Our good mate Barnsey is getting heat again - Wales V France game

Referee Wayne Barnes was the focus of criticism after France's astonishing 20-18 Six Nations victory over Wales, which ended with 20 minutes of added time, a disputed substitution and fierce debate about the official's failure to award a penalty try.

The clock showed 99 minutes and 55 seconds when France's replacement flanker Damien Chouly touched the ball down after nine penalty scrums and Camille Lopez slotted over the conversion to seal victory for the hosts.

France felt the game should have been brought to a close sooner with a penalty try as Wales were repeatedly penalised at the scrum, while the visitors focused their ire on a substitution they said damaged the game's integrity.

In failing to award a penalty try, France coach Guy Noves claimed the English referee fell into a trap of his own making, while lock Yoann Maestri lashed out at the official.

"We were refereed like a small team and it's very painful. Barnes told me that we were not dominant enough in the scrum. But the Welsh were rigging every scrum," Maestri said.

"They were letting themselves get turned. It's down to the referee to spot it."

Maestri added that Barnes' failure to award a penalty try showed he had lost control.

"It was verging on nuclear warfare on the sidelines and the referee didn't react," he said.

France forwards coach Yannick Bru, however, was pleased his players did not let frustration get the better of them.

"I knew that Barnes, whom I've gotten to know over time, would not award a penalty try. But my players did not make any mistake," he said.

"We were more stubborn than Mr Barnes."

Wales were equally upset in the aftermath, however, accusing the French of making an unlawful substitution, which coach Rob Howley said brought the game's integrity into disrepute.

Starter Rabah Slimani was allowed back on as replacement prop Uini Atonio was taken off for a head injury assessment. Howley said he believes the substitution was planned.

"What happened in the last moments of that game shouldn't ever happen again," said Howley.

"One of the coaches had a word with their doctor and within a minute of that their tighthead went off. The evidence suggests that it's not in the integrity of our game."

100 minutes of rugby

It took a remarkable 20 minutes of injury time for France to score their winning try, with coach Guy Noves saying he had "never seen anything like that before".

Here is how the injury time period unfolded, via the Opta live commentary.

80th minute

We're into the final minute as France opt to go for the scrum from the penalty after there was no advantage coming. The home crowd are right behind their side now but the Welsh players are getting behind each other too knowing one good scrum could be enough.

81st minute

The scrum goes down and referee Barnes calls for a re-set and asks both sets of front rows to get higher. Atonio is going to have to leave the field for a HIA and is replaced by Slimani. Barnes doesn't seem convinced but the French doctor insists he does need a head assessment.

82nd minute

France get the ball out of the scrum and look to burrow their way over from close range through the forwards. Lopez then gets the ball out to Nakaitaci who is brought down just a metre short but France have another penalty.

83rd minute

Lee has been sent to the sin bin for the offence that lead to the penalty. Francis may well have to come back on here if France opt to go for a scrum from the penalty.

84th minute

Francis will have to come back on as France elect for a Scrum. No one seems to know who he's coming on for though and it's all becoming a bit farcical, but eventually Halfpenny makes his way off.

87th minute

Once again Barnes penalises Wales at the scrum, and once again France choose to have yet another scrum which then collpases, and will be re-set once more.

90th minute

The referee awards France another penalty but this time Picamoles takes a quick tap but is brought down just short of the line. France then shift the ball wide where Dulin knocks on, but referee Barnes brings play back for another penalty as Wales were not 10 metres, and there will be yet another scrum.

93rd minute

France finally get the ball out the back of the scrum and have another advantage coming their way as Webb is penalised for not releasing the ball carrier. Nothing comes of the attack though so France will have yet another penalty, and Barnes gives Warburton another warning.

94th minute

Lee's sin bin is over so he returns to the field along with Halfpenny, with Francis heading back to the bench for the second time.

95th minute

The referee is now checking with the TMO as there has been an allegation of a bite involving North in the middle of a tackle.

97th minute

There's no conclusive evidence of a bite so play will restart with yet another scrum from the France penalty.

99th minute

Another dominant French scrum results in another penalty, and despite a slight breakdown in communication between Barnes and the fourth official causing confusion, play will continue. France get another penalty and Barnes tells Wales that the next offence will result in another yellow card.

100th minute

TRY! France (Chouly) 18-18 Wales

100th minute

France get the ball away again and have another advantage coming as Dupont is brought down just two metre short by desperate last ditch defence., but they recycle the ball and Chouly forces his way over from close range.

100th minute

CONVERSION! France (Lopez) 20-18 Wales. Lopez kicks the conversion from the right-hand side of the posts to the win the game for France.

Full-time: France 20-18 Wales

 Refs often don't want to be the deciding factor in a game & it sounds like this was the case with Barnes. Overall he seems like a decent ref these days though. I will watch the game later but it may still be hard to tell what was going on in the scrum.

JW please stop your smear campaign against Barnes.
Thanks

Beeno, Barnsey has my full & unequivocal half-hearted support so I'm not sure what you are driving at. same for Les Blues.

  SIX NATIONS TO REVIEW WALES, FRANCE CLASH; Rugby 365

NEWS: SIX NATIONS ORGANISERS SAID THAT AN INDEPENDENT CITING COMMISSIONER WOULD EXAMINE AN ALLEGED BITE ON WALES WING GEORGE NORTH AND THE DISPUTE OVER A CONTENTIOUS HEAD INJURY AT THE END OF FRANCE'S DRAMATIC VICTORY OVER THE WELSH.

