[2015 Super Rugby] Rebels vs. Chiefs (Round 12) 02/05/2015

[Larksea]

firstly I'd like to say I thought the Rebels defended superbly and played very well.

But this was the worst refereeing I've seen this year. Or for a long time, and bad in a way that was not consistent to both teams.

The yellow card on lowe was a joke, that was not a strike. What he did in that situation was actually very controlled and showed discipline and was just enough force to release his leg, nothing more and not malicious. If thats a yellow card then replay every ruck and card someone each time.... Actually Hika's strike earlier in the game was worse but that was nothing as well. IMO both situations were play on, at most warn the player but not even a penalty let alone a card.

That call was potentially a 10 point turnaround towards the rebels.

Messam deserved his yellow card it kinda looked like he sacrificed himself. But the officials missed 2 knock-ons a couple of phases before so it never should have got to that situation.

And at the other end of the field the Rebels gave away many penalties, there was even one movement where the ref renewed an advantage 3 times as the rebels slowed the chiefs ball at rucks and were continuously offside and it ended with Elsom clearly and deliberately coming offside to stop a chiefs play that would have ended in a try. Yet no card was given.

Just generally thought the game the officials seemed to miss subtle knock-ons the rebels made and not only pick up all the chiefs ones but also find some that simply weren't there.

This was a very important game for the chiefs, they would have really wanted to bank this one going into the bye then having a shot at the Canes for top spot.

To be 1 point short in aussie against an aussie team with an aussie ref, an aussie tmo and probably aussie touch judges as well. You could see they were visibly impacted by the way the officiating played out.

 

[Car]

To be 1 point short in aussie against an aussie team with an aussie ref, an aussie tmo and probably aussie touch judges as well. You could see they were visibly impacted by the way the officiating played out.

I really don't get how the ref or any of the refereeing staff can be from the same country as one of the teams. We got quite lucky there.

 

[austingtir]

Its all about saving money.... apparently. Im not sure this was a result of biased refereeing though. Incompetent is more like it.... Im not seeing anything that different to any other game this year this ref has just applied the same rules but with a microscope in front of his eyeballs.

When you gradually bring politically correct rules into the game that was just fine for a 100 years or so this what you end up with imo. This also applies to everyday life by the way if nobodys noticed.....

 

[SomeOke]

The rebels played well but on the balance didn't deserve to win, there's no arguing there were some bad calls at key moments. Am I imagining it or does this sort of thing seem to happen quite often when the Rebels play at home?

 

[MotherRucker1]

With Australian sides in general playing at home. The whole 'conference' structure already gives them an extra advantage that they wouldn't have got under the old system. A lot of poor calls have been going their way too. From what I've seen anyway. New Zealand is getting screwed hard under this whole format, the nonsense refereeing is just another brick in the wall.

 

[nzlizard]

I am actually watching less and less rugby each year now, largely due to the poor standard of referees.

2 years ago I used to watch every game played of Super, last year I mainly watched the NZ derbies and a few big games with non NZ teams, this year is pretty much the Chiefs and a few of the NZ derbies.

Still watch the highlights but not prepared to spend so much time to watch something only to have it ruined by poor refs.

This is not only me but a few of my rugby nuts friends are finding the same thing.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

First it was the South Africans with "Bryce Lawrence cheated" nonsense, now it's kiwis with the biased Aussie reffing nonsense.

Try not winning the Bledisloe for 11 years!! it's almost 20 years since the Wallabies won a world cup too. but don't let perspective get in the way of a really really important rugby game for the back to back ***le holders.

I was at the game, the Chiefs did not bring theirs and the Rebels did. move along. I am a Chiefs fan and they simply were not good enough in the end, only just too. The Chiefs squandered many opportunities through poor ball handling and McKenzie missed a crucial kick, that was the difference.

 

[Tony Manx]

First it was the South Africans with "Bryce Lawrence cheated" nonsense, now it's kiwis with the biased Aussie reffing nonsense.

Try not winning the Bledisloe for 11 years!! it's almost 20 years since the Wallabies won a world cup too. but don't let perspective get in the way of a really really important rugby game for the back to back ***le holders.

I was at the game, the Chiefs did not bring theirs and the Rebels did. move along. I am a Chiefs fan and they simply were not good enough in the end, only just too. The Chiefs squandered many opportunities through poor ball handling and McKenzie missed a crucial kick, that was the difference.

Totally agree about your comments on referees not being to blame. However, I am like @Lizard in watching less and less rugby annually .

For me it is because it is becoming boring with its conversion to League like defence orientation of bish bash bosh and hope for a mistake leading to a penalty and coaches seeing scrumming as only a penalty opportunity.

Matches have always been somewhat boring but they were interspersed with really good ones often enough to make you keep watching. The good ones are getting so few and far between that it is hardly worth it!!

 

[Car]

I also agree with both of you. What also bothers me is how predictable European rugby has become, but that's OT here.

 

[nzlizard]

I was at the game, the Chiefs did not bring theirs and the Rebels did. move along. I am a Chiefs fan and they simply were not good enough in the end, only just too. The Chiefs squandered many opportunities through poor ball handling and McKenzie missed a crucial kick, that was the difference.

I wasn't actually talking about this game, you are right the Chiefs weren't good enough and left it too late, but I could name 3-4 Chiefs games in the last 2 seasons where referring decisions cost them the match, you could do for this quite a few teams and that is the part that frustrates me.

While that may not seem like a lot of games for a successful team like the Chiefs that is the difference between 1st and 4th on the table, and for some of the fringe playoff teams that is a playoff spot.

And don't get started about scrums and the playing advantage rules.

 

[MotherRucker1]

Whether the Chiefs brought their "game" or not and whether the referees brought theirs are two separate conversations. I don't think anyone here has denied the former point.