Happy Hump day fellow G&GRS in a week that’s been great with the celebration of a good win by the Wallabies. It’s certainly been better than the previous couple and a great way to lead into the Rugby Championships. Let’s hope the Wallabies can continue their form going forward – except against the All Blacks of course. Well for me anyway. A tough couple of matches coming up with the Dutch Dirt Farmers in South Africa followed by two against the Argies at home. Then a home and away against my All Blacks. Great to look forward to.
Referee Corner
This is purely an opinion post and as such I wouldn’t put too much into what I’ve written. It’s from me as a referee and my POV, and as such may not align with some supporters’ feelings on the subject.
The Lions series is done and dusted, a series that had a lot of controversy for some Wallaby fans and I gather there’s still a lot of ill feeling out there for the officials in these games. Personally, I didn’t think the refereeing was as bad as some are claiming and I think the Wallabies got away with as much, if not more, than the Lions did at times. Looking back at the games now all of them were good games to watch with lots of good play, some changes during the game of first one then the other side having a bit of dominance and for the most part enjoyable games to watch.
One of the problems that I saw was that the refereeing was different from what we’ve seen in Super Rugby and I thought all three referees had different styles and different views on what they were looking for. The refereeing was a lot more technical at times but for me all three referees did try to let the game flow and seemed to have a “It’s not affecting the ball coming out to be played so I’ll leave it” mindset. I also thought a lot of the complaints from the supporters were showing a definite bias that seemed to be greater than what I’d seen during the year and in previous June tests. Maybe because it was the Lions and not a single country, maybe a counter to the huge number of fans that followed them around the country, or maybe just a desire to see the Wallabies start to build on last year’s improvements. I did think there was a lot more vitriol and poor sportsmanship on display during this series.
A lot of the complaints seemed to be more about the ARs missing things and therefore the Lions “getting away” with infractions that weren’t picked up and I’m not sure they were as much to blame as people think. During a game, the officials split up responsibilities on the field. The referee is in control of the game and his focus is on what is happening around the contest for the ball. The ARs focus is on what is happening away from the contest; watching the players get up and leave a ruck to make sure there is no fighting, looking at players not involved in the kick and catch to see if they are moving away from the ball etc. In professional rugby with such good communications and TMOs this split is even more pronounced. Often the ARs don’t see things that we think they should because they are looking elsewhere, and even if they do they only advise the referee of what they see. What we don’t know is if the ARs were telling the referee about these and the referee saying he was happy, or not, and letting them go. Regardless of what we see or think happens at times, the referee is the one who decides whether something is having enough of an impact to warrant action. I have been an AR in many games where I’ve called things and the referee has said no and continued with the game. That’s his/her job and while we as an AR will report on what we think is important, often the referee will not agree and let the game continue. I think with the level of knowledge and experience on the sideline for these games, the ARs would’ve seen things, reported them and then, for whatever reason, the referee said no and continued on with the game.
While this seemed to upset a lot of people, I think if you look at the spectacle of the game and the movement of the ball and players, they didn’t do as bad a job as some people might think.
Former All Black flyer chooses Western Force for Super Rugby return
Reported here in RugbyPass the former Crusader and 19 cap All Black George Bridge has signed with the Force for the 2026 Super Rugby season after three seasons with Montpellier. Bridge enjoyed an 82-cap career at the Crusaders between 2017 and 2022, winning titles each season with the club and earning an All Blacks call up in 2018. Three Test showings in his rookie campaign were followed by a Rugby World Cup selection in 2019, where the now 30-year-old would claim Rieko Ioane’s No. 11 jersey. So it’s his fault Reiko went to 13.
“George is well known to a number of people on our staff, and they can’t speak highly enough of his professionalism, approach to the game and his rugby knowledge,” Western Force head coach Simon Cron said of the signing. “He’s got a massive left foot kick. He can play multiple positions. He’s a brilliant player. An amazing talent.” Bridge himself explained why Perth was the right landing spot for him. “I’m excited to be moving to WA and joining the Western Force,” he said. “They’re a club heading in the right direction, and I’m keen to take on the new challenge and contribute to the club’s success. I’ve always loved my time in Perth, and with friends and good connections among the staff and players, it felt like the right fit.”
This is not a bad signing for the Force. While I always thought he was a bit over rated and didn’t have the speed that we needed on the wing for the ABs, he has a lot of experience and if used well should be a great asset to the Force.
David Porecki retires from professional rugby
Reported here in rugby.com.au, Wallabies and NSW Waratahs hooker David Porecki has called time on his professional career, hanging up the boots with immediate effect. Born and bred in Sydney, the 32-year-old bows out of the game having been part of the Wallabies squad for the Lions series over the past three weeks. A Seaforth junior, Porecki traversed an unconventional path in professional rugby spending five seasons in the UK with Saracens and London Irish (2015-2020), after playing just the one Super Rugby match for NSW in 2015.
He returned to Australian Rugby and the Waratahs ahead of the 2021 Super Rugby season, but his Wallabies debut came a year later in a memorable win against England in Perth where he became Wallaby #952. Known for his accuracy at set piece and tireless work rate, Porecki was named in the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad and became the 88th Wallabies captain after injury to Will Skelton, leading the side in three of their four pool matches at the tournament.
Porecki’s statement on his retirement included: “To wear the Wallaby gold and Waratahs blue was a dream of mine as a boy growing up in Manly and to be able to say I did both is something I’m incredibly proud of. Rugby has given me so much to be thankful for and has been such a massive part of my life for so long but it feels like the right time for me to turn the page and start a new chapter. There’s a lot of people who have supported me in my journey, and to them I’ll be forever grateful. I’m especially looking forward to spending more time with my wife Shani and kids Luca, Charlie and Billie.”
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said: “Porky is the ultimate professional and quiet achiever. He doesn’t say a lot, preferring to get on with the job and to lead by example, and he’s done that really well for the time that I’ve known him”. On behalf of everyone within the team we wish him and his family all the best in this next stage of their lives.” Waratahs coach Dan McKeller added “I have worked closely with ‘Porky’ for a number of years and have huge respect for him, with what he brings on field with his qualities at set piece, physicality, and toughness. He’s never been the biggest hooker going around. He’s always played well above his weight.” Adding that when it’s time to go, it’s time to go. “David is obviously comfortable with that and ready to take that next step in life. We just wish him all the best.”
Nothing in the post about an injury or whether the cut heel that forced him out of the third game in the Lions series was more serious than reported. It’s sad when a player retires and especially when it comes out of the blue like this, but from me, and all at G&GR, good luck with your future journey and thanks for all the memories and hard work you put in to entertain us on the field.
