Le patron des officiels de match répond aux polémiques sur l'arbitrage
Il a voulu laisser passer du temps avant de s’exprimer. Et ça vaut peut-être mieux. Dans une interview à Midi Olympique, Joël Jutge, le responsable des arbitres à World Rugby, a accepté de revenir sur les principaux faits qui ont créé des polémiques pendant la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023 et notamment lors du quart de finale entre la France et l’Afrique du Sud.
Sur l’interception d’Eben Etzebeth
Au cours de la 7e minute du match, alors qu’un essai semble imminent pour la France, qui n’avait plus que cinq mètres à parcourir avant d’atteindre l’en-but, le deuxième-ligne des Springboks Eben Etzebeth a tenté d’intercepter une passe de Damian Penaud à Thomas Ramos d’une main tendue.
À la vitesse réelle, l’ensemble des spectateurs criait à un en-avant intentionnel de la part du joueur sud-africain. Cependant, l’examen de la vidéo révèle clairement que cette interprétation n’est pas correcte. « Il essaie de l’attraper à une main, et elle va en arrière », affirme, catégorique, l’arbitre Ben O’Keeffe aux Français qui ne comprennent pas. Mais le doute subsiste.
« Deux mois après, je peux confier notre immense surprise qu’il y ait débat en France sur l’action d’Etzebeth en début de match », répond Joël Jutge.
« Il connaît parfaitement la règle et ce qu’il fait est tout à fait légal puisqu’il n’envoie jamais le ballon vers l’avant. J’ai entendu dire, de la part de gens pourtant très compétents, ‘il a tué l’action’. Mais on a le droit de frapper un ballon, à condition qu’il ne parte pas vers l’avant ! Ceci étant, ce genre de situation, si elle pose problème à l’ensemble des composantes du rugby, peut pousser le législateur à légiférer pour faciliter l’analyse de l’arbitre et la compréhension du public. »
Sur le coup de gueule d’Antoine Dupont en conférence de presse
Encore sonné et frustré par la défaite d’un point, le capitaine Antoine Dupont ne peut retenir cette réflexion en conférence de presse d’après-match : « Je ne vais pas faire l’aigri qui parle de l’arbitrage parce qu’il a perdu. Mais je pense que l’arbitrage n’a pas été à la hauteur », lance-t-il à l’adresse de l’arbitre Ben O’Keeffe.
« En tant que responsable des arbitres, je ne peux pas cautionner ce qu’a dit Antoine Dupont, car cela a donné lieu à un mouvement d’abus et de haine terrible en ligne à l’égard de Ben », s’agace Joël Jutge.
« Mais je connais l’homme, et je n’ai aucun doute sur ses valeurs morales et sur la façon dont il perçoit les échanges entre arbitres et joueurs. C’est un immense champion et une personne bien que nous respectons, mais je le répète, je ne cautionne pas ce qu’il a pu dire ce jour-là, même si nous savons tous qu’il a été soumis à une énorme pression pour revenir suite à sa blessure. »
Sur la convocation de Ben O’Keeffe pour la demi-finale
Malgré sa prestation très commentée et controversée pendant le quart de finale, l’arbitre Ben O’Keeffe est convoqué pour conduire la demi-finale entre l’Angleterre et l’Afrique du Sud.
Une désignation vécue comme une provocation par les supporters français qui comprennent que l’officiel de match est ainsi remercié et félicité pour son quart litigieux.
« Ce n’était en aucun cas une provocation », tente de déminer Joël Jutge. « Comme je l’ai dit, nous avions analysé sa performance lors de ce quart de finale, et nous avons décidé que malgré les critiques principalement françaises, nous voulions lui montrer que nous avions toujours pleinement confiance en lui, parce que c’est un très bon arbitre.
« Ce n’est pas à une partie du public, des supporters ou des réseaux sociaux de décider à la place d’un comité de sélection compétent qui travaille et qui se remet en question. »
Sur la mise en place trop rapide du bunker
Beaucoup ont estimé que le principe du bunker – même s’il part d’intentions louables – avait été mis en place à la va-vite sur cette Coupe du Monde de Rugby.
