Our friend and fellow blogger, Ashley, felt strongly enough about the issue to send me the following Article to publish… this is his view on the matter and he asks certain rather interesting questions.
Here are his thoughts:
Has the hierarchy at New Zealand Rugby at last lost faith in their team? Have they (or at least some powerful individuals) at last reached a stage where they no longer believe that their team can win the World Cup on their own steam?
Well, from where I’m sitting it certainly seems to be the case.
Was it really a coincidence that referee (is it fair to call him that?) Bryce Lawrence was given the most crucial Group C match? Is it coincidence that he had an “off-day” and through sometimes strange decisions knocked the strongest of the Group C contenders right into South Africa’s path?
Well, if you look at the incident on its own, then yes, this can in fact be seen as only that …. a coincidence.
Everyone now and then has an off-day, so why shouldn’t referees have one? They’re human after all, aren’t they? Bryce Lawrence admits as much when he said that he “might’ve made a few errors” that “might’ve cost Australia the game”.
But was it really that, just a coincidence? I certainly don’t believe so. Wouldn’t it have made it that much easier to manipulate a game when you’re almost assured that there wouldn’t be much to choose between two teams from the start?
Then Bryce Lawrence, although he changed the whole complexion of a Group, get (yet again) the most crucial Quarterfinal Match (from a New Zealand perspective anyway) and (another coincidence?) had yet another off-day, knocking the strongest of the two contenders out of the World Cup and out of New Zealand’s way!
Problem for Bryce Lawrence was the difference between the two teams on the day was not marginal as expected (although the scoreboard suggests that).
The margin between the two teams was huge, making “what needed to be done”, that more obvious.
Now, where’s my proof for all this. Where is my proof that there’s a puppet master behind the scenes pulling strings to ensure that the monkey gets off New Zealand’s back?
This is where it becomes sticky and the thing is, I don’t have any proof, just as we wouldn’t have had any proof New Zealand and Australian officials were out to get us, had we not wrongfully received that infamous “Get the Japies”-email.
Now, I hear someone say, “they could’ve had a change of heart” and / or “that was way back in the 90’s, surely it can’t be true anymore?”. Well, do the way we were treated since then suggest that our alliance counterparts had a change of heart?
Does the lengthier bans of our players for similar offences than their New Zealand / Australian counterparts suggest they had a change of heart?
“But this is a World Cup” I hear someone say, “surely no-one can be accused of not being impartial?”
Well, does the way the boss of Referees, Paddy O’ Brien, has treated our National side, our coaches, our officials over the last few years even suggest that he’s impartial in any way?
No! How about him visiting the New Zealand side after their match against Italy to apologize in person for the way Australian referee Stuart Dickinson officiated that game.
Why do I find that strange? Try and talk to anyone at the IRB about a referee’s performance and you’ll get the normal “we do not discuss the performance of referees” –response, but when it comes to his beloved New Zealand, it doesn’t seem that the same rules apply.
Or how about a South African journalist, when trying to get hold of O’Brien during the 2010 Tri-Nations tournament, is told that O’Brien would not talk to any journalists during the tournament?
Well, in the same week he gave an audience to New Zealand journalists.
Now, when you experience that from those who need to be impartial, the question immediately arises whether there might perhaps be others who misuse their powers “to get you”, how can you not see something sinister in “coincidences” like the Bryce Lawrence ones?
This is a sad day for me indeed, I’ve been (because of our South African history) a staunch All Black supporter for a long, long time and here I (and I think many others too) believe, even before New Zealand has one hand on the trophy, that they would’ve succeeded in this World Cup mainly because of the unfair efforts of some people behind the scenes.
ben @ 27
nee ek het nie!!
maar ek het!!
o,
@ The_Young_Turk:I would agree with your alien theory if it wasn’t for the fact that I am convinced that if an alien ship did have the awful bad luck of happening to stray into New Zealand territory, it would have, as have the NZ nation themselves have, found the sheep far more attractive and abducted them instead. I therefore find your theory seriously flawed.
@ Just For Kicks:
Your mistake is that you think as an earthling. The aliens think the opposite. They are some Really ugly mofos and the most unattractive inhabitants to us would be the most attractive to them.
