[June Tests 2018: 1st Test] New Zealand vs. France (09/06/2018)

[Bada-Bing!]

Start DMac at 15, give him kicking duties. Easy

Jordie took the long range kicks today, but BB took the ones within range. He missed so many conversions out wide. Can't see Hansen taking away the main kicking duties from B.B. this close to the RWC - seems to seen as part and parcel of the 10 for ABs and that would be a mistake. Dmac will likely be the man to cover 22 shirt and I think Bin Smith will be their starting 15 come RWC. I think NMS to 14.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

@hjklhjkl, a dislike really? You can't honestly argue that it doesnt happen. All dominant teams get the benefit of the doubt, England has had it, in football Real and Barca have it all the time. NZ do get it a lot of the time simply because they are a dominant team

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

********.
The example of Real Madrid & Barcelona is wrong. Correlation does not imply causality.
Big teams (not good ones) get consistently favoured, regardless of whether they are having a good season or not.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

********.
The example of Real Madrid & Barcelona is wrong. Correlation does not imply causality.
Big teams (not good ones) get consistently favoured, regardless of whether they are having a good season or not.

Maybe, but because the eden park/home ground factor does seem to elevate it i've always put it down to if the fans have an expectation of winning, then they will be more hostile and intimidating towards decisions against them (refs are humans and it does influence them)

 

[ratsapprentice]

No conspiracy just refereeing inconsistency bordering on incompetence.
If France's was a yellow that's a red

And we all know France's shouldn't have been anything.

 

[All Black]

We were the better team and we won so Im glad the refs got that much right.

The head clash was IMO accidental. Sam and Ofa didn't orchestrate it, there was no malice in it. Ofa got low enough to drive his shoulders around the mid-rift and you don't expect your average players head to be down that low. He must've been upright in that split second before Ofa decided to go in, how everyone wants you to go in.

We have seen accidents red-carded, usually as carelessness, but Ofa went into the tackle the correct way and its hard to red card someone for going in correctly. Also it did happen very fast for the ref to find a red card offence in that. It looked like an accident from the outset and I hope the French winger makes a full recovery.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

We were the better team and we won so Im glad the refs got that much right.

The head clash was IMO accidental. It wasn't orchestrated, there was no malice in it. Ofa got low enough to drive his shoulders around the mid-rift and you don't expect your average players head to be down that low. He must've been upright in that split second before Ofa decided to go in how everyone wants you to go in.

We have seen accidents red-carded, usually as carelessness, but Ofa went into the tackle the correct way and its hard to red card someone for going in correctly. Also it did happen very fast for the ref to find a red card offence in that. It looked like an accident from the outset and I hope the French winger makes a full recovery.

Yellow from Cane though.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

We were the better team and we won so Im glad the refs got that much right.

The head clash was IMO accidental. Sam and Ofa didn't orchestrate it, there was no malice in it. Ofa got low enough to drive his shoulders around the mid-rift and you don't expect your average players head to be down that low. He must've been upright in that split second before Ofa decided to go in how everyone wants you to go in.

We have seen accidents red-carded, usually as carelessness, but Ofa went into the tackle the correct way and its hard to red card someone for going in correctly. Also it did happen very fast for the ref to find a red card offence in that. It looked like an accident from the outset and I hope the French winger makes a full recovery.

It is still a card... It's the laws

 

[All Black]

It is still a card... It's the laws

I remember SBWs one against the Lions but that one had intent. A card it is but I'm happy that one got away because Im certain it was an accident. It might get reviewed but even then, I hope they see it for what it was.

 

[All Black]

Yellow from Cane though.

Might have to take another look at Canes arm. I saw it, but I was more focused on the head clash. At first glance, I didn't think it was too bad but I might've missed something.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Double skull fracture for Grosso after the shoulder to the head,
Citing commissioner will hopefully be busy on Monday

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Double skull fracture for Grosso after the shoulder to the head,
Citing commissioner will hopefully be busy on Monday

@All Black

 

[All Black]

@All Black

I hope they see it as an accident and let him off. Not confident either one will get off though

 

[BobbyM]

Dodgy English refs ruining the beautiful game

In real time it looks really unfortunate. There's no apparent intent from Ofa. He's in the right body position, using arms to wrap etc, it's more a case of Cane pulled Grosso down into the tackle. That'd be the one you might look at.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Dodgy English refs ruining the beautiful game

In real time it looks really unfortunate. There's no apparent intent from Ofa. He's in the right body position, using arms to wrap etc, it's more a case of Cane pulled Grosso down into the tackle. That'd be the one you might look at.

Kane was high anyway, but intent doesn't really matter cause there were two cardable offences anyway, head contact and leading with shoulder...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah there's an angle on Twitter and cane clocks him in the jaw,
I think it'll be a retroactive yellow for Cane and a couple of weeks ban for the other lad

It's vveerryy similar to the SBW one in the lions

 

[BobbyM]

The majority of tackles made in a game use a combination of shoulder and arm, as did Ofa's. Look at the arm and body position of the tackler (Ofa) and it is textbook, it couldn't be farther from SBW's in the Lions 2nd test last year. As above the seatbelt tackle from Cane may get looked at, which is fair enough.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Suppose,
End of the day it was a forceful shoulder directly to the head which has literally broken the guys skull,
If world rugby has any truth in their statements about making the game safer it can't go unpunished

 

[ratsapprentice]

End of the day it was a forceful shoulder directly to the head which has literally broken the guys skull,
If world rugby has any truth in their statements about making the game safer it can't go unpunished

Outcome over intent is bullshit.

It's a fundamentally dangerous game, people will get injured.

Maybe Cane get's a YC for a high tackle, but Tu'ungafasi did nothing wrong.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Outcome over intent is bullshit.

It's a fundamentally dangerous game, people will get injured.

He pretty clearly intended on shouldering him in the head though, the outcome is just the cherry on top

https://twitter.com/ShiplakeRugby/status/1005374783499001856