Understanding the outrageous penalty count in the Aotearoa opener
The crowd poured in, the match happened and the exciting result was a wonderful bonus.
There was a strange air of past normality about it at this time of unreality to the extent that writing about the law application of the match seems such a niggardly thing to do in view of the glorious gift of rugby that five million New Zealanders have given the world.
Five million people and no new COVID-19 cases for 22 days – and so rugby with spectators in Dunedin. Five tries and a lead that changed twice in the last three minutes. Those are the stats that count.
Then there are other stats – 30 penalties and two yellow cards and six scrums in the match – and lots and lots of passes.
The many penalties and the few scrums are worth noting.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBYPLVSAoKv/
The two yellow cards, both against Highlanders, were for dangerous tackles a tip tackle by fullback Vilimoni Koroi and an air tackle by wing Jona Nareki, both of which could be regarded as standard in the rugby of recent times.
The mauls and the few scrums were admirably correct and produced no penalties. But tackle infringements and offside produced 28 penalties. The penalties, though numerous, did not seem to have an adverse effect on the players’ efforts to play constructive rugby.
The referees had been told beforehand to police the tackle and it surrounds with greater diligence than has been recent practice – not going outside the laws but simply by applying the laws.
The result for the game was that tackles were quick because they were, until just before the end, contested by players on their feet.
In fact, there was little post-tackle contest. The players taking part were few in number and on their feet. The ball was quickly back in circulation, and both sides did a great deal of handling.
Because tackles were of short duration and barely contested, there were no unplayables in the match, which led to fewer scrums.
There were just two scrums in the first half, both for knock-ons – the first after 25 minutes, the second after 33 minutes.
There were four in the second half – the first two for knock-ons, the second two when the Chiefs opted for scrums after a penalty in their search for winning tries. The scrums were admirable and not one was reset.
At the tackles, the players’ determination to stay on their feet was admirable, though one wondered whether this way of playing was not robbing the game of its basic principle of a contest for and with possession which diminished it as a game for all shapes and sizes. After all, a tackler is a victory for defence. If it becomes a done deal that the tackled player’s team will get the ball it denies the tackler’s team value for its victory.
In this match, the referee was quick to penalise “holding on” to deny an early opponent the chance to get possession of the ball, as Josh Dickson found out inside the first three minutes.
Rugby is back, but it's gotten off to a rucky start… https://t.co/oKPN9bxBhW
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He was strict on side entry, by either team. When Aaron Smith of the Highlanders, Josh Dickson of the Highlanders went straight to his aid and was penalised for side entry
He was also quick to penalise arriving players at a tackle who went off their feet in an effort to protect and/or clean out – as Chiefs No.8, Pita Gus Sowakula, found out twice.
The referee was also quick to penalise the tackled player who did not immediately make the ball available. If he kept hold of the ball and moved again with it, rolling over or lifting it up, he was penalised.
These last four actions by the referee are applications of the law, not new interpretations, and it again emphases the need for match officials to give the laws a fair chance to prove their worth!
The laws:
Law 14 PLAYER RESPONSIBILITIES
5. Tacklers must:
a. Immediately release the ball and the ball-carrier after both players go to ground.
b. Immediately move away from the tackled player and from the ball or get up.
c. Be on their feet before attempting to play the ball.
d. Allow the tackled player to release or play the ball.
e. Allow the tackled player to move away from the ball.
Sanction: Penalty.
6. Tacklers may play the ball from the direction of their own goal line provided they have complied with the above responsibilities and a ruck has not formed.
7. Tackled players must immediately:
a. make the ball available so that play can continue by releasing, passing or pushing the ball in any direction except forward. They may place the ball in any direction.
b. Move away from the ball or get up.
c. Ensure that they do not lie on, over or near the ball to prevent opposition players from gaining possession of it.
Sanction: Penalty.
8. Other players must:
a. Remain on their feet and release the ball and the ball-carrier immediately.
b. Remain on their feet when they play the ball.
c. Arrive at the tackle from the direction of their own goal line before playing the ball.
d. Not play the ball or attempt to tackle an opponent while on the ground near the tackle.
Sanction: Penalty.
– Paul Dobson / Rugby365
Comments on RugbyPass
Kok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to commentsBest team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
84 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
2 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
5 Go to comments