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Exeter highlight change to Premiership refereeing since Wayne Barnes came out of quarantine
Exeter boss Rob Baxter believes the style of refereeing being applied in the Gallagher Premiership has changed since the return of veteran Wayne Barnes. The penalty count rose to a high of 174 in the second round of restart matches, an average of 29 per game.
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However, with Barnes now available again following his 14-day quarantine after a holiday in Spain and with teams getting more used to the reemphasised breakdown interpretations, the number of penalties conceded fell to 131 in the most recent series of matches, a more acceptable average of 21 per game.
It’s a decline that Baxter suggests could ultimately impact on the visible restart trend of teams frequently kicking to the corner off penalties and scoring off the ensuing lineout mauls. “It’s slowly changing, like we saw in New Zealand,” said Baxter, recalling how high penalty counts in the opening rounds of the Super Rugby Aotearoa declined as that tournament went on.
“When I say mixed interpretation, there has been a learning of what has gone on there. Even in the southern hemisphere, you saw an over-amount of penalties being given.
“That allowed the referees to sit down and actually analyse exactly what was happening. Was the balance what the tackler was doing or what the defensive team was doing, was that being aligned correctly with what the attacking team was doing?
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“Over two or three weeks you have seen that alignment slightly change now where teams are actually starting to realise that just getting into a breakdown can actually mean there is a danger of you giving away a penalty as winning one. That is what we are starting to see now, those penalty counts starting to even out a little and a little bit more flow to the game.
“There are quite strict regulations and rules around the defensive team getting in on the ball and what has happened, probably since Wayne Barnes’ reintroduction, is you need to be good as a defensive team first before he is going to reward you so you have seen more not rolling away penalties, more non-release penalties which have made a more fluid game happen.
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“Because we saw a lot more penalties in the early rounds of the restart due to the mixed reactions around the officiating of the breakdown, that creates more opportunities to kick to the corner because there are more penalties. So it could well be the maul is scoring more points and becoming a bigger part of the game… it could just be the weight of penalties is creating a scenario that may slowly ebb away as everything settles down around the breakdown.”
Referee Barnes missed the opening two restart rounds but has since taken charge of the games between Bristol-Exeter and Bath-Wasps, with the Friday night meeting of Worcester-Bristol his latest appointment. Exeter, along with Leicester have conceded the least amount of penalties in the four rounds of matches since the restart, the tally of 39 contrasted wildly with the likes of Bristol who have conceded 59.
So concerned were Sale’s play-off rivals by the initial high figures that Steve Diamond would only permit three of his players to contest the breakdown in last Saturday’s win over Bristol, the Sharks conceding just six penalties compared to totals of 16 and 18 in their first two games back.
POST-LOCKDOWN PENALTIES CONCEDED TABLE
39 – Exeter (11, 13, 6, 9), Leicester (17, 8, 8, 6)
43 – Gloucester (9, 11, 12, 11)
45 – Northampton (7, 12, 12, 14)
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46 – Bath (9, 15, 9, 13)
47 – Saracens (10, 16, 9, 12)
50 – Wasps (9, 11, 17, 13)
51 – London Irish (9, 21, 10, 11)
52 – Sale (16, 18, 12, 6)
56 – Harlequins (11, 15, 15, 15)
59 – Bristol (17, 17, 14, 11)
60 – Worcester (13, 17, 20, 10)
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— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 3, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Not sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
24 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
1 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
24 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
24 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
11 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
3 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to comments