France ran out 20-18 winners on Saturday thanks to a converted try in the 100th minute, English referee Wayne Barnes playing 20 minutes of extra-time.

The French camped out in the Welsh 22 and a series of scrums saw front row players from both sides come and go.

One incident particularly riled Wales coach Rob Howley: the substitution of Uini Atonio, France bringing preferred tighthead prop Rabah Slimani, known for his devastating scrummaging power, back on to strengthen the set piece.

France coach Guy Noves insisted it was a genuine call by his medics for a head injury, a non-sequitur for a referee obliged to follow strict concussion rules that allow teams to replace injured props with front row teammates who have been already subbed off.

But Howley saw it otherwise, saying there was "evidence to suggest that the integrity of the game has been brought into disrepute" by France fabricating the head injury call.

Six Nations organisers said in a statement released Sunday that they were "aware of concerns about the head injury assessment that took place towards the end of the match and is looking into the matter".

In the frantic finale to the match, North approached Barnes to complain he had been bitten on his right upper arm. Barnes acknowledged that there were bite marks but the television official could not see any act of foul play.

"An independent citing commissioner was present at the match and will be reviewing all relevant incidents in the usual way," Six Nations organisers said.

"In the event that he wishes to make a citing complaint in respect of the alleged bite (or any other incident), because he considers that there was an act of foul play that warranted a red card, he is required to do so within 48 hours after the conclusion of the match (although in certain circumstances, for example where he is uncertain as to the identity of the player(s) concerned, he is permitted to make his citing complaint after the 48-hour deadline)."

Agence France-Presse

 Not good for rugby, some very unsavory stuff. 

 I personally am waaaaay over any of wee Barnseys shennanigans against our chaps .But I do wonder if he has a nice brexit villa lined up for him on the Cote' D'zur ?

 So it wasnt added time after the clock went red ? Just endless pe nalties ,scrums and hungry froggies munching Welsh rare-bits ?

 We, the watchers and the criticisers are very fortunate and privileged in so far as evaluating the referee.  We have the benefit of between six and eight cameras panning and following the game while they zoom in and out to give us the viewers a perfect frame of reference.  We even have the advantage of re-play and slow-mo to define certain situations.
The poor referee has none of this!  In may cases he stares into the back of a two metre tall giant who blocks almost all except the sun.  In some cases the modern game outstrips the referee for pace and stuff happens too quickly for him to be on the spot at the correct moment in time.
I think we should focus more on the AR and TMO - sometimes stuff happens slap-bang in front of an AR and he turns a blind eye.I see in almost every game a line-out as crooked as a dog's hind leg where the AR has a perfect view yet he does or says nothing?  We have laws stating the actions allowed and disallowed at scrum-feed yet not one single ref or AR is bothered in the least.  Does rugby then have laws just for the sake of having them?  Yet on certain laws there is a over emphasis of the policing thereof.
Some referees allow the players to dive over the ruck and go land on the other side (use Bulls game as reference) while others will not even allow a fair amount of counter-rucking.
Look at the Lions game.  While the issue with Copper was replayed time and again, you could clearly see Jantjies being lifted, without the ball and dropped on his head/shoulder.  The TMO (Vos I think) was happily drinking his "lemonade" while this was going on!  Faf was late charged with no hands - yet the TMO was happily taking another swig of his "lemonade".
I am in no way advocating that the TMO intervene all the time, but when transgressions are not seen by the referee then he should!  And the ARs need to catch a wake- up! 

 Per JW -  Not good for rugby, some very unsavory stuff
JW that is exactly what I say about all the many "shennanigans" of the myriad bent down under refs!
You and Oz must get together and try and  see if you can find a few dozen honest men in your two countries - a big ask of course as its unlikely that Justin Marshall will leave his commentators spot etc.
Of course we all know this heartless crusade against poor Barnsey is just a decoy to deflect attention from where it naturally falls - bent down under refs!!!Barnsey made a bad error which helped see the wee abs booted out of a world cup. Bryce Lawrence made was it 36 errors in a match which saw the Boks exiting the world cup. As a reward for services rendered Bryce Lawrence (Whose father wrote the infamous get the Jarpy letter ) was honoured by being voted NZ ref of the year. Needless to say after his disgraceful display the IRB had no option but to vote him off the elite refs panel.
Beeno giving the weird kbbs some much needed perspective!

 Actually, the ref provided a favourable environment for the french rugby side. The end might have been excrutiating for frenchs supporters but clearly, the french side did not produce any clear cut dominant scrum over the multitude they were offered. It was always something like 60~40, nothing prevailing.

During scrums, FR put out their minor fouls, WA put out their minor fouls. Both sides rigged scrums in their own way. When averaged, even though FR was on top, the decision not to afford a PT is substantiated.

Just like the decision not to afford WA a PT is.


In connection with SA and the incoming test, scrummaging is one of the only things this FR side brings to the field. It is nothing dominant but it is the one strong point for FR.

Better to keep Coetze in charge because SA can not expect a favourable reffing when it comes to scrum. Refs are going to make the french scrummaging look good (and saleable) and prevailing on SA forwards is going to give the french side credibility.

As much of a fan of Wales,  I do believe Barnes did a good job too much faffing about by Wales  they should have had that game.

A notable quote from Beeno's ramblings:
"Barnsey made a bad error which helped see the wee abs booted out of a world cup."

Well there it is from the horses mouth - so to speak Not that it matters as we are long since past that historical error
I didn't get a chance to rea d the rest of your post Beeno, was there anything of significance in it?