VIDEO ANALYSIS: What to expect from Romain Poite in the 3rd Test
What makes rugby stand out from other sports is that when penalised, it’s not uncommon to see a six foot five, one hundred and twenty kilo ball of muscle say to the referee “sorry sir, won’t happen again”.
The respect and power carried by a referee can swing a game more than any player on any team. With so much on the line in the third test, we look at what impact – if any – Romaine Poite could have on the outcome.
We’ve already seen Poite in control once on tour, when the Lions met the Hurricanes for a thriller. First up in our analysis is the tendency we saw in that game to let advantage play out before stopping play.
The rule states a team must gain ‘positional or tactical advantage’ for the referee to let play run. In our video, we see Poite give the play every chance to develop, even if the ball is bobbling around or being driven backwards.
During advantage the world class players we’ll see on the world’s two best teams are in ‘free play’. If Poite continues with long advantages on Saturday it will promote individual flashes of brilliance from players to break the game open.
We’ve seen a clear direction from the team of test referees to favour flowing attacking rugby. Intelligent advantages are just one way of making this happen all over the pitch. We see a penalty brought back even after Jordie Barrett kicks to touch, which usually would end advantage.
By doing this Poite inhibits constrictive rugby and builds momentum. If advantage ends with the kick the Lions get the ball, and the play is limited to the same area, and the Hurricanes gain nothing from the penalty. By calling it back he lets the Hurricanes benefit from the choice to kick long, from where they can launch a back line move off a lineout and build momentum.
Not harming the flow of the game and the attacking team is a key theme we’ve seen on tour. Poite was consistent in his fair use of advantage all over the pitch in the Hurricanes game. Even when the incident warranted a card, he gave the Lions every opportunity to score from free play before brandishing the yellow. Hopefully he brings this attitude on Saturday and the game gets the spectacle it deserves.
In stark contrast however to all his excellent work in advantage, is Poite’s woeful positioning around the ruck. A referee should try to have as little impact on the players as possible, and standing in the way does the opposite.
In our first clip, we see Rhys Webb have to detour around Poite, resulting in an unprotected Dan Biggar and the Hurricanes stealing the ball.
In our next clip we get an excellent angle on where the referee is going wrong. The flat defensive line creates a ninety degree corner with the side of the ruck. Poite finds himself in this pocket of space and in the first clip has to quickly shuffle out of the way to avoid a pass.
The implications of this are most evident in our next clip. Any intelligent scrum half and forward back who sees a referee in that position will target it. The Hurricanes take time at Poite’s position and he obstructs the Lions defensive line, letting the ‘Canes barrel over for a try. Poite worryingly remains unapologetic and awards the try.
The Lions do the same in almost the exact same position and run at Poite. This time however they use it as him decoy and quickly recycle to a secondary pod, having drawn players to the referee to make the tackle. They’re held up over the line but the obstruction remains.
It’s this obstruction that’s worrying. Nobody from either team wants the third test decided by a try scored because the ref was in the wrong place. It promotes cynical, uncreative play. The opposite of what we want to see.
There is of course still hope. Our next clip shows bad positioning, but also creative running rugby.
Poite is again in the corner between the ruck and the defence, The Hurricanes scrum half looks at him, but decides against using that option. Instead he flashes the ball to the backline and we see a different type of inside ball as Savea carves into the backfield and shovels a pass to Laumape who crashes over in the corner.
That move stretched across almost the entire width of the pitch from touchline to touchline. This is the type of rugby we all want to see, maybe Lions fans wont want to see a similar Savea/Laumape collaboration on Saturday, but the style of play remains fantastic.
We see another attempt from the Hurricanes, this time unsuccessfully, but the concept remains. It’s then the Lions’ turn, and our final clip encapsulates everything we’ve already talked about so far.
Laidlaw again identifies Poite in the corner and pops a pass to Kruis to target the hole the referee makes. Luckily Poite realises what’s happening and jumps out of the way. Now, because the lions have an advantage, they can afford to go wide without concern and Dan Biggar throws a beautifully risky pass to Jack Nowell before the Lions dot down in the corner.
All everyone wants from Saturday morning is a great game. When Poite was ringmaster, the Lions and Hurricanes put in an amazing performance. All we can hope is that he’s seen what we have, and brings his game to Auckland. The show must go on.
Comments on RugbyPass
guys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
1 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok 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.
19 Go to comments