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Cardiff crowd got to Nic Berry claims former Scotland skipper
A former Scotland captain believes that the crowd in the Principality Stadium influenced Australian referee Nic Berry during Wales’ win over the Scots in Cardiff.
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A clutch drop goal from Dan Biggar secured a 20-17 win for Wales over Scotland in a thrilling Six Nations round game. While many think the Welsh were good value for the win, some of Berry’s calls were a topic of debate in the aftermath.
Former Scotland captain Rory Lawson said he believed that Berry was influenced by the raucous crowd and it was enough to swing the game in Wales’ favour.
“The influence that this crowd has on the players, I think they grow, they have an element of having a superhero costume on underneath their strips,” said on Rugby Union Daily podcast.
“But I also think it influences the officials and Nic Berry, and I feel that in a game that is as close as that… those small decisions from the officials make a big difference. When you actually break it down and pick through the bones of everything, it’s been a game that’s been decided across a small number of moments that have added up.”
The score was tied at 17-17 with 13 minutes left when Biggar’s rival No.10, Finn Russell, was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on – moments after Biggar had struck an upright with a long-range penalty.
“Whether you talk about the Dan Biggar drop goal, I think if Scotland had won you could have easily looked at a penalty 20 minutes in when Wales, I think it was Jac Morgan, went into kickchase before it had been played onside. Those are the moments that you forget about when it comes to the 80th minute but as they accumulate across the game, they all play a massive influence.”
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“When you get that warning, you understand that you’ve got to be squeaky clean and that means you lose intensity in and around that breakdown,” said Lawson. “Those little fine margins that you’d maybe have a little nibble that isn’t going to get you penalised but might slow the ball down by half a second which gives your defence half a second longer to get organised.
“As it is, they just held off those and it gave Wales the opportunity to potentially win the collision, get slightly better ball and generate that momentum that in a game of such fine margins, you’re looking at the minutiae of the influence that that has. I think it had an influence.
“Scotland were on the wrong side of a purple patch whereby Wales could generate some momentum and it came about early from that warning and Scotland didn’t do enough to wipe the slate clean with Nic Berry, whereby they spent five minutes in the Welsh 22 and then start planting some questions in his mind about the Welsh defence or a yellow card. That was always there and it just continued to manifest itself in their actions, and there was a marginal drop in intensity.”
– additional reporting AAP
Comments on RugbyPass
Hey Finn, Well done to the Junior Wallabies…a win is a win but it was a wet and scrappy game. Would be interesting to hear your opinion on two things from watching the game at the Not So Sunny Coast Stadium. Firstly, what is your opinion on the rule change of being able to call The Mark from a kick off and what is the reason for the change? Secondly, your thoughts on the lack of action for the high tackle on the SA fullback. I understand the TMO ruled that he had fallen into the tackle and the tackler didn’t have time to adjust but it was clearly shoulder on head and the Aussie 11 had not made any attempt to adjust his tackle height leading into the tackle. In my opinion he was never going to get his tackle technique correct to complete a safe tackle. If that tackle was made at a more senior and more scrutinised level would we have seen the same result?
2 Go to commentsI don’t think this has been ventilated enough. Discuss. Perhaps the lessons in all of this is that, in the game of life, one should do all the talking on the field of play. And in the game of rugby, what’s said on the field - stays on the field. Take care of yourselves. And each other.
31 Go to commentsLow skills compared to the Junior ABs. The ball handling and ball retention of the SAns in particular was utterly woeful. The latter will be better on home turf.
2 Go to comments1. Heard this so often over the yrs. One Warriors CEO even claimed future kids wouldnt know which came first, the ABs or the Warriors. Always keen to talk themselves up. 2. That fella Barakat who says he will drop HBHS sponsorship because HBHS quite rightly wants its players to focus on rugby is an odd fit as a sponsor in the first place. As a recruitment official for the Warriors he seems to regard his sponsorship as a paid licence to help to select players from HBHS for the league side. Maybe he should find a league school to fund.
1 Go to commentsNZ U20s are the team to beat this year for sure. And how nice after so long that NZRFU is actually taking this seriously. For far too long they have been sending woefully coached and woefully underprepared teams to the U20 WCs. That Wrampling boy is a star in the making.
2 Go to commentsI agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
2 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
31 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
31 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
31 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
31 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
31 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
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