« J’ai toujours l’impression qu’en France, on découvre les choses au dernier moment alors qu’elles ont été annoncées et débattues en amont », constate Joël Jutge.
« Le bunker fut discuté au mois de mars 2022 et il y avait des représentants français à cette réunion. Son principe a été validé puis mis à l’essai lors de la Coupe du monde U20 et du Rugby Championship ainsi que les matchs de préparation à la Coupe du Monde.
« Après, au-delà de ce préambule, il est évident que ce fut un énorme défi que de mettre le bunker en place trois mois seulement avant la Coupe du Monde. »
Sur les décisions du bunker prises en secret
« Je partage également cette observation qui nous est rapidement parvenue. Nous avions peu de recul pour anticiper ce problème, mais cela fut mieux dans la seconde partie de la compétition pour annoncer avec plus de clarté les raisons du retour – ou non – d’un joueur sur la pelouse. »
Comments on RugbyPass
I think they’ll choose Scott Barret as captain, Ardie 7, Hoskins 8, Finau at 6.
2 Go to commentsSo what were saying is if you make it through to the play offs in Europe you’re likely to suffer at the tail end of the prem. No extra cash for playing in Europe, more chance of injury, fatiguing the team…while others not through rest up. whats the point??
1 Go to commentsClaims that Finau is a risky proposition are hyperbole. His tackles have been mostly perfectly timed and executed except for the Lynach one and that was a split-second out, certainly not 2 seconds. Social media criticism shows opposition fans are nervous about Finau’s impact. I see Jacobson and Blackadder as no.7s, they don’t have the power, size or dynamism to be 6 or 8 at Test level. Akira has shown he lacks the intuition and technique to play Tests. If he learnt to bend his back more and hit breakdowns and tackles low and hard, it would do wonders for his game. Finau is the standout option for 6 with Grace or Shields as his backup. I’d like to see Finau, Sotutu and Jacobson as an experimental back-row combo; lineout nous, dynamic ball carrying, hard defence, etc.
41 Go to commentsI find these articles so very interesting, giving a much more in depth series of insights than one can ever gain from “desktop” research. It is very significant that it is this English man that Joe Schmidt has turned to build the basement stability and reliability from the WB forwards that was so shredded during the Jones debacle. With his long period in Ireland, with both Leinster and Ireland, Schmidt will know Geoff Parling’s qualities as a player well, and he will have gone over, with a fine tooth comb, the mans time in Australia. This, one feels, will prove to be a shrewd decision. I’m particularly interested in Parling’s comments about the lineout, especially the differences in approach between the hemispheres. He talks about the impact of weather conditions on the type of lineout tactics employed. He is the right man to have preparing for a wet and windy game at Eden Park, the “Cake Tin”, or in Christchuch, or for that matter in Capetown. I must confess to being surprised by this comment though re Will Skelton: “ Is he a lineout jumper? No. But the lineout starts on the ground – contact work, lifting, utilising that massive body at the maul.” Geoff is spot on about the work Will does on the ground. But I would contest the view that he is not a lineout jumper. I think I have commented before on this one, so won’t go further than referring to the end of the last Cup Final in Dublin, LAR using Will on maybe 3 occasions at No 2 in the lineout. And I have seen him used by LAR in Top 14, and never seen him beaten to the catch…but in reality that would only be a total of 10 times max.
66 Go to commentsDaltons a great guy and can lead at any level with that humility
2 Go to commentsWell if Parling is an Australian citizen then I suppose that’s OK. It’s more than can be said for The Hobbit in Absentia. I’m guessing Jordan Useless won’t be getting a call up to the Wallabies then because the Melbourne Rebels lineout coached by Parling has been a complete disaster. Parling had better prove himself or it’s out. He’ll be flattered by having one of the best lineout operators in world rugby in Rodda hopefully. If Parling can teach the Wallabies one thing it would be to also teach Australian players to make a serious effort on charge downs. Only Frost and Rodda make an effort. The rest are half hearted and lazy, bar Harry Wilson’s effort last week. There are lots of big missed opportunities.
