Just found the following article in the New Zealand Herald. Written by Peter Bills.
It’s official.
The All Blacks are treated differently by referees from either of their Tri-Nations opponents. The statistics from the first five games of this year’s competition show a staggering difference in the ratio of penalties per yellow card. Suspicions are rife in South African rugby that the All Blacks get a special deal, are favoured whether subconsciously or consciously by referees.
Now, the figures seem to prove the point. South Africa are the most regularly penalised, conceding six penalties per yellow card. The Australians’ figure is remarkably similar – just seven a card. But by the same calculations, the New Zealand tally is incredible.
Official figures show they incur 43 penalties a yellow card, more than seven times the figure of the Springboks. This appears to reveal at best an extraordinary imbalance in the way the three countries are refereed and at worst, a complete lack of consistency by match officials in their dealings with each Southern Hemisphere nation.
It also seems to bear out the view of certain Springbok officials that there is one law for the All Blacks and another for their rivals. Australia’s former World Cup winning coach Bob Dwyer says it is difficult to argue with the facts.
He also calls the All Blacks’ form this season scintillating, yet his detailed analysis offers a highly revealing insight of much value to Peter de Villiers’ men as they prepare to try to halt the All Blacks’ juggernaut in Johannesburg this weekend. “Just as the All Blacks value the necessity of quick ball for their own attack, they clearly recognise the threat that opposition quick ball poses to their defence. “In fact, I thought the All Black defence was unusually vulnerable to attack from quick ball, as evidenced by two quite simple Springbok tries in their second test in Wellington and a few similar efforts by the Wallabies.
They strive, therefore, to limit such recycles from their opponents. “There is nothing wrong with that so long as they do so within the laws of the game. It is here that I, and many others, question their tactics. Black- jerseyed tacklers finish on the ground, on the wrong side of the ball, so often, that I can’t believe that it’s by accident.
“This prevents their opponents from arriving quickly to support their teammate and allowing other All Black support players to attack opposition ball on the ground. Further, opposition scrum-halves are having difficulty getting in close to clear the ball and are forced to ‘lift’ the ball for their pass to clear All Black bodies. “This slows down the clearing pass and gives valuable time to the defence. And it’s illegal.”
The Australian also highlighted what he called New Zealand’s “outrageously offside” positions when they enter the breakdown on their own ball. “All players play their part, and while McCaw, Franks and Smith have been serial offenders, Kieran Read has recently perfected his technique also. It is dramatically effective and frequently brings tries – and it’s illegal.”
Read more of Bob Dwyer’s views at: www.bobdwyerrugby.com
Ek wou comment to besluit ek maar daarteen. Nou nou is ek weer in die k@k
@ Rugby_Princess: I agree with you…even the UK is a litigous society now. So…one should let jungle justice on the field prevail, if a guy lies on the wrong side of the ruck you should be allowed to clear him out…but they are trying to regulate everything too much. If we had less rules, this wouldnt even be a problem. Daft innit.
@ Ashley: hello Ashley, just so you dont feel bad.
@ Rugby_Princess: I agree, but sad thing is, our rugby bosses and coaches was born with this “brilliance” 🙂 Like I said before…they are easy prey, and the media knows it. What sells beter…I boring storie, or one full of PDV newest quotes for example? 🙂
litigious….sorry
@ McLook:
Actually I beg to differ (ever so politely though), all is not fair. What about winning with honour, without sledging, without trying to influence the ref before you even take the field ? What is wrong with winning because, simply, you are the best on the day for those 80 minutes ?
Honestly I do not envy today’s refs – I trained to referee A Grade Netball & being MARGINALLY height challenged was generally shorter than everyone I was supposed to be “controlling”. I remember a senior ref once told me to whistle everything for about the first 20% of the game & once you had the players attention, ease into playing the advantage rule – as a short a*se it was the best advice I ever got 😀
31 @ rugbybal:
Waaroor was jy nou weer in die k@k?
@ 4man:
Agreed – Rucking seemed pretty efficient at solving the problem of players flopping or foraging on the wrong side of he ruck 😉 I actually recall hearing George Gregan complaining to Kaplan about being rucked. Rather than being interested in the “Rucker” he said to the “Ruckee” was “well, stay on your own side of the ruck & you wont have that problem !”
Classic moment 😀
@ Rugby_Princess: Gregan was another past master at getting the refs ear. Then you got guys like Ollie le Roux who were prepared to take the rucking to get the advantage of slowing the ball down….but on balance law of the jungle is a good one. All sport currently has lost touch with value systems and trying to regulate it is an indictment of our societies. But I’ll have you a wee bet we pip you on Saturday 😉
@ bos_otter:
Yes, but your “bosses & coaches” are paid to do a job – just like any other coach. They need to “suck it up” & get on with the job they are paid to do. Make no mistake, I am not singling your “bosses & coaches” out as the ONLY purveyors of “k*kpraat” (not sure about that spelling).
