2012 S15 All things Referee thread

[elementfreak]

Bryce doesn't see a South African team in that time. Coincedence?

More important is Jaco Peyper, Reds v Tahs RD1. Can't say i can remember him and a quick google seems he is 'pedantic'. Not a good sign.

Good ref, he did the U20s final last year and made his test match debut over the off season.

He is going to be the one they are pushing early to see how he handles the pressure.

 

[elementfreak]

Problem is Australia dont have refs and a big concern for me. You only have the Kiwi chicken runner Walsch, there is something seriously wrong with the ARU in this regard.

Yeah but Walsh is one of the best refs on the planet, he is easily the best Kiwi ref.

Plus talk to any refs at that level and they will say he is the most "naturally gifted" referee on the planet, he just has a great empathy and feel for the game.

 

[elementfreak]

I'm sure in a few years there will be more aussies on the panel, just be patient.

It's probably a good thing right now anyway. There are plenty of talented SA refs coming through the ranks that deserve/and need to ref super rugby games. This wont last forever, when Lawrence/Kaplan/Jonker retire it will leave a gap similar to what Australia has now. And by that time maybe we will have some refs coming through? Who knows.

Walsh isn't that bad, he did alright at the world cup. I'm happy for now that he is here, or as you say we would be struggling even more.

Lees, Gardner and Smith are all going to get game time this year and I expect to see them get some decent games. They will hopefully make the step up to the merit panel as well.

 

[PaarlBok]

Yeah but Walsh is one of the best refs on the planet, he is easily the best Kiwi ref.

Plus talk to any refs at that level and they will say he is the most "naturally gifted" referee on the planet, he just has a great empathy and feel for the game.

Myself get the impression he like to ref for the crowd. Maybe the way he do it in style.

 

[yourmatesam]

he like to ref for the crowd.

Or maybe it's the girl's he's reffing for? He is a bit of a show pony.

 

[suckerforred]

Or maybe it's the girl's he's reffing for? He is a bit of a show pony.

He is surprisingly tall. But not scruffy enough. He did have a good RWC though.

 

[elementfreak]

He is surprisingly tall. But not scruffy enough. He did have a good RWC though.

He has a few inches on me and I am 6'2, I would reckon he is 6'4 although Joubert makes him look small.

 

[MrTimms]

MEDIA RELEASE​

​

CHANGE OF REFEREE FOR 2012 SUPER RUGBY ROUND ONE​

There will be a forced change to the referee appointments for the opening round of the 2012 Super Rugby season.

New Zealand referee Garratt Williamson has suffered a hamstring injury during the week and will be unable to oversee the Brumbies v Western Force match at Canberra Stadium on 24th February next weekend.

SANZAR Game Manager Lyndon Bray has announced that Bryce Lawrence will now referee that game – which opens the Australian Conference.

There are no other changes to the officials for that fixture.

Ends

Issued by SANZAR

 

[Forcefield]

Bad news for the Force. He will feel obliged to penalise the shit out of David Pocock since the shit storm from the world cup. Breakdowns will still be a mess though. Better hope Sharpie is fit, and Stephen Moore isn't, and play for territory.

 

[Brumby Jack]

I'm going to get a photo with him next week then. I'm sure he's a fan of G&GR.

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

If he is ultra strict we might actually benefit. Force were dominating the penalty count for most of yesterday's game (until it fell apart)

 

[Hawko]

If he is ultra strict we might actually benefit. Force were dominating the penalty count for most of yesterday's game (until it fell apart)

When Bryce Lawrence refs you never know who is going to benefit or why.

 

[Slim 293]

Yep.

I'm expecting a lot of scratched heads, and for me to be yelling obscenities at a screen in some unlucky Melbourne pub...

 

[Slim 293]

Yeah but Walsh is one of the best refs on the planet, he is easily the best Kiwi ref.

Plus talk to any refs at that level and they will say he is the most "naturally gifted" referee on the planet, he just has a great empathy and feel for the game.

I can't stand Walsh.

Long ago I felt he was one of the better refs going around.

Maybe it was the drink, but there were some games he officiated that made my blood boil.

And the whole show pony personality makes it worse...

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

I randomly stumbled across SANZAR's youtube channel. They have a bunch of video's which outline the major referee standards for this season.

One of the things they are looking at is scrum calls.

Rushed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1vQ5WlfmlM
Good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtUsrCToteY

The key difference is how the players respond to Kaplan's call, while Joubert responds to the players' movements.

Regardless of whether the front rows decide to mess around after the engagement. The scrum-call is something the referees are largely in control of, so they should be ontop of it this season. It should lead to better scrums.

They have a fair view clips to browse through on the main targeted areas.

 

[matty_k]

ARU unveils new FxPro Super Rugby Referee uniforms for 2012​

http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1699/ArticleID/5453/Default.aspx

