenders to move further out. Personally I thought it was a poor call (of course I’m a one eyed AB supporter so that isn’t unexpected) because I don’t think it did prevent the outside defenders from moving out nor would the player who couldn’t get to the tackle have been able to get to a position to make any sort of support to the outside defenders. However, Damon Murphy thought differently and he’s the one in the hot seat. Damon Murphy comes across as an official that is looking for ways to prevent the flow of the game rather than one looking for ways to allow the game to flow and I’m not sure rugby needs that approach. I personally think that his influence on the game was due more to Nic Berry still not fully having regained his confidence after the despicable video from Erasmus. I think a fully confident referee like Gardner or BOK would have told Damon to piss off and kept with their original call. All referees know that they aren’t perfect and that some mistakes will always be made, but Nic just seems less likely to back himself as much since that video and I think that affected the rulings.
Wallabies playmaker out of Lions series in devastating blow
Reported here in that other site, it looks as though Lolesio’s days in gold have ended and he will not be back for the remainder of the Lions series. In a devastating blow on the eve of the Lions series, Wallabies playmaker Noah Lolesio will miss the three Tests after having neck surgery. The Wallabies have since confirmed the initial report saying Lolesio had successfully had surgery on his neck but would “spend a period of time away from the game during his rehabilitation”. That is really bad news for the guy and I hope he makes a full recovery. It’s never good to hear about these sorts of injuries and I also hope he will continue to get the support he needs so he comes back both physically and mentally.
Schmidt commented on Tuesday evening saying “Firstly, we were relieved that Noah was up and moving well when he returned to the team hotel after his initial hospital visit in Newcastle on Sunday. Further to that, it’s an added relief for everyone, especially his family, that successful surgery now has him on the road to recovery.” Lolesio was hit hard from the side in a legal tackle by Fijian flanker Elia Canakaivata after bursting onto an offload from Harry Wilson, but didn’t move for minutes after copping the heavy blow. It was the third time in the past five matches Lolesio had failed to finish a match. Schmidt will have to call in another specialist flyhalf with odds on that one-Test Wallaby Tane Edmed will return to the squad. Edmed, who spent time with the Wallabies in recent weeks acting as injury cover for Tom Lynagh, is currently in Adelaide with the AUNZ side preparing to face the Lions on Saturday evening. Lynagh, one of to playmakers in the squad along with rising Reds utility back, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, is expected to return to full training when the group is unveiled in Brisbane on Friday.
Then, of course, there are the usual calls for JOC, Foley and even QC to be called into the squad as cover. Personally I think JOC would be good cover and would be able to provide both back up and a lot of experience for the others to learn off. I also think QC has a lot to offer. However, I can’t see any good in bringing in Foley. He’s a poor kicker and distributor and was a huge reason the Wallabies went from 2nd in the world to 6th. His self entitled crap cost the Wallabies a win against the All Blacks in a Bledisloe Cup match so for me he’s out and should never be called back.
All Blacks captain Scott Barrett out for rest of France series
New Zealand captain Scott Barrett was on Tuesday ruled out of the rest of the three-match series against France because of a calf tear suffered in the first Test. Barrett left the field in the 58th minute during Saturday’s 31-27 win against France in Dunedin. It was initially feared to be an Achilles issue, but a scan confirmed a calf tear, which means Barrett will miss Saturday’s second Test in Wellington and the final match in Hamilton a week later. Ardie Savea who has been in outstanding form for Super Rugby’s Moana Pasifika this year, assumes the captaincy.
Assistant coach Scott Hansen said Barrett would be a big loss. “We’ll take it week to week. He’ll be keen to get back as quickly as possible, but we’ve got to do what’s right for him and the injury process,” Hansen said. “We trust our depth. It will be an opportunity for someone else to step up, and Ardie will come in and lead us well.” Barrett was involved in lineout preparation during training on Tuesday and did not show any obvious signs of injury, walking without a limp.
The injury will force a reshuffle in the starting side, with winger Sevu Reece also confirmed out after suffering a concussion in the first minute of Saturday’s first Test. Rookie Fabian Holland played the full 80 minutes at lock, while Tupou Vaa’i, who started at blindside flanker, moved back to lock for the final 20 minutes. Head coach Scott Robertson could bring Patrick Tuipulotu into the starting side alongside Holland.
That’s certainly a bit of a blow to the team but I’m happy that we have a fair bit of depth in the second row. I didn’t think Vaa’i was that good at #6 and I’d prefer him back in the lock position with Finau starting at #6. With Sititi, Jacobson and Kirifi there’s plenty of cover for the loosies and Vaa’i was good at lock last year.