There is a VERY LOGICAL AND REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR EVERYTHING. Which I will explain when I return from Ocean Basket where my 9 year old daughter and i are going to consume vast amounts of those little creatures that crawl around on the bottom of the ocean.
Good evening EARTHLINGS!
grootblousmile wrote:
hallo julle ou fosiele, julle dink nog die wereld gaan julle like deur nice te wees.
Enigiemand nuus gekyk?
Nee , seker nie. Nou wel jul oningeligtes, die hele wereld kook en se nou blatant dat Bryce NOOIT ooit weer n toets moet blaas nie. Ja dit is waar ek my in vasgeloop het vanaand toe ek na n harde dag se werk by die huis instap, dit was op die nuus, inderdaad ou nuus want ek praat van Sondag af daaroor.
Julle weet ek voel soos n menings vormer, (lekker windgat ne) want ek huiwer nie om n ding te se nie, en nou praat die hele Rugby wereld saam. Maak jul oe oop ek belowe jul, ek kan erken as ek gebeat is en ek kan n span gelukwens wat verdien om te wen , ek is nie n slegte verloorder nie, maar ek is n onafhanklike mening en ek se dit soos ek dit sien. Ek hoef nie verskonning te vra oor wat ek se nie want dit is my reg om te se hoe ek voel.
As R-T wil sag wees op sekere mense se gevoelens , so be it, maar solank ek n stem hier het sal ek my se , se.
Ek sou baie graag vir Saint hier gehad het NOU, hy praat ook uit die vuis uit en is nie n naprater nie. Die vonke spat gewoonlik waneer hy praat.
36 @ superBul:
Met wie baklei jy nou ou Bees?
Jouself?
@ grootblousmile:
Nee check maar net of my maatjies al bygekom het
38 @ superBul:
As jy deur die wasem van jou woede kan sien, wat ek betwyfel, sal jy sien daar’s so paar Artikels op R-T oor Bryce Lawrence… ja wragtig so…. wat met hom die spot dryf en hom kritiseer… hel jy staan selfs nou hier op ‘n Artikel wat Bryce in die middel van ‘n Conspiracy Theory plaas.
Maar nouja, moenie dat ek jou steur in jou woede nie… hou net jou hartpille naby… terwyl jy op jou enigste snaar tokkel.
Intussen beweeg ek solank maar aan na hopelik ‘n blinker Springbok toekoms….
grootblousmile wrote:
Maar die ondertoon van die artikels is n grap , wel dit is hoe ek dit interpreteer. Maak n grap oor die ding, aliens en sulke stront. Die blikslaers is nie van outer space nie , noem hul op die naam en kry hul uit sodat ons berusting kan vind.
Deur dit af te lag speel ons net mooitjies in hul hande , “die Japies skree so vir n week of twee”, dan voeter ons maar aan met ons gang, se ou Bryce en Kie.
grootblousmile wrote:
http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/news/newsid=2058608.html#talking+points
Kyk ou GBS ek wil berusting vind en die hele ding vergeet maar ongelukig word daar al 4 dae lank berigte oral oor die web geplaas wat maar net weer petrol op my vuurtjie gooi. Kyk ek weet nou al duidelik dat ons bedonner is, maar die arme span wat MY helde was, VM, FDP, MS, SB, JS, … almal word nou afgemaak as ouens wat n wedstryd of 10 te lank aangehou het. Victor was BRILJANT hy sou die naweek nog meer briljant kon wees nou is hy beroof , besteel en die anti VM clan is having a feast over his corpse. See my point, die bleddie ref het ons grootste dienaars van SA rugby van hul regtelike posisie as legendes ontneeem , die Moerland.
41 @ superBul:
As jy verwag dat die gemiddelde persoon gaan optree soos ‘n kind wat nie toegelaat word om ‘n sweet van die rak af te vat nie, en dan ‘n vloermoer gooi by die tille, dink ek jy maak ‘n fout.
Maar nouja, ons almal het ons eie manier hoe om die verloor te hanteer.
