I brought this article back for discussion after the first week of warm up games. Did the refereeing change your minds? Give us your opinions. I know we did not see all the games but from reports you can form a good idea how the Referees are blowing this year.
Rugby has undergone a major philosophical shift during the off-season with Sanzar’s referees driving changes in conjunction with the competition’s coaches.
Today’s preseason Super 14 match between the Hurricanes and Blues at Mangatainoka will be the first live test in New Zealand of new initiatives designed to restore the advantage to the attacking side and clean up the set piece.
New Sanzar referee’s manager Lyndon Bray has given The Dominion Post an exclusive insight into the first truly unified attempt between Sanzar’s players, coaches and officials to create a more free-flowing spectacle.
The key agreement is at the tackle where the tackler will no longer have unbridled rights to attack the ball, something players like McCaw have turned into a fine art.
“We’ve agreed philosophically to change what the tackler can and can’t do,” Bray said. “He is doing too much. We’ve allowed, in the evolution of the game, to let him remain in contact with the ball and ball carrier after he leaves his feet and he stays on the ball and jumps up and rips it away.
“It looks great in the one-on-one scenario, but it’s actually against the law. It creates in the game a repetitive scenario where the ball carrier ends up with no rights because he can’t do anything with the ball.
“The tackler inevitability gets the penalty which philosophically goes against what we are trying to achieve. We’ve agreed the tackler must release everything when he goes to ground and not hold on as he gets to his feet.”
The upshot will be more time for the tackled player to either pop the ball away to a support player or to place it back away from his body.
Players not making a clean release after the tackle and getting fully to their feet before going for the ball will be penalised.
Bray said the change was not just window dressing and was part of a unified approach to improve the game as a spectacle that is expected to be introduced in Europe for the Six Nations or the Heineken Cup.
The seeds of change were planted during a meeting last year between the referees and three coaches representing the Super 14 teams – Todd Blackadder (Crusaders), Rassie Erasmus (Bulls) and David Nucifora (Brumbies).
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“We came up collectively with the fact that we had to create a greater ownership for changes in behaviour and essentially that was around the technique used at the tackle and at scrum time,” Bray said. “We agreed that if we carried on doing the workshops we had in the past and came up with decisions on the run that the onus always came back to the guy in the middle with the whistle.
“We decided that wasn’t going to cut the mustard for 2010. We said we had to listen to the criticism of where our game is at and we have to produce a cleaner and more attractive spectacle.
“If our reason for existence is to have one of the best competitions in world rugby then we have to recreate time and space on the field and recreate the attack with confidence that we used to have in Super 14 … it means more control from the ball carrier and more control for the attacking team.”
The other major change is at scrum time where poor technique and illegal tactics have become a blight on the game. Three national scrum coaches – Mike Cron (NZ), Pat Noriega (AUS) and Balie Swart (SA) – will now monitor their respective country’s five franchises.
“If the Hurricanes scrum for example have poor technique or use a poor tactical technique in week one to disrupt the scrum we will be going in privately and saying you have a problem and we will use Mike Cron to deliver the message, which gives it teeth,” Bray said.
“We will expect a change of behaviour from them. If they don’t deal with it then we have the right and permission from teams to go public.”
The same consequences will apply to referees who are deemed to have got their interpretation wrong.
Changing Tack
Lyndon Bray will front a united Sanzar team of referees to monitor performance and interpretation during the Super 14 Coaches and players have agreed to a change of philosophy around the policing of the tackle and scrum.
The aim is to produce cleaner ball for attacking teams.
The tackler will no longer have unlimited rights to go for the ball.
The tackler must release the tackled player completely and get to their feet before they can go for the ball.
Scrum techniques will be monitored by a Sanzar panel of scrum coaches, Mike Cron (NZ), Pat Noriega (AUS) and Balie Swart (SA).
Offenders will get a remedial lesson from their country’s scrum coach.
Repeat offenders will be exposed publicly.
While on the subject of tighter monitoring of props in the new season, I was watching a press conference by Warren Gatland the other day. He was talking about the merits of various props & in passing he said that TH props were paid double the pay of LH props. Now everyone agrees that THs are key players to the scrum but surely LH props are worth as much to be able to combat & offset the power of a TH? How can you have a stabled scrum without a good LH?
