Super Rugby Semi-Final: Waratahs vs Highlanders

[RoosTah]

Australian teams, especially the Waratahs are known as "****ly" which in other words means cheap shots and this Tahs team has been full of them, the Crusaders game a month ago comes to mind. They were lucky to even post 1 try, their were a string of forward passes in the build up. Watch Foleys inside ball to Hooper, its at least a meter forward.

Interesting to see that perception in NZ - that's pretty much how the South African teams are looked at over here, or the Queenslanders in Origin. I personally don't see us as any more "****ly" than other opposition (with the possible exception of JacPot, who has gotten into strife on more than a few occasions this season), but then I'm probably not the fairest judge of our boys lol.

I am disappointed there was a "controversial" referring decision that ruins a sweet victory for us and doesn't allow for the Waratahs, or their supports to just tip their hats to the far better team. But it was the right call and given a string of penalties leading up to the try Joubert was left with no choice. Hats off to Sanzar though, quality comments.

Like with any supporter group, there are reasonable ones and douchbags. I think you'll find there's more than a few fair and decent blokes among the Tahs fan base though - have a look at the Green and Gold Rugby Forum and you'll see most Aussies there have just tipped their hats to the Highlanders.

 

[austingtir]

Well in both cases - yours and the "Sydney Media" (a broad church - the Tele is worlds apart from the Herald in terms of balance) - the accusations of the "rub of the green" one way or the other are classic examples of confirmation bias. You hate the Aussie teams, and so focus heavily on the calls that go our way, whilst our media loves out teams and so focuses heavily on those that don't.

As always, the truth tends to lie somewhere in the middle. In a lot of ways both the right wing media and guys like you remind of Ricky Stewart in the NRL - the man is utterly irate whenever even the slightest call goes against him and will bleat and bleat about it till blue in the face, but never seems to recognise when things go his way.

Sport is all about swings and round abouts; some times it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't. You just need to work hard enough and play well enough that the balance of probability remains in your favour regardless.

Biased my ass, Im not even a Blues supporter but you watch that game back and tell me some BS wasnt going on!? The Kaino yellow in particular was outrageous.

 

[RoosTah]

Biased my ass, Im not even a Blues supporter but you watch that game back and tell me some BS wasnt going on!? The Kaino yellow in particular was outrageous.

I don't remember it to be honest, but as I said mate - swings and round abouts. Sometimes the calls go your way sometimes they don't. As for the yellow cards, they've been giving them out over all sorts of things that previously would have been considered just penalty offences all year, so it's clearly an edict from World Rugby.

 

[Kiwi_]

I wonder if this game will spell the end of Kearns commentary job? A lot of the inflamed feelings come from donks like Kearns chiming in with sickening bias. I used to feel sorry for Aussie and SA viewers having to listen to Mexted.

 

[RoosTah]

I wonder if this game will spell the end of Kearns commentary job? A lot of the inflamed feelings come from donks like Kearns chiming in with sickening bias. I used to feel sorry for Aussie and SA viewers having to listen to Mexted.

I doubt it. Biased "colour commentary" sadly seems to be a favourite with a lot of the Murdoch newtorks around the world. Have you ever heard Eddie and Stevo on Sky UK commentate a Kangaroos v England Rugby League match? It's so biased they make Kearns sound subtle. But they've been there for 20 years now. Although with them, I genuinely do feel sorry for them because England haven't beaten us in a series for almost 50 years, so you can understand their parochialism a bit lol.

That said, the worst commentary I've been exposed to is Channel 9's new cricket commentary team. Even most Aussies hate them. Have a read of this bit in the Guardian - explains just why they've achieved the rarest of rare feats - being too blokey and one sided even for Australians: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/feb/13/channel-nine-destroying-cricket-legacy

 

[austingtir]

My final thoughts on this game are that maybe the Highlanders arent getting enough credit for this win. To put the Tahs under so much pressure at home that they basically cracked within the first 20minutes is quite an achievement the flip side of that is that they didnt fully punish them for their mistakes..... They should really of been able to manage a much clearer victory for the repeated errors the Tahs were making and I hope going forward they can get a clinical edge to what they did in this match as tactically it was near perfect.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

I feel I need to get this on the record

I don't think it should have been a penalty try. I think he ended up getting hit in the head because his momentum had been arrested, I don't believe the hit to the head stopped him getting the ball over the line

Yellow card, fair enough ( as much as I disagree with the whole intent has nothing to do with it thing) but should have just been a penalty, let us score it the old fashion way

Just glad it didn't decide the game

 

[Tony Manx]

Everyone has the right to an opinion and that is what you have! The vast majority happen to disagree and the record says you are wrong! But you are still entitled to have the opinion!!

 

[Kiwi_]

I feel I need to get this on the record

I don't think it should have been a penalty try. I think he ended up getting hit in the head because his momentum had been arrested, I don't believe the hit to the head stopped him getting the ball over the line

Yellow card, fair enough ( as much as I disagree with the whole intent has nothing to do with it thing) but should have just been a penalty, let us score it the old fashion way

Just glad it didn't decide the game

Cringe.

He was hit in the head on his way too the line, he was literally MM's from scoring the try.

