Club Pro336 posts
16 Sept 2013, 20:17
#1
16 Sept 2013, 20:17#1
Referees are favouring New Zealand, says Stuart Barnes
Stuart Barnes Posted 16th September 2013 view comments
.
I felt bruised just watching the New Zealand versus South Africa clash from my living room in Wiltshire.
It was one of those games. Powerful and pulsating throughout, this could have been one of the most memorable internationals of recent years.
Unfortunately déjà vu struck and for all the excellence of so much of New Zealand's game, it will be remembered - certainly in South Africa - for yet another refereeing display where the key decisions again broke the way of the All Blacks.
Romain Poite: Blew in favour of the All Blacks
Romain Poite: Blew in favour of the All Blacks
Australia were on the wrong end of some atrocious refereeing a few weeks ago in Wellington and the Springboks found their more realistic hopes of a first win in Auckland since 1937, undone by Romain Poite.
The Frenchman is one of my favourite referees, but like the majority of his colleagues who blow down south, somehow the whistle always goes New Zealand's way.
Yet another refereeing display where the key decisions again broke the way of the All Blacks.
Stuart
Quotes of the week
.
Maybe it is time for All Blacks fans and coaches to forget about 2007 and Wayne Barnes; time to accept that the wheel has turned full circle in their favour.
Bismarck Du Plessis was yellow carded for a beautifully timed tackle that took Dan Carter out of the game. It was neither a shoulder charge, like Ma'a Nonu's dangerous late hit on Jean de Villiers later in the game, nor was it high. It appears he was sin binned for having the temerity to flatten the great fly half.
In the second half Du Plessis was yellow carded for dangerous play with a forearm that was high - this would be given as yellow card in possibly one in five games. Two yellows make a red and the game was all but over with the Springboks trailing by just seven at the time.
The breaks going the way of New Zealand are becoming too familiar a pattern in New Zealand. They are the world's leading team and the best benefit from sympathetic officiating in all sports but this pattern is disturbing.
Justin Marshall, a distinguished All Black, was struggling for words when Jannie Du Plessis was penalised for what Marshall saw as a decision of pure pedantry but minutes earlier, when Ruan Pienaar rightly charged a free kick as Beauden Barritt advanced forward, the referee simply sent the South African backwards when the scrum half was within his rights to play the man and ball.
Every small decision seems to be interpreted New Zealand's way. Even when the All Blacks suffered two indisputable yellow cards in the last 10 minutes when the game was won the referee took their side. Nonu went for the aforementioned late charge, but Conrad Smith escaped a cynical hand in the ruck metres from the line.
It was pure yellow and de Villers quizzed the French referee as to whether Smith too should be sin binned. Poite disregarded him when the New Zealanders should have been down to 12 men for the misdemeanours. But that was a correct decision too far for the Frenchman.
It is difficult to beat New Zealand anywhere and anytime, let alone in New Zealand, but when the referees are subconsciously leaning their way it becomes all but impossible. South Africa, with some even breaks, fifteen men and the Johannesburg altitude will believe they can turn this result around. They will take the field believing they were hard done-by in Auckland which is going to make this match something else.Fire and fury in Auckland, but in Perth the affair was altogether lower key. The match was damp, tight but nothing memorable - with a far from packed Perth house a concern for the Australian union.
The sport lacks powerhouse national teams and, whilst many who have suffered at the hands of Australian sporting excellence in the past may gloat at their current travails, the sooner the Wallabies are competing with the best the better. Union is fragile in the land of league; victories in style are needed and fast if Australia is not to fall from their perch at the top of the game where they have been throughout the professional era.
Rugby needs more not less competitive teams if it is to continue to grow as a global sport. That is a lesson to be learned and reiterated in both hemispheres in these troubled times.
Click here to watch highlights of New Zealand v South Africa
Stuart answers your emails...
Referees are favouring New Zealand, says Stuart Barnes
Stuart Barnes Posted 16th September 2013 view comments
.
I felt bruised just watching the New Zealand versus South Africa clash from my living room in Wiltshire.
It was one of those games. Powerful and pulsating throughout, this could have been one of the most memorable internationals of recent years.
Unfortunately déjà vu struck and for all the excellence of so much of New Zealand's game, it will be remembered - certainly in South Africa - for yet another refereeing display where the key decisions again broke the way of the All Blacks.
Romain Poite: Blew in favour of the All Blacks
Romain Poite: Blew in favour of the All Blacks
Australia were on the wrong end of some atrocious refereeing a few weeks ago in Wellington and the Springboks found their more realistic hopes of a first win in Auckland since 1937, undone by Romain Poite.
The Frenchman is one of my favourite referees, but like the majority of his colleagues who blow down south, somehow the whistle always goes New Zealand's way.
Yet another refereeing display where the key decisions again broke the way of the All Blacks.
Stuart
Quotes of the week
.
Maybe it is time for All Blacks fans and coaches to forget about 2007 and Wayne Barnes; time to accept that the wheel has turned full circle in their favour.
Bismarck Du Plessis was yellow carded for a beautifully timed tackle that took Dan Carter out of the game. It was neither a shoulder charge, like Ma'a Nonu's dangerous late hit on Jean de Villiers later in the game, nor was it high. It appears he was sin binned for having the temerity to flatten the great fly half.
In the second half Du Plessis was yellow carded for dangerous play with a forearm that was high - this would be given as yellow card in possibly one in five games. Two yellows make a red and the game was all but over with the Springboks trailing by just seven at the time.
The breaks going the way of New Zealand are becoming too familiar a pattern in New Zealand. They are the world's leading team and the best benefit from sympathetic officiating in all sports but this pattern is disturbing.
Justin Marshall, a distinguished All Black, was struggling for words when Jannie Du Plessis was penalised for what Marshall saw as a decision of pure pedantry but minutes earlier, when Ruan Pienaar rightly charged a free kick as Beauden Barritt advanced forward, the referee simply sent the South African backwards when the scrum half was within his rights to play the man and ball.
Every small decision seems to be interpreted New Zealand's way. Even when the All Blacks suffered two indisputable yellow cards in the last 10 minutes when the game was won the referee took their side. Nonu went for the aforementioned late charge, but Conrad Smith escaped a cynical hand in the ruck metres from the line.
It was pure yellow and de Villers quizzed the French referee as to whether Smith too should be sin binned. Poite disregarded him when the New Zealanders should have been down to 12 men for the misdemeanours. But that was a correct decision too far for the Frenchman.
It is difficult to beat New Zealand anywhere and anytime, let alone in New Zealand, but when the referees are subconsciously leaning their way it becomes all but impossible. South Africa, with some even breaks, fifteen men and the Johannesburg altitude will believe they can turn this result around. They will take the field believing they were hard done-by in Auckland which is going to make this match something else.Fire and fury in Auckland, but in Perth the affair was altogether lower key. The match was damp, tight but nothing memorable - with a far from packed Perth house a concern for the Australian union.
The sport lacks powerhouse national teams and, whilst many who have suffered at the hands of Australian sporting excellence in the past may gloat at their current travails, the sooner the Wallabies are competing with the best the better. Union is fragile in the land of league; victories in style are needed and fast if Australia is not to fall from their perch at the top of the game where they have been throughout the professional era.
Rugby needs more not less competitive teams if it is to continue to grow as a global sport. That is a lesson to be learned and reiterated in both hemispheres in these troubled times.
Click here to watch highlights of New Zealand v South Africa
Stuart answers your emails...