My manier is om die huidige tekortkominge van SARU en afrigterskant aan te spreek, om met ‘n poging te kom sodat beter kontraktering en strukture in die toekoms in plek gestel word…. sodat ELKE Toets belangrik geag word.
Joune is om jou vriende kwalik te neem dat hulle nie Snor-dissipels is soos jy nie, om die ref te blameer vir alles, om nie die Springbokspan se ooglopende een-dimensionaliteit raak te sien nie…
Dis seker ons elkeeen se reg om voort te gaan met sy opinie…
Die Springbokspelers wat by die Wêreldbeker was, is ongelooflike Springbokke… maar ons sal nie kan saamstem oor die manier wat hulle afgerig was nie.
So ek stel voor dat ek nie jou opinie verander nie, hel ek wil nie… ek sal my tyd mors. Netso dink ek jy moet my maar laat begaan met my opinie, want nie jy of Kersfeesvader gaan my van standpunt laat afsien nie. So jy kan maar ophou snedig en blatant beledigend wees teenoor my en teenoor die wat anders as jy dink en redeneer.
Superbul en GBS, is julle nie veronderstel om pelle te wees nie?
Moet nie dat hierdie kontroversiele situasie nou k@k maak met julle twee nie.
Komaan.
@ biltongbek:
Moenie worrie nie Biltong ek lewer mos komentaar op almal se berigte en ek verskil mos met baie van almal se goed, dit is tog waarom ons hier is om mekaar se menings aan te vat.
Ek het net nie so groot probleem met Peter nie en daar verskil ek en GBS, maar net soos hy sterk voel dat ons overall afrigters korps(of is dit CORPSE)swak resultate het teenoor die All Blacks sn, so voel ek ook. Maar maak dit dan net n fair assessment en moenie vir my vertel dat Snor die duiwel is nie. Die hele lot is treurig, gaan na Pick and Go en bekyk al ons afrigters se persentasies, laag man onaanvaarbaar laag.
Ek stem ons kan die beste span in die wereld wees, maar ons het al baie hieroor gepraat. Ons moet van skool vlak n mindset change he.
Dit is net NZ wat n goeie /beter wen ratio as ons het, Australia se laaste 3 afrigters is almal swakker as hul Suid Afrikaanse ewekniee. R Deans 58%, John Connoly 64% en Eddie Jones 57%
Robbie Deans het al die Aussies in 53 toetse afgerig
Die jaar is Deans 7/10
biltongbek wrote:
Ek bring maar net die kontroversiele onderwerpe te veel op. GBS will eerder dat die site dit los.
Aaagh manne ek like die side show, i had to share these comments
Murray #139 11:42 am Oct 13 2011
Typical SA ref bashing. Australia were clearly the dominant team and won on the day. The stats don’t tell the whole story. Only Wayne Barnes is a bad ref. No NZ ref is a cheat, only POCOCK. He is a cheat. People who blame Ritchie as a cheat should look at POCOCK. He slows the play of the ball without really attempting to get a turn over. But Aussie still is better than SA. But not Cooper. He is a poor man’s Carlos Spencer.
arthur flay #143 11:44 am Oct 13 2011
As an avid all black supporter we know all about incompetent inane english referees but for one of our own to let the game down like lawrence did is unbearable.South Africa deserved to win.Australia were lucky to have lawrence.
Noakes hints at ‘match fixing’
The ugly spectre of match fixing has been thrown into the ring as the fall-out over South Africa’s exit from the World Cup continues to boil over.
This follows after thousands of South Africans flooded an online petition to have New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence banned from the game, following his performance in Australia’s 11-9 quarterfinal win over the Springboks last Sunday.
Prominent sports professor and former Bok fitness advisor Tim Noakes has now challenged the International Rugby Board to launch an investigation into the Kiwi’s performance.
Noakes, head of the University of Cape Town’s Exercise and Sports Science Department, in a strongly-worded letter to the Cape Times newspaper spoke of “bent” science and a “predetermined outcome before kick- off”.
“When science is manipulated to produce a predetermined outcome, it’s called ‘bent’ science. Such science is usually directed by large commercial interest. When the outcome of a sporting event is predetermined, we call it ‘match-fixing’,” Noakes wrote in the letter.
