Northern Hemisphere Rugby
- Thread starter Dctarget
- Start date
Doritos Day
Johnnie Wallace (23)
There has pretty obviously been a directive to the referees that cards should be mitigated where possible.
World Rugby clearly don't want the World Cup tarnished by a lineball call (rightfully so) and are laying the groundwork now.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
I was personally happy with Barnes' decision, it didn't look direct to head to me at first contact. I quite happy for refs not to look for reasons to always give red., and if it wrong there will be a citing anyway.
On the game, what a bloody ripper, Irish a just such a good swarming team, and French have some individual stars, their halves combo is bloody brilliant, and I think DuPont would have to be close to best player in world at moment. Was a bloody great advert for the game of rugby I thought, and a couple of tired teams at end rightfully!
Sir Arthur Higgins
Dick Tooth (41)
I thought yellow card was right there to be honest. He was too high but wasn’t direct head contact. Punished strongly and game not ruined.
Maybe a review gets him a couple game suspension - would be fine with that result. Stop ruining games for uncertain calls.
Lowe try call was a joke to me even before seeing the definitive angle
The Red Baron
Chilla Wilson (44)
I'm struggling with that try call as well.
molman
Jim Lenehan (48)
It was a great game. Ireland are the better team collectively at the moment. France just has so much individual flair. I thought Ireland let things get a little helta-skelta at points which looked like it might be playing into the French game, but they were able to reign it in and find their own way. They just look like a very confident team these days. I wish the Wallabies ruck work and ball presentation was half as good as theirs. They're just so clinical.
The little pop pass from Finlay Bealham to Hugo Keenan for the first Irish try felt like a move out of the Brumbies playbook. Felt like something I'd seen Tom Banks do many a time. Actually, besides Finaly, the other Aussie boy Mack Hansen had a pretty assured game, stepping in to playmake on many occassions. We've really lost some depth over the years, with the another Aussie boy Sione Tuipulotu also having a pretty solid game for Scotland in the game against Wales.
I thought for Ireland Caelan Doris had a particularly excellent game. He was a highlight player for me.
For France, Damian Penaud individually is just exceptional. He's the kind of player who could be the difference between them winning a world cup or not, with Antoine Dupont obviously being the other.
I'm really curious to see how France bounce after this. I think Scotland will be thinking, why not - though at Stade de France it will be a be a big ask. They did it in 2021 - though that was one of the oddest endings to a game, but they know it's possible.
molman
Jim Lenehan (48)
Because you felt his foot touched the turf and he was out, or because you felt like the ball touched the line when he grounded it? TBF, I'm not sure Lowe was entirely sure.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Irish ruck speed was 1-3 seconds about 60% of the time, which is pretty sharp, sure makes it hard to set defence patterns!
molman
Jim Lenehan (48)
It's just so efficient. They setup so many options for their playmakers when they have all their systems working and they've found a way to ensure they arn't bullied by the bigger teams like France, SA (Springbok). They are just the epitome of a team. I think many other teams have individual players in many positions that are arguably better athletes, have more natural skill and flair, but collectively I think they are just such a good unit. I'm really excited to see how they go this RWC.
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Doritos Day
Johnnie Wallace (23)
I'm happy with it being yellow but if it happened in November 2022 or any club competition now it's definitely being called a red.
Not sure how much of the 6N you've watched but there's been multiple instances of possible yellows being pens and possible reds being yellows.
The "imagine it decided a WC final" fear is real, you just hope they haven't gone too early and it kicks back harshly before the tournament.
stillmissit
Peter Johnson (47)
There was a later view from behind and it looked like the tackler hit his ankle and pushed his foot up. Amazing try if it was Kosher.
Which is ironic, given the strong narrative from NH pundits a while back that the head contact stuff was a real SH issue and poorly policed. Suddenly, the potential to "ruin games" with red cards is real and the narrative has softened somewhat. Quelle surprise.
Next they'll be suggesting 20 min red cards.
Doritos Day
Johnnie Wallace (23)
Yep I'm not sure how an ad hoc / clandestine direction from the men in grey suits makes more sense than 20 min reds.
It's always been the case that one of England/France would have to get dudded in a big game for the narrative to shift; it kind of happened last year in the 6N but WR (World Rugby) will be shit scared that a marginal decision goes the wrong way in a SF or Final ruining what should be the best tournament ever.
It's always been obvious to people actually watching games that player discipline between the hemispheres was no different, referees and their interpretation of the rules was the main contrast.
molman
Jim Lenehan (48)
I'm not sure the touche (Matthew Carley) was entirely convinced by Barnes. For the sake of the contest I was also glad it was a yellow, but I likewise can see it going a different way another day.
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
I reckon I’ve seen at least 4 red card incidents in the 6Ns so far. The issue is, they should’ve just done this directive in the RWC - by doing it beforehand the criticism is going to be they’re too soft and we will go back to the reds every second game at the RWC.
IMO, it’s all because the England women’s side lost in the RWC final from an early red - and they absolutely wouldn’t have without it.
IMO, it’s all because the England women’s side lost in the RWC final from an early red - and they absolutely wouldn’t have without it.
The Red Baron
Chilla Wilson (44)
I don't anyone was sure. After re-watching it a number of times, I can see how it was awarded a try, but I can also see why the French would be annoyed by the call.
molman
Jim Lenehan (48)
Yeah, I've seen the other angle floating around that seems to show his back foot potentially brushing the turf (out) so I could definitely have seen it also not being awarded.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Yep while I understand what you say molman, Barnes doesn't need to convince Carley, he's the ref, and so rightly made the decision himself,
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
This is half the problem with Refs, sometimes it wouldn't actually hurt to ask the assistant if they agree. Also for the assist to speak up if they disagree. There is a lot of games where some of the assistant refs are more experienced then the Ref doing the game. At the end of the day the Ref, 2 Assistants and TMO are meant to be a team as well. The responsibility needs to fall on all of them to get it right.
In this case all it would have took is for the TMO to show the 5 seconds after contact, where the player was clearly concussed and unbalanced on his feet. The ball came lose on the ground and he was very shaky trying to pick it up, anyone who saw that footage would say high impact to the head. Mitigation would have then been out of the question cause he was upright and the right call would have been made.