Bryce Lawrence - JO'N forced my retirement

[Gagger]

I've noticed over the years a tendancy from a few refs to ref in a manner the way the game is played in the country they come from. Two in particular I recall are Chris White and Spreadbury. They would very quick to blow the whistle at the breakdown resulting in very little time for a defender to contest for the ball while on their feet. It's not a criticism but just a style that seemed to reflect how the game was played in the GP and HC

Agree. I thought Stu Dickers was another example. Liked a tidy breakdown which made it better for fetchers.

That I wasn't screaming at the ref (from my vantage point in the corporate box with Baabaa, ahem) is probably indication that we got the rub of the green. Although as barbarian said I don't think this was a bias of Bryce (I'd never seen him be that way for us before) just how his non reffing suited our skills and players in that game

I thought Joubert's clear reactionary reffing of Pocock the next week was fucked up

 

[PaarlBok]

The professional players these days sure study all the refs and the secret is to play according to the way he whistles. Pretty much Prymary School and basic ruling to play the whistle. To many chair experts of rugby watchers attacking the ref iso blaming their team not doing this basic rugby principle.

 

[Schadenfreude]

Yes I agree on all count. But saying Australia got the raw end of the deal - that's just utterly utterly utterly utterly ridiculous.

No it's just an opinion that's different to yours. I watched the game a few times, and the video posted earlier in this thread is a pretty good example of Bryce not giving a penalty for SA diving off their feet and killing the ball.

It should have been a yellow card, and instead it was a VERY quickly whistled ruck. Bizarre.