I don’t understand the double standard. Both positions are key to scrums. Having played both sides I can attest to that. Is this true in SA & NZ, the THs paid double that of LHs?
59 – Super, Then it was a easy win for Oz.
Will go check those pics now.
59 – Super, Awesome those photos. Crikey that Lion is a beauty for sure. Would never want to face it though…hehe.
Some great pics there Super. Always click on your name now to look at the photos.
Your question about Fransie, No have not heard much at all.
61 – JimT, Howzit mate, how you doing?
61@ Jimmy the Prop – Quite frankly I think that world-wide there is a bit of a shortage in Tight Head props of true quality…. definately at my Bulls… and definately in SA as a whole.
The old supply and demand equasion comes into reconing as Franchises fight it out for the services of the few biggies to anchor the scrum properly.
Evening JimT,
They want to blow the props if they deviate from very strict criteria they try to implement. Really rugby is heading towards a breakaway game. We are making the game too soft.
63
Puma there was just the fence between me and that lion. I tell you i tried to be brave and hold my ground and click a great photo of a storming lion. But i am still afraid(bang gat) , that where the blur comes in.
67 – Super, Crikey that is now taking a huge chance, only a fence between you and that HUGE lion? Just looking at his eyes, he looks fearsome and his canine teeth…..haha.
They are magnificent animals. Seen them really close up at the Kruger a few times. Mostly at night though.
68
you win that Superbru and you are on your way to those lions. They are awesome.
Kemp sy paaltjie verloor, guns swaai nou weer in die Warriors se kant.
Justin Kemp out now , so the Warriors are back in it, i see a surprise coming.
Nog ‘n paaltjie 222/7, lyk nie of die Cobras hierdie een gaan maak nie.
71 – Super, Need to go and check it out. Hardly watch the domestic cricket but want to get into it more this year.
See we playing England again this year at Twickenham. Hope we send a full strength team. They will remember the hiding that got from us the last time and will want revenge.
53 van 30 balle, met Kemp daar sou hul dit nog kon gemaak het, nou gaan dit baie moeilik wees.
Okay out of here. Catch up tomorrow.
Even if it is only a friendly, looking forward to the game against Stormers and the Force.
Cheers all.
Die Titans moet nou net nie in dieselfde strik trap nie.
2 sesse sal die game weer verander
night Puma
I just read this guys blog. Every team was discussed. Here is his own team
The Lions Supporters
Lions supporters still live in the 1990’s which was of course a wonderful time for rugby in Johannesburg. The Springbok team which was well populated with Lions players won the World Cup and the Currie Cup found its way into the Ellis Park trophy cabinet on more than one occasion. The advent of professionalism and the decline of the Lions are however inextricably linked which should provide the management over in Doornfontein with some clues as to where the Union’s problems lie. It is common practice to describe Lions supporters as fickle and to point to the empty stands for justification but a more accurate description would be hopeful. Lions supporters are hopeful! Let’s face it when you lose your three best players and replace them with a New Zealand pensioner, a yellow card waiting for a place to be issued, and a few Bulls rejects what is left but hope?
My name is Rugby Guru and I am a Lions fan. It has been five thousand four hundred and forty two days since I saw the Lions play like Champions.
Ntini boul, game gaan nou terugswaai na die Cobras toe !
79: nou het ek jou uitgevang, weet nie wie jy is daarop supersport se blog. Toemaar, sal vir niemand sê nie. 😉
Dink die Cobras kan hierdie een nog deurtrek. ‘n Los ses en vier, dan is hul naby.
Ntini 60/1 in 7 beurte. Hy gaan vir meer as 7 ‘n beurt. As Warriors verloor …
nee jong ek was doer in die begin op Supersport maar vrek lanklaas daar.
Nie tyd vir almal meer nie.
Meer as 8 ‘n beurt.
Parnell moet alles regmaak aan die anderkant.
Ja, super, ek loer ook so nou en dan daar in.
83
Dis jammer maar dis verby, hy is te een dimensioneel en sy spoed is gone. Shaun Pollock het baioe variasie gehad toe sy spoed waai.
Ntini staan 13 af
Parnell staan 5 af.
Nou weet ons wie om te kies.
kyk nou die verskil tussen Parnell en Ntini
Nou vir die belangrikste over.
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