2/20/2012
By ARU Media Unit

​

The new White Card being used in the 2012 FxPro Super Rugby season​

​

​

Australian Rugby Union today officially unveiled the new 2012 referees’ uniforms ahead of the opening round of the FxPro Super Rugby competition.
The re-styled uniforms feature a bold new colour combination of orange and grey, moving away from the predominantly green uniforms of 2011.
ARU Managing Director and CEO, John O’Neill AO, said the new colours pay homage to the strong commercial partnership between Australian Rugby Union and the official 2012 referees’ sponsor, TNT Express.
“TNT Express has been associated with the Super Rugby competition since 2005 and last year became the official ARU referees’ sponsor until at least 2013,” Mr O’Neill said.
“This uniform change, which strongly incorporates TNT corporate colours, demonstrates ARU’s commitment to TNT’s partnership.
“Having TNT’s continued support for our FxPro Super Rugby referees in Australia is fantastic for our referees and great news for the game as we continue to grow Rugby in Australia and around the world.”
The new uniform, which is manufactured by Australian sportswear brand, and ARU partner KooGa, is produced from the same lightweight sports mesh polyester fabric the players wear.
The new look uniforms will be on show from this weekend, the first round of the FxPro Super Rugby competition, when the University of Canberra Brumbies take on the Emirates Western Force in Canberra on Friday evening and the HSBC Waratahs face off against the St.George Queensland Reds at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.
While all the FxPro Super Rugby sides have been training hard in preparation for kick-off so too have the Australian referee squad.
From December the Australia referees have been in pre-season training with a focus on strength and conditioning, while a training camp held in January focussed on the psychological aspects of a referee’s game.
Actors were hired to assist with role playing exercises, aimed to further enhance the referees’ abilities to operate in high-pressure situations.
The unveiling of the new-look Australian referees coincided with the release of further details about changes to the disciplinary process, which will come into operation when the FxPro Super Rugby tournament kicks off later this week.
SANZAR Game Manager, Lyndon Bray, said one major change to the disciplinary process includes the introduction of a white card, which will facilitate on-field referee referral to the Citing Commissioner.
“The white card will be helpful in instances where a referee thinks an act of foul play has occurred but is not sure if a red card is warranted, or is unsure of the identity of a player,” Mr Bray said.
“It will also help get to the bottom of instances where a player makes a complaint to a referee who did not see an incident.”

=================

They look so serious. I wonder if the actors helped them practice those faces.

 

[Brumby Jack]

I know the bloke on the right, I'll ask.

 

[Brumby Jack]

They look so serious. I wonder if the actors helped them practice those faces.

Funny you should ask..

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that actors were hired to test the Super Rugby referees in high-pressure situations during their off-season preparation.
Australia referees were involved in a training camp last month focusing on the psychological aspects of their work.

 

[PaarlBok]

Pitkos from my favourate rugby writer.

Rugby365

Super refs: Just a thought or two

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:39
Some years ago, like this year, the South African cricket team was on tour in New Zealand. At the same time, like this year, Super Rugby kicked off and, naturally, that too happened in New Zealand. At Jade Stadium in Christchurch, Herschelle Gibbs scored 211 not out against New Zealand and the next day Super rugby started.

Being fond of Herschelle Gibbs - as I still am - from the days when he was a brilliant flyhalf in a school team I coached, I watched every ball he faced in that knock and, allowing time for him to get over his celebrations, phoned him from Cape Town to congratulate him. His response was pure Herschelle - the past was in the past and the present had hold of his attention. He said to me: "Thanks, Paul. I'm watching Super 12. These refs are up to shit, hey."
Then, as now, there had been a meeting of Super referees in Sydney and, yet again, the tackle had been the hot topic. It should be. Where once upon a time the line-out was the source of most penalties, now it is the tackle that is the 'illegitimate child' of rugby, the source of most penalties. So the meeting in 1999 instructed referees to be tough at the tackle, leading to lots of criticism, most vociferously from coaches and commentators of various kinds. "Referee are killing the game", they shrieked.
That there is concern about the tackle is right and proper. It is so close to the soul of the game, the inner distinctive beauty of the game - its continuity, which distinguishes it from league and gridiron, that which above all makes rugby exciting.
This year there is again emphasis on the tackle - not in any change in the laws but in an attempt to have a fair contest at the tackle - a fair contest between tackled and tackler. There is a sense - less so now in the mechanical days of the one-off runner on his way to ground before he reaches a tackler - in which the tackler has won a contest when he tackles the ball-carrier. The ball-carrier sets out to beat the tackler but when the tackler has tackled him, the tackler has won. As the winner he deserves and equal chance to win the ball to his side.
To win the ball, both sides have to play within law. Both sides - ball-carrier's side and tackler's side. To ensure possession for their side to the exclusion of the tackler's side, the ball-carrier's side has sometimes resorted to lying over the ball, 'sealing off'. This is against the law which requires players to be in their feet or away from the ball. This is where the referees have been asked to be strict.
The warm-up matches in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa were used to focus on this and all the 15 teams have been told about it. Super Rugby referees have been allotted to each team to help them along - and some teams are going to have to learn quickly. When the Stormers played the Lions in a warm-up match they conceded 18 penalties - 12 at the tackle plus three yellow cards for tackle infringements, as against four tackle infringements by the Lions.
One form of sealing off is when a ball-carrier goes to ground with one or two team-mates hanging onto him and going with him. They are referred to as 'hammers' or 'snakes' and they will be required to get to their feet immediately ('reloading') roll right away.
Things seem better organised in 2012 than they were in 1999 and there should be less to trouble teams and watchers - said in hope.
There are downsides. Firstly, there is the problem of prejudging in that certain teams and individual players become targets. Secondly, it may just be that teams will be chary of playing in their own half where they are liable to penalties and points, and so resort to kicking. Thirdly, focus on some aspects of the law could just possibly occasionally lead to overlooking other infringements - the scrum-feed syndrome.
There is one more caveat in Herschelle's reaction - do not believe that commentators are necessarily right when they talk laws. The referees will not be, in Herschelle's words, 'up to shit'.

By Paul Dobson

 

[PaarlBok]

Havent watch all the matches but the few I watched the scrum penalties was a disaster in round 1. Still see to many fatties head scratching and not the good hit and binding from them. The Hurricanes scrum was a total vokop.