GH has had his fair share of stepping in the pooh, but he has done it more with actions than his mouth – remember the famous “Rotation Policy” ? However, I really like his “do the right thing” approach – when & where I grew up that genuinely was the MOST important thing.
The best rugby story I read today was about Bakkies visiting the little chap in hospital & being asked about his yellow cards 😀 I am sure they will both remember that moment for some time to come 😆
31@rugbybal:
ja dis beter…. zippit! anders kom daar weer groot twak! hahahaha :-))
@ 4man:
Gregan also ddi not know when to shut up – so you remember the time Kaplan reversed a penalty because Gregan would not stop whining ? My dad’s heart nearly gave out he was laughing so hard 😆
Wasn’t Ollie the one who took the “having a word in your ear” a bit too far ? 😉
I agree about the value systems – Government’s legislating our choices away & Political Correctness has been carried on way over the hill & far away !
Saturday I have bet on faith but honestly believe it could go either way. I think composure will play a significant role – for both teams & the ref !! 90’000 rugby fans will be deafening on their own – I hope there are no Vuvuzelas though (sorry) else how can the players hear each other or the ref ?
@ Rugby_Princess: I totally agree. I’m not blamming the media, just the suckers who keeps falling for those traps obviously set to catch them out. Thing is …GH moaned like crazy after their defeat last year…he said we don’t play nice rugby and what what…you could actually see the bloke fuming after each game they lost. He moaned so much, they changed the breakdown laws. Funny how it’s ok to moan and stamp your little feet when certain individuals do it hey?
Do agree with the Bakkies storie….he must still be grinning abd I bet that really got him thinking 🙂 He must have blushed..can’t imagine what he would look like, but it should be a funny thing to see.
@ Rugby_Princess: Hate the Vuvuzela…I also hope they don’t allow them :silly:
Good people, be careful when criticising “the media”, for the line has been drawn and the curse has been cast. (Thanks Bob)
The line between us the public, and “the media” has if not completely been errased, then certainly been blurred forever by blogs like RT, Facebook etc.
We are the media now.
And no amount of bleating about no formal training, only being sports lovers chatting etc will change it.
So, if anyone here or on any other blog raises his hand against the lack of objectivity, insight, knowledge call it what you like of any mediaman or woman, let them apply the same standards in their posts and threads here first, I say!
Less we believe you to be doubleminded, my good man….
Bos
NZ have played running rugby since the beginning of time – it is what we find exciting & as with all things beauty is in the eye of the beholder 😀 I don’t recalling him stamping his feet though & am fairly certain he has not done anything so undignified since he was a wee little boy – he is an ex-Headmaster after all 😆
Perhaps you find chip & chase mixed with some bash & crash a delight to observe & that is absolutely your right, just not my (or Ted’s) cup of tea is all I am saying.
Look, I don’t think Bakkies is a bad man – I do think he has impulse control issues though. I did like his response … something along the lines of having to do homework now while he waits his turn 😆
biltongbek wrote:
nee darem nie op die oomblik nie, maar wou comment op ‘n sekere persoon se post. Sy het haar vantevore vir my gewip. So toe bly ek maar stil.
@ fender:
You are forgetting the “no accountability” rule (as long as you have your fingers crossed) though !
Rugbybal, jou balbeheer word grootsliks wardeer! 😉
@ fender: huh? sorry, but I don’t agree. Media is n sick bunch of bastards that will stop at nothing to discredit or destroy you just as long as it means they have a storie to sell. They make peoples lives hell…go ask any TV star. For them it’s all down to freedom of speach.Think of me as doubleminded if you like, but don’t compare me to them.
Am really shocked at those stats, but you cant blame the kiwi players, but the refs are a different story.
Hello Ms Trees 😀
I hope McCheat gets penalized on Saturday. They say they play within the law, obviously they have a different set in NZ. Anyone who disagrees with me, have a look at the video that Morne posted.
Hello RP, how lovely to see you. ::-):
#50 Bos,
I believe you to be a good and honest media person. And really there are still quite a few of us around. 😉
#53 Rugbybal,
Oeps! Da drop jy nou net die bal….damn!
A blogger on keo posted a loose trio (think its called that) of
6 Stegman
7 Deysel
8 Alberts
and i thought it was a really brilliant tough group that could do damage.
fender wrote:
Ek kan myself net nie help nie 🙂
@ Rugby_Princess: you are taking what I say to literally about stamping feet, and I also never said that I prefer the kick and chase game. My provincial team in South Africa is the Cheetahs who play the same style of running Rugby as the Kiwi’s. We all love a fast paced game ect, but the Boks just don’t have the pace the Kiwi’s have, so you can’t blame us for playing and concentrating on our strengths. There is no right or wrong way to play the game when it comes to that, just the way that brings a win at the end of the day. NZ and all the other nations couldn’t find a way to counter us back then, which is why everyone was up in arms over our style of play.
PUMA if you read this, i found a way quite by accident of correcting spelling errors, just right click the red line under the word and some options come up. Was very chuffed with myself.
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