Happy Hump Day fellow G&GRs, time to start putting last week’s disappointment behind us and look forward to the redemption of this weekend. What changes will Joe and Andy make to the teams? How will they change their tactics? And most important of all: can the Wallabies take this one? Personally, I think they can, but they need to start winning the contest and their backline needs to synch much better than it did last week.
This Lions tour does seem a bit different from previous ones; the last Test was more 1N v 3N as Wales weren’t represented for the first time since 1899. However, it was almost 1N v 6N with NZ, Aus and South Africa represented in the Lions team. One thing I will say is that our blind belief in Super Rugby being so much better than what occurs up north may need to be re-examined. Looking at the improvement of players like Gibson-Parke, Lowe, Jordie Barrett, Tuipulotu and others, it just may be that the additional games and longer season against tougher teams are producing better players.
Referee Corner
Well what a great weekend of rugby, and certainly some interesting calls in the first test. Personally as a neutral observer (meant in the least controversial manner) I thought the officials got the calls correct and didn’t have an impact on the result. I know many think differently, so here’s my take on these issues. Now of course this is my personal view based on my 40+ years of playing – where I didn’t know the laws of the game to be fair, and my 14+ years of refereeing at club rugby in New Zealand, Australia, Egypt, Israel, England and Croatia. I am by no means an expert, and I know I have a bias towards attacking rugby and that affects my decisions. However, here’s what I think on a couple of the incidents.
The first point that needs to be cleared up is the application of a yellow or red card. These are not sanctions for any law transgression. Every law in the book has a punishment of either a scrum, a free kick or a penalty. Nothing else. There is no law that has a punishment of a yellow or red card. The application of the card is based on the seriousness of the incident, which is sometimes just the incident – foul play where a player punches another player in the face for example, or the result – a high contact to the head that has a high degree of danger with no mitigation from the ball carrier. Saying that an incident should have been a card just because of the transgression is not how the laws are applied. Once a referee decides a transgression has occurred then he/she has to look at the factors around it before deciding on a card.
No try for both BIL and Australia. This is one that always amuses me, and we saw it in the first one against the Lions with the dreaded “double movement” splashed across the screens. In the laws of rugby there isn’t a law that mentions double movement. The laws that affect this are Law 14.7 players must a. make the ball available by releasing it, pushing it away or passing it. b. move away from the ball, or c. ensure they do not lie over it or prevent opposition players from gaining possession. The reason both tries were disallowed was because the players did not release it and were either pushed or carried over the goal line while the opposition was trying to gain possession. Clear call and well refereed, if poorly supported by ignorant commentators.
No arms tackle This refers to the tackle on JAS just prior to his no try. Like the double movement call, there is nothing in the laws that refers to a “no arm tackle.” The law used for this is Law 9.16 A player must not charge or knock an opponent carrying the ball without attempting to grasp that player. Note: without attempting…. In this tackle one player went low while another went slightly higher. There have been all sorts of calls for the penalising of the tacklers for not using their arms and therefore not attempting to grasp JAS. However, if this is watched in slow motion both tacklers clearly have their arms out for grabbing the ball carrier. What makes it look bad is that as both players came in for the tackle, the top player made JAS twist in the air, and he went over the players so they couldn’t grab onto him. This was one that went to the TMO and foul play reviewer and both cleared the tacklers as attempting to use their arms. The fact that neither player actually got hold of JAS does not make it a no arm tackle, and it was correctly adjudicated.
Tackling player in the air The tackle by Curry on Lynagh while still airborne had so many calling for a yellow card. Sure, it went against Law 9.17 a player must not tackle, charge, pull, push or grasp a player whose feet are off the ground. Was it an early tackle?, absolutely. However, the sanction for this is a penalty and with Curry using his arms to wrap Lynagh, no high contact and no dangerous landing, there is nothing to warrant escalating this to a yellow card. It was poor timing by Curry, albeit by about 0.2 of a second, and that’s why it was a penalty. There was nothing in the tackle that made it dangerous or indicated that the sanction should be elevated with a card.
Head contact on Ikitau This one is a bit closer to the card level. Tadgh Furlong came in to tackle Ikitau who went up in the contact and as such Furlong’s shoulder connected with Ikitau’s head. The process for this is very clear. Law 9.13 A A tackler must not tackle a player….. or dangerously. Above the line of the shoulder is considered dangerous and so the penalty sanction applies. The next part of the process is the framework for the decisions that follow head contact. 1. head contact – yes. 2. foul play – yes. 3. Degree of danger low PK, mid YC or high RC. This was only ever a low degree of danger. While it could be argued for a mid-level ruling, Ikitau continued to play on with no apparent harm and so I think low is more appropriate. 4. Any mitigation including a late change to the height of the ball carrier or tackler (in case they slip over). BOK and his team decided that Ikitau going up was a change in height that offered mitigation. This meant Furlong was always going high but attempting to wrap not crash into Ikitau and combined with a low degree of danger never anything more than a penalty.
