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Barnes' new assistant ref is ex-player he red-carded for stamping
Veteran referee Wayne Barnes has tweeted about this Sunday’s very different reunion with Nick Wood nine years after he sent the ex-Gloucester prop off just 73 seconds into a Premiership match versus Saracens. The referee was in charge of a September 2013 top-flight game at Allianz Park when he brandished the red card to the visiting front-rower for stamping on the head of the London club’s Jacques Burger.
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It was the second-fastest red card in the history of the Premiership at the time, coming in at just 29 seconds after the 42-second dismissal of Mick Watson for London Scottish against Bath in 1999.
Wood was banned for eight weeks after referee Barnes had sent him off but the irony about this Sunday’s Premiership game at Franklin’s Gardens between Northampton and Wasps is that the one-time naughty boy Wood will be one of the assistant referees helping out Barnes.
The popular Barnes tweeted: “Assistant Referees: Nick Wood & Jamie Leahy. TMO: Claire Hodnett. The last time Nick Wood and I were on the pitch together was back at Saracens in 2013. I’m hoping he lasts more than 73 seconds this time!”
Accompanying these words, the ever-popular Barnes attached two pictures of the 2013 incident, one of the red card being shown and then a close up of the post-card chat between Wood and the referee.
“Assistant Referees: Nick Wood & Jamie Leahy. TMO: Claire Hodnett”
The last time @n1ckwood and I were on the pitch together was back at Saracens in 2013.
I'm hoping he lasts more than 73 seconds this time! https://t.co/D2OaBMk5D2 pic.twitter.com/Ih3ZZanvTT
— Wayne Barnes (@WayneBarnesRef) March 11, 2022
Wood’s lengthy career with Gloucester ended in 2015/16 and the now Radley College rugby master has since taken up refereeing, working his way through the ranks to the level where – in a classic poacher turned gamekeeper transformation – he will now call Barnes his colleague this weekend.
It was in his final season at Gloucester six years ago that Wood had a curious red card sequel at Saracens, Schalk Britz getting sent off and banned for three weeks for punching the visiting prop in another tempestuous Sarries-Gloucs encounter.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Haha he does the exact opposite of what you’d expect any receiver to do, Brilliant!
2 Go to commentswell the favourites dont always win and let scott robertson chose his number 8
3 Go to commentsthats great for cam miller and the highlanders the crusaders have got problems within there systems that were proberly covered up astheywere winning when scott robertson was in charge
2 Go to commentsThe last time Plumtree coached the sharks they sucked the same when with the hurricanes now back with the shark Springboro. They still have no game plan
1 Go to commentsan impressive nail biting win for the Blues...but for mine the losing of the game sits with Isaia Walker-Leawere who fumbled balls from kick offs, broken play and then stripped of the ball by Sam Nock in the final minute…
3 Go to commentsAll of the Moderna law changes have been to slow the game down, playing into the hands of SA and the north. Incentivising boring, negative rugby. Brilliant changes. Speed up the game.
14 Go to commentsImagine you kick to the lineout, they give away a free kick, you have a great chance at a scrum, sorry sir you have to tap and go. Ridiculous
14 Go to commentsWhile I believe that the Crusaders do not deserve a spot in the playoffs, every single team would be worried to play them no matter where on the table they are. For example, they have the potential to knock out the Blues at Eden Park. They are the Springboks in Super Rugby in that they know exactly how to play knockout footy and have the pedigree and experience to do it. Something is just not quite right with that team this year. Fakatava is prone to to the odd brain explosion and can kick away good ball in bad positions. His work around the ruck and breakdown is a standout. Is he better than Finlay Christie? I’m not sure. TJ Perenara and Cortez Ratima should get two of the spots in the ABs squad. Aumua has so much potential but the midfield is quite well stocked with Jordie, ALB, Tupaea, and Ioane as well as Billy Proctor who is in top form. Aumua would be battling a spot with Tupaea and Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy do some Bok fans get so defensive when people have opinions on how the game should be played? Is it really necessary to take it as a personal attack on SA every time?
14 Go to commentsMost crazy rule is when attacking player has to release but defender does not. Stop the defender doing that by saying hands off. That way fender would not kill the ball. Madness and crazy
80 Go to commentsMinicamp rules include no-pads and no tackling.
2 Go to commentsToulouse has enough quality players so no headaches 😁 Choco is rarely a starting centre. Throughout this championship there have been far worse actions that were never called… too many rules, too many rule changes, too many inconsistencies, too many angry fans. I'm not surprised rugby does not attract new spectators, how could they understand 🤣
6 Go to commentsAh yes Andy with his “Goode” views. Oke might as well come out and say it, “I like seeing South African scrums depowered in order to give the rest of the world a chance”. Somehow he thinks World Rugby always knew about calling scrums from marks and it just so happened to coincide with Damien Willemse’s call that they decided to change the rules. Ah come on, if he can't see it then he needs prescription glasses. No ways, they are doing this for the betterment of Rugby. They want to clamp down on Rassie’s innovative skills than encouraging coaches to think outside of the box to try new things. What they can't count on is what Rassie will plan next. I almost get the impression that once Rassie retires World Rugby is going to be scrabbling around trying to find their identity. Currently set at ARP (Anti-Rassie Party). Although I don't really care in that regard because they always a RWC step behind.
14 Go to commentsWow ten years since they had a backing and more from the paying public I’d also mention that as a blues man and in walking distance to the garden I’d say that this team and Vern Cotter have got us dreaming beautiful thoughts and the merit is there from numbers 1 to 23 but we would like to think this is the new dna for the ABs and a pack weighing 940kg dry y not I hasten to add it seems patty has to stay fit cause he is the driver the main driver and they follow plus the pipe man H Plummer is conducting his own orchestra ….. Beethoven anybody
1 Go to commentsJuicy stuff well covered I’d go as far as to say that the referee was a key component in keeping it a tasty spectacle
3 Go to commentsCotter has added that steel that has been missing. Let's see if it will carry until the Finals… Come on the Blues ….
2 Go to commentsAndy Goode just loves to be controversial. Its boring. Let’s all stop reading.
14 Go to commentsYou have got to consider that if the situation was flipped and the French were held to a salary cap with no English equivalent, the English would laugh in their faces and tell them to get over it. As for Leinster (as a fan), the central contract system is a dream but is guilty of cutting out the other 3 provinces. At the end of the day, it comes across outside of the English border that the Premiership is drowning and trying to take everyone else with it rather than adapt. The English lose, the English want new rules. We've seen this repeat (and once it even led to the current Champions Cup) You make many good and informed points, but if the flip was on the other flop, it wouldn't be Rugby’s problem I suspect - it would be a French one.
18 Go to commentsSeems to have been a bright start but it tailed off. To win the big matches you have to get used to putting your foot on the throttle and your opponent’s necks in an 80 minutes performance which is what the All Blacks were renowned for. An example in the Women’s game is England v Ireland in the 6N match played at Twickenham in April. Watch on YouTube.
1 Go to commentsBobby has been a first grade bonehead since high school. Like a true Cape Tonian, his own reflection is more important than anything else.
1 Go to comments