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Tensions boiling over treatment of referees in URC games hosted in South Africa
United Rugby Championship fans in South Africa and Europe have clashed online over contrasting views of refereeing in the competition.
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With the recent opening of international borders, Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Italian teams have been able to travel regularly to South Africa for the first time following the visits to Europe from the Stormers, Bulls, Lions and Sharks earlier in the season.
This has resulted in new officiating crews taking over the whistle and touch lines in South Africa, which touring clubs have been forced to adjust to, much to the disdain of fans on both sides of the equator.
Frustrations about the level of officiating have emerged, with Argentine international and Edinburgh fullback Emiliano Boffelli coming under the spotlight online for questioning referees while playing against the Lions in Johannesburg.
South African fans have taken to social media to express their unhappiness with the levels of disrespect shown toward the officials, who they feel have been unfairly victimised, in the wake of the weekend’s match.
One Twitter user said that European fans taking aim at officials is contradictory given the criticism Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus endured for his role in the Nic Berry saga during last year’s British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa.
#RugbyValues 🤝 pic.twitter.com/2hUD73nd9t
— A-P (@rugby_ap) April 2, 2022
Disgusting behaviour by Edinburgh and Boffelli. This isn’t football. You don’t get to berate the referees like that.
— A-P (@rugby_ap) April 2, 2022
The NH teams general disrespect of the officials has stood out for me the last few weeks. And the officials just allow it. Where is Nigel Owens when you need him?
— justdirk (@dirkcmeyer) April 2, 2022
A recurring theme with the visiting NH teams unfortunately. Incessantly questioning every decision the referee makes.
— Lionel Campbell (@LD151) April 2, 2022
It’s incredible how incredulous some NH fans were with Rassie during the Lions series yet I’ve seen multiple instances in the URC and Prem of players openly arguing with referee’s. You surely either respect them or you don’t.
— Will Young (@notwillyoung86) April 2, 2022
The last four weeks has thankfully buried any nonsense notions that South Africans disproportionately complain about referees compared with anywhere else.
There is nothing new under the sun! Been fun watching a cavalcade of hypocrites expose themselves though.
— A-P (@rugby_ap) April 2, 2022
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European fans, on the other hand, were far more fed up with the standard of refereeing in South Africa, which one fan labelled as “the most inept” in over 30 years of watching rugby.
You guys are going to be really surprised when you come back up North and refs actually enforce both teams.
— Stewart Pavitt (@StewartPavitt) April 2, 2022
Which ones? Fairness, honesty, truthfulness? I’m with Boff, that was a shit show. Would Edinburgh have won? Possibly, but we’ll never know with those officials. Actually, the ref wasn’t bad, just the unnecessary interference from the TMO.
— Gemma MacDonald (@MacDoodle8) April 2, 2022
Boff had been pushed to the limits of his patience by this point by some of the most inept officiating I’ve seen in 30 years of watching/playing rugby. Professionalism and respect needs to work both ways.
— Scottie C (@chunkymcfatso) April 2, 2022
Very much not like Boffelli that. But when you get cheated by the home teams touch judge. However blame fully lies on the URC. Making it a purely amateur tournament with half the officials being SA.
— Chris Veal (@LGirraffe) April 2, 2022
Looking at penalties conceded in matches played home and away by South African teams, only the Sharks and Bulls have enjoyed better discipline in South Africa with home officials.
The Sharks have conceded an average of six penalties per game at home against European teams, considerably less than the 11.25 penalties they averaged while playing abroad earlier in the campaign.
That differential of 5.25 penalties per games is the largest home-and-away discrepancy of the four South African franchises.
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The Bulls, meanwhile, are also faring better at home with 9.75 penalties conceded compared to the 13.25 they were conceding on the road in Europe.
By comparison, Lions are showing no difference, conceding 7.25 penalties per game at home versus 7.66 away, while the Stormers have conceded 9.33 penalties per home game compared to the 8.66 they had in Europe.
As things stand, though, a disproportionate number of games have been played in South Africa by European teams.
All four of the Welsh teams – Scarlets, Ospreys, Dragons and Cardiff – have all played two matches in South Africa, as have Irish sides Munster and Ulster, Scottish club Edinburgh and Italian outfit Zebre.
However, the table-topping Leinster are yet to tour the Republic, nor have fellow title contenders Glasgow, Irish team Connacht and Italian side Benetton.
Comments on RugbyPass
Beautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to comments