Rugby: Paddy O'Brien given the boot By Matt Brown 10:58 AM Saturday Mar 24, 2012 EXPAND
New Zealand's Paddy O'Brien has been given the boot as head of the IRB referees.
The IRB is set to announce on Monday O'Brien will be appointed head of the IRB Sevens series.
The BBC's Alistair Eayken says there will be a big clear out at the IRB with New Zealand's Bryce Lawrence, and England's Dave Pearson and Wayne Barnes to be demoted from the tier one panel.
I'll drink to that...give whoever's resonsible a Bell's...the best news for rugby in a long time...pity this did not happen before the WC...we would have no doubt seen very different results
This guy was a good ref but he has appointed some real pricks from NZ to ref games in which NZ teams are involved.
No game should be ref'd by a local countryman from either team.
Lets play fair because after all the game is bigger than all of us.
Also a ref should be disciplined for incorrect calls. With technology today their is no need for bad calls, stop the clock and refer to the TMO's if more than one view is required.
These ref's are making excellent money and screwing up the game but still collecting. Hit them where it counts...in their pocket and record their scew ups. Three strikes and they should be dropped.
Clean up the game. Rugby is a professional sport and the refs must be professional as well.
Feels like a bit of justice although there's nothing better than whipping Australia in a rugby world cup game.
Hi there Green, I would love to know what happened behind the scenes. Could it be that our usually spineless SARFU guys got stuck in? Or was it so embarrassing to the IRB that they took the initiative.
Bit surprised though that Craig Joubert escaped unscathed.
Excellent point Beeno1.
His handling of the final was uncharasteristic of Joubert.
Scared, bribed or overcome with the moment....your guess.
But I would not be in the least a bit surprised if some "business" was conducted.
NZ had to win.....they had failed on all WC matches when it counted outside the Islands.
Two WC's both won in NZ???????????? strange but true.
give it a rest boys - surely you cannot stoop to such a very low level as to question the intergrity of Joubert - He is the best ref in the world hands down! Joubert did not kick and miss what could have been a RWC winning penalty for France!
Accept it boys, the ABs are RWC Champions and hopefully successfully retain the Bill come 2015!
Joubert missed multiple swinging arms to French throats. One that happened minutes before New Zealand was handed a dubious penalty that won the game. The amount of leeway in New Zealand's favour was astonishing. Even Dallaglio, an intensely staunch critic of French rugby, was astounded by what unfolded.
even McCaw was gracious enough not to make a big deal out of getting eye gouged! The Queen of England herself congradulated NZ on their fine win and even awarded a knighthood to Sir GH for the lovely win - she definitely outranks Dallaglio hands down!
What does the queen know about rugby? McCaw is the last person that could point fingers at anyone for foul play, but he did anyway, claiming the French got away with murder and that the All Blacks would have notched a massive win in a fair contest. A truck load of tripe from an arrogant and puffed up myth. Dallaglio can be quite controversial, mostly because he isn't afraid to speak the truth.
surely one cannot accuse the Queen of taking bribes to help NZ win the RWC? The Queens advisors advise her on Rugby matters and even they (all English) offered to make McCaw a Knight as well!
Hahahahahahahahaha hakwa!!!!
Dr Moz would you please post that You Tube clip of the errors made by Joubert so hakwa will get up to speed on the issue. I seem to recall it was surprisingly enugh prepared by OZ/NZ folk?
At the moment he is depending heavily on the Queen for support. Hahahahhahahahahaha hilarious stuff!!!
One must use whatever help is necessary and available - Aristrocrat pulled out Dallaglio, I thought I might as well pull out the Queen!
and Dr Moz, don't forget to add the French eye gouging McCaw!
Here is the painfully average and arrogant Mc|Cheat in action. Keep in mind that there was more illegal play by the rest of the team, particularly the Franks brothers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVNL7te_wWU
here are the Boks fans holding everyone to ransom just because they got beaten by a very average Wobblies team
Make that the wobblies team plus the nz ref of the year who has been given the boot togeher wih ou paddy. bwahahahahaha - will you oaks ever live it down.
Imagine if the whole story emmerges. Will Nz have to hand over the wc to France. It could happen. Like a World beauty contestant found to b echeating etc.
I suspect though that the IRRB will attempt a cover up as it would obviously reflect on them as well and may effect sponsors but it only takes a leak or two and the bomb will explode. Time will tell.
Give it up Beeno1, the ABs are RWC Champions, you had 80minutes to win against the Wobblies and you didn't , you tried playing running rugby for the first time in the last 4years and it didn't work! Running rugby needs years of practise, and not during 80minutes of a RWC Quarter Finals. You should have stuck to the kick and chase you have been doing for the last 4years - Reality!
