No bryce lawrence a good start fro South Africa

Ex Sport 24

Cape Town – First the “bad” news for South Africans ... a New Zealander will again be among the officiating panel when the Springboks play Australia on Saturday for the first time since the controversial quarter-final of the World Cup last year.

But no, this time Bryce Lawrence, who infuriated both the Boks and their supporters – not to mention plenty of neutrals too – with his policing of the breakdown in that 11-9 reverse for John Smit’s otherwise largely dominant outfit in Wellington, is well out of the picture.

Lawrence was removed from the International Rugby Board’s elite panel of referees earlier this year.

The Boks meet the Wallabies in the Castle Rugby Championship in Perth on Saturday – an attempted redemption outing for both sides after disappointing early performances in the new-look tournament – but this time with Northern Hemisphere referee Nigel Owens in charge. (Well this has to be an improvement on down under refs - however the Welsh do not like us - French and English refs are okay.)

The 41-year-old Welshman takes charge of a South African Test for the eighth time, and the Boks sport five wins from the seven matches he has refereed (71% record) (That is a bit reassuring).

He has never previously had the whistle for matches between these particular foes (Noted), although he has handled some milestone Bok wins, including the record-breaking 42-6 thrashing of England at Twickenham in 2008 and two of the three South African victories over arch-rivals the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations-winning season of 2009.

Owens was in charge when the Boks won 31-19 in Durban and then again for the decisive clash in Hamilton when the visitors edged it 32-29.

New Zealand’s emerging Glen Jackson, a former Chiefs flyhalf, will be running the line at the Patersons Stadium on Saturday, but he has not yet given South African fans any special reason for wrath at first-class level.

The other assistant referee will be England’s Wayne Barnes, with Matt Goddard (Australia) the television match official.

If Lawrence was a key figure in the World Cup quarter-final furore, another was the Wallaby “fetcher” David Pocock, who was perceived to have got away with murder on the deck thanks to the referee’s alleged leniency.

But he is also absent from this clash, and misses the remainder of the Championship after knee surgery, so the Boks may have even further reason to hope for some sort of “new leaf” on Saturday in clashes with Australia ...

Well it sounds like we may get a fair deal for once?

Reffing seems to be pretty neutral...should just be down to the rugby on the day....as it should always be.

Hey, I have just realised that i have passed the 500 comment mark...surely that should be some sort of a milestone :(

It's not like the AB's have never been hamstrung by SA refs. 1976 SA tour  4th Test anybody.

Poly I cant say nz have never ever not had a bad call but with these guys its a planned strategy to win!!

Bluebok could you please up your tempo you are clearly a first rate loafer! Whilst on the topic I am trusting  the ED adjusts the legendary staturs to 3000 posts soon.

Yes lets hope the refs dont decide the game and blown competently and fairly. We ahv equite a good record at perth but the wobblies are desparate - maybe we are too.

Hey, I have just realised that i have passed the 500 comment mark...surely that should be some sort of a milestone :(

Is It ?

Yeah Ek, it is a nice round number....seems like there should be a reward of some sort...maybe run out before the rest of the team or something. LOL

Bluebok allow me to offer, on behalf of this distinguised board (are some notable exceptions of course) our sincerest and warmest congratulations on the historic  landmark you have at very long last reached.

May the next 500 posts be markedly better than the first 500!! Hehehehe

Bean Brain flogging it again on his favourite subject....SA would be world champions if not for Brycy LMAO.

Bean Brain when are you yarpies gunna start playing like World Champions then if thats the case....???

Can't even beat Argentina LMAO...

Beeno

Why even mention this rubbish again - everyone in rugby knows that Bryce Lawrence is not a test panel referee anymore.   Everyone also knows that the Springboks could have won that game against Australia andhey did not - partly due to poor refereeing, but also because of poor play and ill-discipline/stupidity (egf the last penalty givn away by Rossouw.

This is past history - so forget about this game and focos on the future one and especially the one on Saturday.

I give the Springboks a 10% chance to win in Perth - because some of the players in the present squad are just not up to standard - not Meyer's fault entirely - but that is a fact of life. 

"Bean brain"

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahah!

Gd 1 brycy!!!!!

Mike a 10% chance is way too low a possiblity percentage and an outcome of your overly pessimistic stance. Hope you feel better after the match and recover your Bok mojo.

Mike your take on our WC perormance agains tOz is way out. we played superbly and with a decent ref would surely have won by between 20 and 30 points at least.  Don tcome with the one or two inevitble errors as no side is perfect.

A for ou brycy, well of course I understand your discomfort re BL.  I shouldn' t embarrass you will these facts but I just love to mention that BL was selected nz ref of the year and then dumped by the IRB etc.

Wahahahahahahahahahaha it was the incident that unmasked nz rugby like no other.

Good to see young jala enjoying the board.

 No BL and it is still 26 -19 to the Wallabies! If I were you Beeno, I'd find this really hard to swallow! I'd  be personally so humiliated!

yeah, Been brain sure got it wrong. does he evr get it right?? LMAO!!

that tennis game that Beeno is attending is taking unusually long! To make it worse, Beeno's hero Jake White may have been involved in the Wallabies camp to help them win 26-19 - o o!

So if after the world cup we ever lose to oz it proves BL was not the problem. Bwahahahahahahaha hakwa and jala grasping at straws! Bonehead stuff for sure!!!

Please note Hakwa this is a different side with a different coach - new beginings. The ref was far superior to your nz ref of the year who got fired becauseof his disgraceful display, Hahahahaha the kiwis just cant face up to their great ignomy.

But the ref did miss a double high tackle as we saw in another thread which cost us the game.  Nothing new in this sort of thing of course. Standard down under reffing. - but not anywhere near BL's disgusting display.

Next.

 Forget about BL we have enough problems from within the Springbok squad.

Just look at the guys in the squad....Flip, Jannie, Beast, Zane, Morne, Jean and you will see what I am referring to.

All well past their best (in some cases they never were any good at anytime).

AJ, BL is history and rightly so but the reasons why escape some oaks and mongs!

But yes we do have a few problems which time will solve. Meyer has a big task on his hands.

My task is to try and stop some oaks crying on hakwa's grubby shouldr! Hahahahahahaha

@hakwa,

im sorry to disappoint u br0, but beeno is incapable of being embarresed, otherwise he would have died from shame after reading anyone of his posts.
ben10 is exactly like yogi bear, hes smarter then the average bear, but only just, ROFL, :D

My two dear bird brained kiwi friends can I suggest you let this post quietly slip down the board and disappear. I mean how much more embarassment can you bear re the nz ref of the year Byce Lawrence. Bwahahahahahahahaha.

Beeno trying to assis the kiwis to avoid further deep embarrassment.

 "so the Boks may have even further reason to hope for some sort of “new leaf” on Saturday in clashes with Australia ..." ;-))