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I guess so. I'm not in any way qualified and I have no inclination to go through all the injuries, but it does strike me as odd that there are so many players out. What makes it more alarming is that so many of the ones out are so young. It's hardly a surprise when guys the wrong side of 30 go...

Beale at 10 sounds like a hell of a risk to me. Maybe I am biased in that I much prefer a 10 to be sound first and dynamic second, but I would go back to Barnes. He isn't a perfect option but at the end of the day he has played enough there to get the job done. Just tell him to put his silly...

Obviously PdV is off his rocker. I have to ask however if he is just a reflection of the current opinions in SA rugby and government. Is this opinion one that is likely to be shared by other coaches and administrators in and around South African rugby? Or alternatively is he just having a...

I am not trying to be "obtuse" here I promise. I'm having a bit of trouble following your line of thought here. I mean even if you don't know the exact wording, surely you are at least dimly aware of Law 15.6(d) which states: (d) At a tackle or near to a tackle, other players who...

I don't think it was a maul either. A maul is defined rather specifically and this situation does not fit it. In my opinion the ball carrier went to the ground but I see no evidence at all that the ball ever got to ground. I strongly suspect that McCaw got to the ball before the BC was...

I think he only chose test match incidents to make the video. To that you could also add Ali Williams treating McCaw's head as a stairmaster in 2005.

You reckon? I doubt it. The Green 6 gets the ball in such bad body position that he never gets the ball to ground. I never see the ball anywhere near the ground and I think it gets caught up in the legs. Looking at it closely I don't think McCaw touches the ball at all.

How can it be a ruck if the ball is up off the floor? 16.1 FORMING A RUCK (b) How can a ruck form. Players are on their feet. At least one player must be in physical contact with an opponent. The ball must be on the ground. If the ball is off the ground for any reason, the ruck is not...

That is a very general statement. Whether it is true or not, I'm not so sure; I think there is a lot of natural cognitive dissonance that goes on whereby we notice the offences of other teams but ignore those of our own. If what you are saying is true I would expect to see massive penalty...

/rant/ No, but I suspect that the people who post the nonsense statements on here are the same ones that turn up to the games I ref and yell out "The tackler has to release" when a maul collapses or "we were going forward" when I award the scrum to the team who didn't take it in, or (my...

I don't think you would find any serious rugby fan from NZ who would dispute that McCaw sometimes transgresses the law. However it is nowhere near as often as some people think, and he is no worse than several other players. As another example, if you remember the last cheap shot on McCaw in...

He is the most impartial for sure. He still says some dumb things though, and on reflection this was one of them. At the time, Marshall probably thought that McCaw was up to some scullduggery, but it is clear on the replay that he was not. Some people seem to think that if a commentator has...

Great, so you take your cues from Justin Marshall do you? The reality of the situation is that McCaws actions in that breakdown (which was not a ruck by the way) was completely legal. He was on his feet contesting a ball that was in the air. He got marginally cleared away by a South African...

I'm not trolling anybody. I responded to a post claiming that the perpetrator was somewhat justified because " they were trying to get Richie away form an illegal position playing the ball off his feet, again." I pointed out that McCaw is doing nothing illegal. I am defending my position...

Law 16: DEFINITIONS A ruck is a phase of play where one or more players from each team, who are on their feet, in physical contact, close around the ball on the ground. The ball is not on the ground and no ruck is formed. We are in Law 15 territory I'm afraid. There is no obligation for a...

Is there anything in that breakdown that he has done that is illegal? Or is this just another McCaw's a cheat whinge?

Fair enough. (Of course it isn't even a ruck but I guess that is a minor detail)

Don't be such a prat. You are the one who says that he is doing something illegal. I have challenged you to point out anything that is doing that is illegal and you can't do it. So you resort to the above nonsense comment.

His hands are not touching the ball. Try again.

Absolute nonsense. He is sitting on the ground after being cleared out. He is not by any stretch of the imagination "interfering with play". I have read some tosh on rugby sites lately, but I think your bit takes the cake.