“I am not saying that there was match-fixing, I am saying that the IRB must prove there wasn’t,” Noakes added.
The letter, which is sure to further stir the already emotionally and controversial outcome of a game, follows a world wide outcry and a petition to stop Lawrence from ever refereeing in a rugby game again.
Noakes said he did not want to sensationalise anything, but the South African public needed to know the truth about what lay behind the lack of decision by Lawrence.
Noakes said the referee’s inability to penalise illegal actions in at least three areas of the game could only be interpreted in one way – “that he [Lawrence] was benefiting personally by ensuring that the Wallabies would win the bent rugby match, the outcome of which was predetermined even before the kick-off”.
One of the actions not penalised was at the breakdown, in which Australian flank David Pocock put his hands in the ruck, which is not allowed.
There was also a neck charge and high tackle which should have led to yellow cards being issued, Noakes said. No cards were issued during the match.
“I think an injustice has been done and South Africa as a nation deserves the truth. There was something wrong with that game, it seems it was predetermined and the question is who is benefiting from it,” Noakes said in his letter to the Cape Times.
Noakes said the IRB could not ignore the game and had to launch an inquiry by an independent panel to explain the decisions not to grant penalties.
“I absolutely think the result would’ve been different. South Africa were the better team by 15 points, they would have absolutely won. They didn’t help their cause because they did mess up six scoring opportunities, but the nature of the game is once you are ahead you can open up and win.
“They were peaking perfectly and their fitness levels were ideal. That’s what makes this so unfortunate and makes the tournament illegitimate. The winner will know that they did not play one of the best teams in the tournament if not the best.”
…
come-on noaksie, admit it
you’ve read my RWC Conspiracy Theory!
47@ Ashley:
Interesting he mentions two possible yellow card instances, excuse me if I’m a bit dof have asked this question before : only saw a very shortzoomed in clip of what looked like a knee landing on Brusows head before he went off didn’t see who it was an couldn’t tell whether it was accidental or not but as there was not citing thought maybe I was seeing things but now I’m not sure the lack of a citing means that all was above board with this incident, can you or anyone else here shed some light on what happened there?
Hi ash, goodness you are really influential you have even managed now to convince the great Tim Noakes with your conspirancy theory
48 @ Bullscot:
I think it was Vickerman’s knee which did the damage on Brussow, but I tell you what, Brussow went into that match heavily strapped up anyway around the rib cage.
49@ grootblousmile:
Ok thanks gbs as I said didn’t get a proper view of it and with all the complaints that have been made was surprised to not see or miss much complaints of that incident. Anyway while I’m here; will be away so will try but probably not get much time on here through the rest of the World Cup so here’s BIG THANK-YOU for all the coverage you guys have provided of the World Cup has certainly helped keep us up to date, you and SuperBul deserve a medal.
bullscot @ 48
and that at the first try of posting an “article” nogal nê?
hmm,
makes me wonder …. maybe i could get paid to post in future?
51 @ Ashley:
Tell you what, I’ll give you R 10.00 for every 100 words… if you give me R 1.00 per 100 words for Articles placed from now on…
I’ve only placed 2768 Articles so far….
gbs @ 52
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa van djy nou wee yt?
het
djy al gesien bedelaars vra vi me’kaa geld?
#53 van = val
Springbok conditioning coach Neels Liebel has launched an outburst against Paddy O’Brien that may land him and SARU in hot water with the International Rugby Board.
According to the SuperSport website, Liebel allegedly claimed on Facebook that IRB manager of referees, O’Brien, had already won the World Cup for New Zealand.
Liebel, who – like the rest of the Bok management team – has been back in SA since last week, after South Africa’s quarterfinal loss to the Wallabies, posted on Facebook: “Thank you Paddy O’Brain (sic), you won the World Cup for New Zealand. Give the Boks a Kiwi ref and the Aussies v NZ a SA ref. A set up for Kiwi success…”
bloody hell, one of these days i may even consider charging an “appearance fee” …. just so you other poor souls may bask in my greatness!! 
….
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