There's nothing legal in his actions and it prevented a try. There's no room for argument here. It's not an opinion, it's fact, the rules are there and the video evidence is there to support the decision Joubert made.

 

[austingtir]

I think if the players/coaches and maybe even a world wide poll was taken the majority would agree that the way we have started officiating these decisions this year is wrong.

I Believe their should be more of a clear malicious intent to receive the yellow card on top of the penalty try. This particular instance was debatable weather it was truly malicious (Id give him the benefit of the doubt).

For me it was a penalty try all day long (its Patrick Osbourne afterall who has been unstoppable from further out all season) but I really dont like these double whammy infringements unless its truly deserved and I just dont think this one quite justified it.

There used to be a thing where the officiating was harder during round robin type matches and then they sort of buttoned off a bit and let them go at it in semi's and finals I really think thats how it should be in important matches like this.

Broken record yes but I gaurantee the WC for atleast one team is going to be wrecked over a decision similar to this and their will be much bleating going on.

 

[Kiwi_]

The yellow card also came from continuous professional fouls from the Waratahs while we pressed their line.

A swinging arm to the face while he's on his way to the line is a no brainer, a non argument and not a controversial decision that can have an "opinion" or can it be left open to discussion.

If he was not punished or the penalty try given, how often would we see "accidental" swinging arms to the face while players go for the line.. Use your brains please.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

What did I tell you last week Kiwi_ if the Highlanders deserve to be there, the home ground advantage of the Tahs wont stop them, and there we have it.

It's also a good motivator for the Highlanders, they can beat a good team away from home - surely the Huricanes are next on their list

 

[nickdnz]

Anyone else notice a correlation between @Darwin being absent, and the Highlanders winning?

 

[Kiwiwomble]

I did say the yellow was fair enough as he did hit the head

I find the response by some people to a different viewpoint disappointingly nasty

I'm just saying a university education in physics tells me one object being struck at its end ( head ) perpendicular to its motion doesn't generally stop it dead, the half a dozen blokes hanging off him are a far more likely cause of him coming to a stop, it's not as if he was free and clear and caught a clothesline

 

[Kiwi_]

I did say the yellow was fair enough as he did hit the head

I find the response by some people to a different viewpoint disappointingly nasty

I'm just saying a university education in physics tells me one object being struck at its end ( head ) perpendicular to its motion doesn't generally stop it dead, the half a dozen blokes hanging off him are a far more likely cause of him coming to a stop, it's not as if he was free and clear and caught a clothesline

Sorry Jabby, you have to remember we endured a night of Kearns with his ******** and a whole day of hearing about this "controversial" decision in the media which sadly deflected a lot of the attention of how quality the Landers played.

 

[smartcooky]

The beginnings of this penalty try decision started, IIRC, back in June last year, with a shoulder charge on Cornel Hendricks by Liam Williams that resulted in a match winning penalty try to South Africa. There was another one just like it in the Hurricanes v Chiefs match a couple of weeks back.

I understand that some people have sympathy for what Potgeiter was trying to do, but I don't.

Why should the fact that an opponent is getting close to the goal line become a license for defenders to use foul play to stop a try being scored, i.e. to try to make up for their own lack of defence earlier on?

There is a directive from WR to clamp down on players attacking the head of opponents. The clampdown is in line with rugby getting serious about concussion. I would even have no problem if the upper limit for high tackles was lowered from "above the line of the shoulders" to "above the line of the armpits". We can't completely eliminate concussion from the game but we can to our best to ensure that we take action on the things we can do something about.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

I don't know how many times I have to say I agree it should have been a yellow...

My understanding is a penalty try is not a punishment for foul play, that's why they give the yellow

 

[austingtir]

I would even have no problem if the upper limit for high tackles was lowered from "above the line of the shoulders" to "above the line of the armpits". We can't completely eliminate concussion from the game but we can to our best to ensure that we take action on the things we can do something about.

What a load of utter barmy rubbish!!!!

And next we'll be ruling out tackles in the kidney area, the groin area, the little toe area..... need I continue. Smartcookie im sorry, but at some point you need to stand up and be a friggin man about it, this its not tiddly winks these boys are playing man!

 

[smartcooky]

What a load of utter barmy rubbish!!!!

And next we'll be ruling out tackles in the kidney area, the groin area, the little toe area..... need I continue. Smartcookie im sorry, but at some point you need to stand up and be a friggin man about it, this its not tiddly winks these boys are playing man!

NFL are currently facing a crisis, a MASSIVE lawsuit is in the offing, and I mean MASSIVE. We are talking billions of dollars. But the NFL is worth multi-billions and they could probably afford it. Our game cannot, and burying your head in the sand and pretending that everything will be just honky dory will not cut the mustard when the showdown comes, and come it will!

Rugby Union has to not only do everything it can, but it has to be SEEN to be doing everything it can, to minimise the risk of concussion. If that means turning rugby from a collision sport back into a contact sport then that is what they will have to do. It smacks of un-ringing the bell, and I am not even sure that it will be possible.

 

[Kiwi_]

Yep, we need to get over the "he'll be right" attitude we have, especially in NZ. I get where you're coming from austin, but be reasonable, regular concussions have a lot of effect on the human brain, look at boxers. McCaw I think has had 8+. Their later life will be effected.