The real ref talking points at the RWC haven't been high tackles
Former ref Paul Smith upacks the biggest officiating talking points at the RWC, and they’re not what many thought they’d be.
In the run-up to Japan 2019 few pundits had much doubt about the likely major talking point of the early pool matches.
Forget ‘which France will turn up?’ Never mind the scandalous under-funding of the Pacific Islands. Disregard Bob Dwyer’s four-yearly ‘cheating England’ rant.
Instead make ready a few miles of newsprint for a ferocious debate between proponents of the law makers’ tackle safety campaign and a load of 50-something rugger buggers screaming that the game’s gone soft.
And what would trigger this? A rash of red cards for tackles which failed to meet the exacting standards laid down by the latest World Rugby directives.
But seven games into rugby union’s showpiece tournament, these predictions have proved as accurate as the weather forecast which had Scotland and Ireland battening down the hatches and being awarded a nil-nil draw.
To date only one high tackle debate has raised its head (or more accurately smashed a shoulder into the unfortunate Peceli Yato’s jaw).
How English TMO Rowan Kitt failed to spot Aussie winger Reece Hodge’s misdemeanour is a mystery to all of us, although the speed and angle of the excellent Yato’s break give referee Ben O’Keefe and his touch judges some real-time exoneration. Suffice to say, even if England fail to qualify, Mr Kitt is unlikely to be required in the Yokohama International Stadium on Saturday November 2.
Instead, and who would have thought it, the biggest talking point of the first three days revolves around an issue as old as the game itself – midfield offside.
Pinching a few yards behind the referee’s back has of course always been something of an art form in the sport’s lower levels.
But the arrival, around 15 years ago, in the sport’s higher echelons of a team-of-three armed with radio communications should have seen this particular problem disappear alongside the four-point try and white laces.
High tackle sanction framework called into question after Australia-Fiji gamehttps://t.co/iPRBhRGP2a
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 21, 2019
Simply put, the referee now has eyes in the back of his head.
However, as France replacement Louis Picamoles’ crucial – and potentially match-turning – interception from a clearly offside position against Argentina showed, the official’s 20/20 vision is more concept than reality.
Keeping midfield defenders onside at the breakdown is some way down a referee’s list of priorities:
Is the tackle legal? Has the tackler released the ball-carrier? Has he moved away? Has the ball-carrier played the ball? Are arriving players on their feet and entering ‘through the gate?’ Has a ruck formed? Are any jackallers competing legally? Is the scrum half being held without the ball? Are the guards onside? And how do I keep out of the way of the next phase of play?
The touch judges therefore have primary responsibility for keeping the midfield defence onside – and are ideally positioned to do so.
According to law, defenders must remain behind the hindmost foot of the breakdown until the attacking scrum half has lifted the ball from the ground – hands on is not enough.
This split-second timing can be problematic for the touch judge when play is in the middle of the field, or his/her view is obscured. Most officials therefore err on the side of caution so we can disregard TV freeze frames showing defenders to be a couple of feet offside. However, Picamoles was around three metres beyond the hindmost foot.
Fiji Airways flight leaving Sapporo… calling passenger Mr. Hodge ??? #AUSvFIJ #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/Ba7MvJP4an
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 21, 2019
What is less widely known is that touch judges are discouraged from making too many interventions on the ref mike. More than four or five verbal contributions per half is likely to see the official marked down by the assessor – and this certainly plays a part in obvious offsides going unpunished.
In addition, keeping the penalty count low is a big motivational factor for ambitious referees seeking a reputation as an unfussy official often in charge of free-flowing matches. Blowing multiple midfield offsides fed in by the touch judge is clearly at odds with this objective – and career-minded referees have therefore been known to simply turn a deaf ear.
While no-one will be badly injured due to midfield offside, matches are regularly ruined as an entertainment form. Since rugby union has only one showcase every four-years, spectacle is everything. In the cause of developing our sport it is therefore time to free up the touch judges and punish those referees who choose to ignore them.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 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
1 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 Crusades , you can keep going.
1 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!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 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.
27 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 commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments