The Referee Panel - Highlanders Jaguares match

The moment the Jaguares became a threat to the Highlanders the 16, 17 and 18the player in the Highlanders team took over and the number of penalties against the Jaguares reached crescendo level.

I have never seen such bs before.   I saw penalties given to the Highlamders when there scrumming went awry - penalties for everything under the sun was on the go all the time.   In the whole first half the Jaguares was penalized four times - in the second half it was another 7 times.   

The Highlanders was penalized 5 times in the first half and 2 times in the second half.  So the first half penalties were more or less even - the second half penalties suddenly became 7 against the Jaguares and 2 against the Highlanders,   The Highlanders could do as they please - they would never be penalized.   

That is just an excerpt pf what went wrong.  I have seen at least three cases where the Highlanders knocked on the ball - yet the Highlanders got the scrum feed.   I also saw how the Jaguares carried the ball near to the tryline and then the scrum was awarded for a Highlanders throw-in.   

That kind of refereeing ias a farce and should be investigated - but a full panel of NZ referees and officials- if things gop wroing the NZ teams get a huge advantage through official support.                   

Good observation Mike...I seldom bash referees cause in general they do a good job...but Ben O'Keefe closed down the game for the favour of  'Landers in the last 11 minutes of the game...

His refereeing was called to question in the Saders/Tahs game.

The Jaguars were clearly marginalised as the Jaguares were far the better side in most aspects.

Oaks take it from Beeno, the only solution is to ban all kiwi refs and put the Oz refs on notice. 

Do NOT expect any official action by the kiwis. 

Moolaa

I normally say very little about referees - but it seems to me that the  Jaguarers was cheated out of the game,   Note it involves a team not from SA.     

O'Keefe is a youngster greenhorn, inexperienced at this level so it appears...prejudiced I don't know, God forbid but it certainly left that impression...the Jaguares would have scored at least once or maybe twice with a balanced ref. Two or 3 times they were penalised unfairly when towards the end the Landers fumbled. What the ref was seeing is everyones guess.

Mike is right, how can one be happy with this standard of adjudication and then the whole panel is NZ referees. This is not acceptable and totally unfair.

It is this type of selection of ref's that make us cynical and distrusting to a fault...super rugby should be reffed by northern hemisphere refs, especially at crucial stages.

Oaks please don't upset mooooo with the facts. 

...notso clevermike is upset his Rankers picks were a disaster this weekend...thoughts and prayers..

...not soclevermike, the Aussies are blowing up about the enormous one sided penalty count 11 -2 against the Tahs in Joburg...and the Skosan try that came from a massive forward pass from Whitely to Marx...typical shady as fk SA refere eing they're saying......shall i tell them they're dreamin'...?

Brycy

The Lions got some "home field" calls yesterday from the worst ref in SA.

For one thing, there was a huge forward pass to Marx that resulted in a try. As you mentioned.

Nigel Owens will always stand head and shoulders above these plonkers.

The bottom line is that there are two linesman, one ref and a TV ref. They still miss way too many rudimentary calls. They one missed call yesterday cost the Tahs valuable points. 

The only way to move forward is with a referral system. 

If a team has too many decisions overturned then there should be consequences. They're(refs) administrators. I don't watch rugby to see them.