Ref Watch: Springboks waterboy incident further threatens traditional rugby values
What do last weekend’s Gallagher Premiership refereeing debutant Sara Cox and a South African waterboy have in common?
On the face of it not much, but incidents involving the pair have in seven days reminded us about rugby union’s traditional values and the extent to which they are now threatened.
After she had won plaudits from all present at the Stoop last Saturday, Worcester Warriors and Harlequins presented the 31-year-old Devon-based official with signed jerseys to commemorate her history-making moment as English rugby’s first top flight female referee.
And rugby union’s traditional values – with respect for opponents and officials prominent – came across loud and clear in a post-match anecdote Cox shared with BBC 5 Live.
“I had a couple of players correct themselves,” she said.
“They said sir, then: ‘oh, hang on…ref.’
“It doesn’t bother me. I’m still happy for someone to open a line of communication with a respectful word at the start; it’s not about gender for me.”
Seven days and 10,000 miles separated this from another English official, Matthew Carley, being forced to stop an enthralling contest between New Zealand and South Africa to threaten the Springboks’ water-carrier with a red card as a result of his conduct towards the team of match officials.
Jacques Nienaber’s man-on-the-touchline had raced after the touch judge to challenge the award of a lineout to New Zealand after the Springboks had found touch inside the All Blacks 22 with a bouncing kick that originated inside the South African half.
Referee Carley took the waterboy aside and warned he would see red if he continued to harangue the assistant.
“If I see you chasing our touch judge up the line again, you’ll be off,” he warned.
'Like I say, my fault' – Jacques Nienaber has explained what went on behind the scenes leading up to the incident between Matthew Carley and the Springboks waterboy #Springboks https://t.co/TbH8s3Qhrw
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 3, 2021
Nienaber later explained that his touchline assistant was acting under orders conveyed from the coaching box, but in many ways this ‘mea culpa’ raises more questions than it answers.
In asking us to gloss over the episode as a mis-understanding on his part and excuse the waterboy’s conduct on the basis that he was simply doing what he was told, South Africa’s head coach is also telling us that chasing the touch judge to rant at him would have been acceptable had Carley’s decision been incorrect.
He is also asking us to believe that an international team’s backroom team pays so little attention to law that it is unaware that 50:22 only applies when the phase in which the kick takes place begins in the kicking team’s half.
In case anyone has forgotten, this is the same team whose minute attention to officiating detail enabled them to put together 63-minutes of video analysis finding fault with the performance of Australia whistler Nic Berry after they lost the first test against the British & Irish Lions.
For those who have taken to social media to query the validity of Carley’s threat, the match officials are in charge of everything that happens inside the playing enclosure. This is defined as the fenced off area which surrounds the pitch – advertising boards in the case of a stadium and a rail or rope at junior level.
The referee is therefore entirely within his rights to ask anyone within the playing enclosure to leave it and sit in the stands. This would then be reported and sanctioned as a red card offence.
In the event that the individual refuses to leave the match is abandoned with the incident then being treated by the governing body as a mass sending off.
“It was a big story last season and we were totally surprised (he was appointed) and you have to beg the question why did the RFU do that?” #NEWvWAS
– reports @chrisjonespress ???https://t.co/b5M3cInAgG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 3, 2021
De Allende Deliberate Knock-On
While discussing points of law from a brilliant test match, the commentators sparked widespread debate with their criticism of Carley’s award of a late penalty against Damian de Allende for a deliberate knock-down.
Had the Springbok centre held on to his interception attempt he would have been away for a match-clinching try, so those questioning why he would have ‘deliberately’ knocked the ball to ground when such a huge prize awaited can be understood.
And any search of the laws for an instruction to penalise all unsuccessful one-handed interception attempts will be fruitless, since this ruling is a handed-down guideline which has been applied for some years in an attempt to bring consistency.
The applicable line of logic is that a player is less likely to catch the ball with one hand than two, and knowing that a penalty will follow a one-handed knock-on, will therefore balance risk and reward before attempting an interception.
Whether this remains valid is a debatable point – but that is the guideline under which Carley and everyone else with a whistle operates.
There is also a commonly-held misconception that every deliberate knock-on should result in a yellow card. In fact, like almost every other law, the referee looks at context before applying a sanction and unless the offence is committed in deep defence or as part of a sequence of infringements a penalty is often enough.
"The real fabric of South African Rugby was finally back last night."
– @bensmithrugby on the Springboks' win to end their Rugby Championship in a blaze of glory. #RSAvNZL #NZLvRSA https://t.co/p4NW1fJdDd— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 3, 2021
Back where we started
When I began refereeing in the amateur days of the early 1990’s the law book described the referee as ‘the sole judge of fact and law.’
The professionalisation of rugby union has since then accelerated change in every area – including officiating and the analysis and criticism of it.
Is it therefore reasonable to criticise the performance of match officials in the modern professional game in a manner which would have been total anathema 30 years ago?
Receiving valid criticism and learning from it while filtering out uninformed or abusive opinion has always been part and parcel of being a referee – or player. It goes with the territory.
If the officials (and players) are paid to be there and to perform to the highest achievable standards it is in my opinion entirely reasonable for fans, coaches and pundits to look at their performance, evaluate it and express this publicly.
But…and it’s a big one…this needs to be done in a considered way with the feedback being given in a similarly unemotional manner. Give praise when it is deserved and criticise when appropriate – and engage the brain before opening the mouth or taking to Twitter.
Before anyone accuses me of being anti-South African, I should say that plenty of coaches and fans at all levels across the whole world are guilty of letting their emotions and one-eyed view of the game get the better of them.
In fact, even after 900 or so games as a match official, the memory of being called ‘Mr Ref’ by South African teams still brings a smile to my face. I have certainly never experienced any lack of onfield respect from that part of the world – in fact the exact reverse if anything.
As the response to Sara Cox showed us rugby union still has plenty to be proud of – we now all need to make sure it stays that way.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
1 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
12 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)
1 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?
1 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.
16 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
16 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 commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to comments