The problem is how do you handle it? Brian Moore raised it earlier in the day Referee's use to have pre match briefings with coaches. The point being to explain any specific they were looking at and how they wanted the game to be played. Coaches started using the sessions to influence the ref by showing them video of the opposition and their interpretation telling the ref how to manage the game. So they had to be ditched.Fairish point but if his arguments had no substance his motives would be irrelevant. I do grant you that is he is trying to influence the ref (at least i believe he is), but he is trying and can only do because WR left a vacuum the size of a continent there in terms of interpretation.
Are the refs gonna call the off-sides at ruck this game? Who the **** knows?
Scrums? Let's flip a coin.
Tackles? Let's see how the refs woke up that day.
That level of uncertainty has consequences. These are some of those. WR created the breeding ground for these things to flourish. Now they cry foul when their own creations goes after them?
Don't expect my sympathy. In fact, i hope it grows.
I am not particularly happy about the consequences RE's words have on the tour. I am very excited about the consequences they could (potentially) have on WR.
Playing the ref and understanding their view of the game because rugby is a complicated to officiate has always been a apart of rugby. You'll never get standardised officiating especially at international level because of cultural influences on how the game is played. You think most French refs naturally turn out that rubbish? But you go to domestic levels and you'll find it more consistent the top English refs even though they aren't as good will manage a game more or less like Barnes because that's how they've been taught. Someone in NZ is taught by entirely different people and thus have another style.
We get the same in my industry there are usually 50 ways solve a problem and a person influences will likely dictate how that they decide to proceed. Its the same with all complex decision making which a lot of calls in rugby are.
Point is you can't fix it, you'll always get bum calls (and they should be called out but as noted there's only really one from the previous match) most refs are pretty consistent within a match. And the next ref will probably be to just not between refs.