Reds v. Crusaders, May 29th, Suncorp - 2011R15

[Godfrey]

He got a couple away IIRC. Foxsports gives him two. But your point still stands, Benny Taps and Ant Finger and Benny Lucas limited his space really well.

Yep, he got a couple. The very first one resulted in a turnover.

 

[Ruggo]

maybe, but if three are lining him up each time there are others not being marked - so other opportunities. I expect to see him being used a bit more as a dummy runner dragging units away.

Exactly, all they do is unleash Fruen is is even more potent. I am surprised they haven't used SBW as a decoy runner more this year.

 

[Richo]

maybe, but if three are lining him up each time there are others not being marked - so other opportunities. I expect to see him being used a bit more as a dummy runner dragging units away.

Agreed. I don't think teams will really be able to neutralise SBW, but it seems like what the Reds did was a good way of at least preventing him from playing to his strength.

 

[biggsy]

if so richie was warned all game, and he also clearly came from the side. He should have been sent off in the 1st half as well.

 

[ACT Crusader]

I saw a couple of opportunities yesterday as well where he was looking to off-load but didn't have anyone in support to give it to.

He'd probably be disappointed in his own game though.

That's where we missed Dagg and Maitland. Excellent in running off his shoulder

 

[ACT Crusader]

if so richie was warned all game, and he also clearly came from the side. He should have been sent off in the 1st half as well.

Keep them coming bigsy, Act 2 is running a little behind schedule....

He wasn't "warned all game". The team got a warning at the end of the 1st half after Whitelock went in on the side and McCaw infringed in an earlier ruck. So one penalty to McCaw at that point. Nothing unusual.

When the 2nd half started again it is not unusual for a ref to allow a clean slate for both teams.

 

[Scotty]

Keep them coming bigsy, Act 2 is running a little behind schedule....

He wasn't "warned all game". The team got a warning at the end of the 1st half after Whitelock went in on the side and McCaw infringed in an earlier ruck. So one penalty to McCaw at that point. Nothing unusual.

When the 2nd half started again it is not unusual for a ref to allow a clean slate for both teams.

By my count when the warning came it was after 3 Crusader indiscretions within about 30m from their goal line. Then there were another 3 at least in the second half. If Dickenson had the guts to pull a yellow, then the Crusaders would have stopped infringing and the game would have opened up a little for the Reds.

IMO they were lucky to keep 15 men on the field for the entire game. Very lucky.

 

[vidiot]

I just can't believe McCaw didn't find himself carded for that last infringement.

Seriously, enough on the refereeing. There was enormous effort and enterprise through the game from both sides, it was an armwrestle with style and massive defense.

I know Cooper is garnering votes galore in the MOM thread but how good was Carter? Great defense, ripped the ball out a couple of times from Australian runners, kicked the ball miles, all composure.

 

[ACT Crusader]

By my count when the warning came it was after 3 Crusader indiscretions within about 30m from their goal line. Then there were another 3 at least in the second half. If Dickenson had the guts to pull a yellow, then the Crusaders would have stopped infringing and the game would have opened up a little for the Reds.

IMO they were lucky to keep 15 men on the field for the entire game. Very lucky.

And that's fair enough Scotty, but by the same token when I watched the replay last night again on Fox I couldn't help but think that Robinson and Samo in particular were riding their luck. I also lost count of the times a Reds forward was on his bum sitting on the Crusaders side just sealing ball off. Is that luck also?

If Dickenson had blown his whistle giving Carter more opportunities to kick for goal then the scoreline may have been different.

BTW this is pointless debate and you and I both know it. I'm not one to focus on refs and their calls, however I believe when there is unnecessary hyperbole like "warned all game", "McCaw special treatment" being bandied about then I think it's worth responding to from time to time.

 

[Victorian Reds Fan]

He got a couple away IIRC. Foxsports gives him two. But your point still stands, Benny Taps and Ant Finger and Benny Lucas limited his space really well.

Any chance of Lucas making the Wallabies squad? The man is a tackling machine and seems to have no fear. He launched himself at SBW a few times despite probably weighing 20kgs less.

 

[Godfrey]

I don't think it's hyperbole to say McCaw was warner all game. All other debate aside, but he was spoken to directly by the ref at least 3 times - just a fact.

 

[Victorian Reds Fan]

I just can't believe McCaw didn't find himself carded for that last infringement.

Seriously, enough on the refereeing. There was enormous effort and enterprise through the game from both sides, it was an armwrestle with style and massive defense.

I know Cooper is garnering votes galore in the MOM thread but how good was Carter? Great defense, ripped the ball out a couple of times from Australian runners, kicked the ball miles, all composure.

I actually think Carter had a better game than QC (Quade Cooper).

 

[tigerland12]

Any chance of Lucas making the Wallabies squad? The man is a tackling machine and seems to have no fear. He launched himself at SBW a few times despite probably weighing 20kgs less.

Well to be put in perspective, if Harris, Davies and Hynes were fit, he'd be struggling to make the starting side for QLD. But that being said he has been superb this year, has made Quade Coopers life a lot easier

 

[Scotty]

ACT C,

Fair enough. I agree.

I also agree that the Reds were lucky on occasion. Dickinson didn't bother reffing the following ruck areas:

1. Sealing off as you mention (both teams at fault)
2. Not releasing the tackled player - saw the Crusaders do this a number of times
3. Not cleaning out through the gate - saw the likes of A Fa'ainga do this numerous times

 

[Scotty]

I just can't believe McCaw didn't find himself carded for that last infringement.

Seriously, enough on the refereeing. There was enormous effort and enterprise through the game from both sides, it was an armwrestle with style and massive defense.

I know Cooper is garnering votes galore in the MOM thread but how good was Carter? Great defense, ripped the ball out a couple of times from Australian runners, kicked the ball miles, all composure.

Carter rightly got the official man of the match.

 

[cyclopath]

I don't think it's hyperbole to say McCaw was warner all game. All other debate aside, but he was spoken to directly by the ref at least 3 times - just a fact.

Well he is the captain. One of the warnings was clearly a team warning, and he mentioned McCaw had conceded one of the penalties, not all of them. We don't know in Stu's mind exactly how many were personally attributed to Richie, really. And ACTC has a point - there were offenders from both sides spending plenty of time in the wrong places, as there are every game.

 

[barbarian]

Any chance of Lucas making the Wallabies squad? The man is a tackling machine and seems to have no fear. He launched himself at SBW a few times despite probably weighing 20kgs less.

I very much doubt it. Doesn't offer enough with ball in hand.

 

[rugbysmartarse]

what impressed me about Coopers play last night was his willingness and ability to get out of trouble chasing back kicks. This is something the wallabies have struggled with, especially with KB (Kurtley Beale) coming up from fullback on attack - we get turned over opposition puts the kick in, and if we get a chaser there he just knocks it into touch. I hope he is able to keep it up

 

[Set piece magic]

One of my favourite parts of last night was Radike's defense... he was playing with a few of them like barbie dolls and has been a tough customer all yaer. A contender for RWC perhaps?

 

[Top Bloke]

I don't think it's hyperbole to say McCaw was warner all game. All other debate aside, but he was spoken to directly by the ref at least 3 times - just a fact.

I hope you can see the irony in your post. Certainly thousands and thousands of others might