66 Go to commentsGreat read thanks and glad he’s committed to Aus rugby! The comment from the no 8 saying he’s never done lineouts before doesn’t surprise me. There often isn’t the same upbringing with rugby here as there is in nz and parts of Europe. Seems like he’s doing a great job at the Rebels
66 Go to commentsScott Barrett. End of story.
2 Go to commentsDu Plessis Kirifi will not be selected by the All Blacks. He is nowhere near 6’0” tall. He looks good in Super Rugby in wide open , fast pace rugby. That is not Test rugby. He would be rag dolled by South Africa, Ireland, France, and England.
7 Go to commentsIt’s Razor so Blackadder and Grace for starters. Although on second thoughts K Read looked in great shape on TV the other day.
41 Go to commentsGreat piece Nick, plenty to chew on. Loved this ‘biases’ line from Geoff, shows he is a thinker - “If you asked me for a shortlist of coaches who appealed to my biases, he would be on it.” I think Schmidt is towing a similar line to Rennie in regards to OS players, he is publicly saying he prefers local talent, but almost certainly will be fighting to have the likes of skelton in the team. Interesting to hear the backroom on the rebels and what a cockup that is, just when you think RA admin has hit rock bottom it digs deeper. Other bit that caught my eye was his skills focus on things like passing from 7s at the base of the lineout, great little details. but also scary that a SR level 8 didn’t know how to operate within a lineout - telling!
66 Go to commentsThoroughly enjoyed this thanks Nick. ‘The lineout starts on the ground…’ wish I’d thought of that line when discussing Will’s place in the Wallabies.
66 Go to commentsShannon Frizell’s second year is optional is how I heard it. Given nothing has been confirmed yet it gets more and more likely he signs to return next year. Cant wait to see Finau doing more work on Internal players.
41 Go to commentsBlindside flankers should be hard hitting defenders, good lineout jumper with height, and a hard worker who hits and cleans rucks. If he can be a destructive ball carrier it’s a bonus but not a necessity. Samipeni Fineau and Cullen Grace are excellent at those core skills and my choice at blindside. Brad Shields is dismissed because he is 33 but not sure why that should be a consideration for this season. Shields too does these core roles well. Just don’t pick an 8 and shift him to 6 like the wingers on The Breakdown suggest, as if 6 and 8 are interchangeable. They are not. An 8 is first and foremost a dynamic ball carrier, not necessarily a destructive defender as a 6 should be. Devon Flanders and Akira Ioane are #8 s forced to play blindside because their teams have better options at 8 than them. Do not pick them at blindside
41 Go to commentsSaints obviously didn’t get the memo, or needed an ego boost?
1 Go to commentsReturning to the Chiefs would be another good change that could only put him into a better position to succeed in black
7 Go to commentsSimply outrageous and demonstrably false to say Finau’s tackle on Lynagh was “2 seconds late” In reality it was probably 0.5 seconds after he passed the ball. If you carry the ball at speed to within 5m of the defensive line you can expect to get tackled. Finau could have pulled out of it and not absolutely flattened him for sure, but there was going to be contact either way. He seems like a high risk selection at the moment, but there is no one else like him in NZ at the moment. His big tackles make the highlight reels but he is also a great athlete, very fast for such a big man, spent most of his days at lock so also very strong in the line out.
41 Go to commentsYes, Finau looks like the best option. Blackadder is not big enough for an international 6 - he should join the queue at 7. Frizzell had the power and heft and line-out height to play lock, so maybe that is where the ABs should be looking, not at a 7 who’s not big enough for 6, but at a lock who might have the agility to play 6, like Scott Barrett, or… Natai Ah Kuoi, who absolutely fits that bill, but seldom gets to play 6 because the Chiefs have so many loosies.
41 Go to commentsPaul Quinn was a National MP.
7 Go to commentsNo need to worry about losers’ mentality hysteria from Australia. Finau has all the attributes, I don't recall a high or no arms tackle from him, and his timing has been controlled very well since the round 3 Lynagh tackle. It's an easy decision for Razor, the only question is who should back him up from the bench. He can't be overworked like Squire was in his first full season.
41 Go to comments