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Bristol fans are livid after 'shocking' refereeing performance in Premiership semi-final
Bristol’s first finals appearance in the Premiership since 2007 has come to a somewhat disappointing end, with Wasps running out to a 47-24 win in Coventry.
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The final margin was probably not an overall fair reflection of the match, with the home side scoring some opportunistic tries despite being under the pump for lengthy periods of play.
While there should be no doubt that the victors were the better team on the day, playing more suitable knockout rugby and making the most of their comparatively limited territory and possession, Bristol fans were understandably aggrieved at the standard of officiating throughout the match.
Referee Matt Carly was fairly lenient when it came to policing the offside line, which hampered the Bears’ running game, but it was one particular decision early in the final quarter of the match that really had Bristol supported up in arms.
At the 60 minute mark, both teams had managed two tries – Malakai Fekito and man of the match Jack Willis for Wasps, and Luke Morahan and Harry Randall for Bristol. The home side had pulled ahead to a 26-12 lead, however, on the back of some expert goal-kicking from Kiwi import Jimmy Gopperth.
Wasps were pressing hard on Bristol’s line, looking to make the fatal blow, and were awarded a penalty. While Carly explained the penalty to the Bears, Wasps halfback Dan Robson took a quick tap behind the referee’s back and darted over the line for a try.
This caught EVERYONE off guard ?
Dan Robson takes a quick tap-and-go penalty to put further distance between the two sides…#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/CalWOjqPkG
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) October 10, 2020
Despite the fact that the tap was taken well away from the mark and that the Bristol players were occupied by Carly’s lengthy explanation, the try stood, and Gopperth’s conversion took Wasps 21 points clear.
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With the game all but out of reach, the Bears started pushing passes and playing helter-skelter rugby – which only made things easier for Wasps.
Bristol fans were devastated at Carly’s decision to award the try – as well as a number of other 50/50 calls that seemingly fell the way of the home side. They took to Twitter to vent their frustrations.
That @WaspsRugby try should not stand. If I was a @BristolBears fan, I would be incredibly aggrieved by that. Matt Carly was talking to the players. Not good. #WASvBRI
— S J Hammerschmidt ?????? #StopRacism (@sjhammerschmidt) October 10, 2020
So apparently it’s now ok to score a try while the ref is still talking to your defence ? ? #WASvBRI
— Abbie (@abswhelan) October 10, 2020
Referee has spoilt this game. Wasps were good but ref dominates throughout with terrible calls and no balance in play. Shocking! #WASvBRI
— Jenks (@GrizzlyJenks) October 10, 2020
Ref has been shocking today! Absolutely shocking! #WASvBRI
— Lew ?? (@wheellew93) October 10, 2020
Did the ref genuinely stop Randall taking a quick tap there 2 minutes after that absolute shower of a try was awarded?!
Honestly, he needs to be held accountable for his performance today. Awful reffing, literally cost Bristol at least 17 points. Disgraceful.#WASvBRI
— Tom (@Tom___9) October 10, 2020
This is the worst reffed game I’ve seen since the restart #WASvBRI
— Tia (@TiShrimp) October 10, 2020
Carley has had an absolute shocker, no where near good enough for a playoff game. #WASvBRI
— Jacob Jenkins (@jacobieuan) October 10, 2020
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Nice to see some Bristol heart there. This ref has actively worked against us and we’re shoving it back in his face by not giving up. Disgraceful appointment of an official for such a big game #WASvBRI
— Jenks (@GrizzlyJenks) October 10, 2020
Wasps scored two further tries to balloon the score out to 47-12 – both excellent long-range efforts – before Bristol fought back late in the game with two tries of their own.
Despite the loss, Bristol still have a chance at silverware this season, with the European Challenge Cup on the line next weekend. Wasps, meanwhile, will play Exeter in the Premiership final in two weeks’ time.
Comments on RugbyPass
Well that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
2 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
2 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
2 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
19 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
19 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to comments