I understand how a passionate Wallaby supporter watching this game with perhaps a degree of bias to their team can look at all of these and find reasons as to why the referee got the calls wrong. However, looking at them all and especially in slow motion with a neutral view I believe all the calls were absolutely correct. Sorry!
Wallaroos determined to finalise World Cup prep in style against Wales
Reported here in rugby.com.au the Wallaroos are back in Test mode after their encouraging performance across the ditch to New Zealand. Jo Yapp’s side are now ready to put a mark on their World Cup preparations as they welcome Wales for a two-match series starting this weekend. The side enjoyed a few days off following their 37-12 loss to the Black Ferns with the squad spending time in Gold Coast clubland travelling up to Brisbane for the Wallabies’ First Test against the British & Irish Lions. The Wallaroos halfback Leyne Morgan was happy to be back home saying “We’ve had an awesome afternoon yesterday with the young girls down at their training day. It was just so good to see all the young girls coming into rugby and getting involved in the XVs game.” The ladies have been training well but also taking time to enjoy the beaches up there. “We had a little pit stop on a Sunday between training where we could get down to the beach and do our recovery options – it’s been great. All the girls have been out, making sure they get a little bit of sunshine, but not too much! I’ve been loving it up here.” she said.
Wales are hoping to get their first win of the year after a disappointing and hard 6 Nations while the Wallaroos are hoping to continue the improvement they demonstrated in the first half against NZ to be able to go into the RWC with another win. Both sides may also be in line to meet later in the year – if both make it to the World Cup quarter finals.
Wales and the Wallaroos played against each other twice last year, and this is a chance for the ladies to get another win with Morgan commenting “You want to get one up on the Welsh. That’s always a goal.” The Wallaroos have shown growth under Yapp. At halftime against NZ they were only 3 points down and while the game blew out a bit, they were always in it and managed another try through their forwards late in the game.
I think the Wallaroos are going well and have shown a lot of impressive development over the last couple of years. I’m not sure anyone should have too high an expectation and TBH if they make the quarter finals they’ll be doing very well. Rugby’s a funny old game and on their day if things go right for them they could surprise a couple of the more fancied teams. Looking forward to watching this game on Friday
Valetini ‘good to go’ for must-win Lions clash at MCG
Reported in rugby.com.au here Valetini is ready for the Second Test this weekend. Valetini failed to prove his fitness ahead of the First Test and was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Wallabies fell 27-19 to Andy Farrell’s tourists in Brisbane. Speaking with reporters in Melbourne on Monday, the two-time reigning John Eales Medallist revealed his disappointment at narrowly missing the series opener and desire to play on home soil this weekend. “I had a good week last week with training and it came through alright so, yeah, I’ll be available for selection.” Valetini said. “I was pretty down when I got injured and knowing I was going to miss the First Test as well, so I had to put all my focus through my recovery and getting all my exercise and trying to get the body right for the next two Tests.”
Valetini’s physicality and post-contact metreage was sorely missed in Brisbane with rival backrowers Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry and Jack Conan running rampant. Taming that Lions trio is a challenge Valetini will relish on the biggest stage of his 52-Test career in front of an expected 90,000+ MCG crowd. “I thought all three Lions backrowers were pretty involved, you know, quick big boys and I think they did their job as well,” Valetini said. “I don’t really feel pressure or anything, I just try to go out there and just do my job, whether that’s carrying or doing the tackling. I’m just trying to do my bit for the team and hopefully I can help the other boys as well.” He continued.
Wallabies veteran James Slipper tipped his Brumbies stablemate to deliver and hinted Valetini wouldn’t be the only inclusion for Saturday’s must-win clash with towering lock Will Skelton also available for selection. “His size definitely helps (but) yeah he’s a really good player,” Slipper said of Valetini. “He gives a lot of boys around him a lot of confidence just the way it goes about his business.”
I think Valetini will make a big difference to the Wallabies, especially with his experience of big games. While CdC tried hard and made some good carries, the step up to this level is one that takes time to adjust to. He’ll be better for the game last week and the experience will help him next time he gets picked, but I think Valetini replacing him is the correct call. I think the selections for the second game against the Lions will be interesting. Joe won’t want to make too many changes as that will create more issues than it resolves and we’ll again have players scared to play in case they make a mistake and get dropped.
