Ex Brendon Nel supersport:
In a year where we have seen trigger-happy whistle blowers at the scrum, and where penalties in Vodacom Super Rugby are quite the norm for scrum infringements, the test programme has been a stark reminder that things are reffed a lot differently up north.
But that was nothing in comparison to the mess they call the breakdown.
Super Rugby has rightly placed the emphasis on attacking teams getting quick ball and we’ve all become used to referees being extremely strict on players not rolling away, not showing daylight or taking up space beyond the ruck.
But given what we have seen in the past few weeks, you can’t help but wonder how many fans are left totally confused by the varying interpretations of the breakdown?
Coaches like Heyneke Meyer keep talking about northern hemisphere refs, the way teams need to adapt to them at the breakdown and how that influences a game.
Some have even accused the Bok coach of being paranoid about this, and see it as a part of a bigger conspiracy theory against certain players not in the team.
But it is clear that even between two countrymen, the interpretation of the breakdown can be as wide as the ocean. (Please note oaks we are talkng about interpretations not bias or incompetence)
Romain Poite on Saturday was at least consistent, but he allowed the Scottish forwards to literally slow every ball down and take up position right next to the Bok scrumhalf. If that was Super Rugby, a colleague quipped, there would have been a yellow card in the first 10 minutes.
His interpretation was totally the opposite of what happened the week before, when both the Boks and Italy secured quick ball and enjoyed an open flowing game under the guidance of Frenchman Pascal Gauzère.
And that is the real problem. Referees like to remind us that rugby has “laws” and not “rules” as in football. Laws are supposed to be rigid and without interpretation, but rugby allows these to be bent, broken and flaunted as to the interpretation of the whistle blower on the day.
No wonder teams nowadays spend so much time analysing referees as they do the opposition. They know the key is in adapting, in ensuring they keep on the right side of the ref, rather than being the best at what they are supposed to be.
Part of the Springboks’ problem on Saturday – which needs to be mentioned in fairness – was their inability to secure their own ball, and adapt on the day by putting more forwards at the ruck to neutralise the Scottish flankers. (Agree you can adapt t oa ref who is consistent. Certainly we did not have enough forwards at the rucks)
Yet who can blame them for thinking the ref would penalise play that slows the ball down, is offside or coming in from the side? (Agree its pretty confusing from one week to the next)
And while the International Rugby Board (IRB) and their lofty Rugby Committee continue to tinker with the scrum, their head in the sand approach to the breakdown at times defies belief.
There is certainly no other aspect of the game that is crying out for more uniformity than the breakdown. There is no other part of the game that causes as much frustration, as much irritation and as much disillusionment at both coach and fan level than the breakdown.
We don’t even have to remind ourselves of how costly it can be, although thinking back to Bryce Lawrence’s handling of the World Cup quarterfinal in 2011 is a clear example of how a referee can get it totally wrong, with costly consequences. (Problem was it was getting it wrong in one direction - nz ref of the year though - bwahahahahahaha)
The game requires leadership from the IRB. Instead of tinkering with the scrum, some serious thought needs to be given to giving the breakdown some uniformity.
And so say all of us!!!
Every team wants quick ball on attack and a balance between defence and attack needs to be kept. But the current system of letting every ref interpret the game the way they see fit is having negative consequences for the sport as a whole.
Let’s sort out the breakdown please. We need a clear indication from the IRB that it is receiving priority status.
The game, the fans, the players and coaches deserve nothing less.
