Should an international referee do better?

Than Nigel Owens? Again he misses an obvious foot in touch during a try scoring move despite being in great position and apparently looking specifically for the very thing he missed!

The generous Australian commentators suggested that "it keeps the game of rugby interesting". But should our top officials just do better?

No surprises that it is the dynamic duo of Wayne Barnes and Nigel Owens at the center of the controversy yet again...

Guess you could do better aye?

Gee AWOP you sure like to bleat on.

Well nganboy, consider this...

If the rumour that Robbie Deans must win all home matches and two away matches to keep his job is true as it seems to be, then such a refereeing blunder might not only decide the outcome of the game (thankfully it didn't), but also cost a man his job, or career.

So small margins have big consequences. Owens was running the line, directly behind the players in question, starting stratight at the players foot as it went into touch. To me this kind of failure is simply inexcusable. And yet we seem to see it again and again with the same culprits...

anotherworldofpain wrote:Than Nigel Owens? Again he misses an obvious foot in touch during a try scoring move despite being in great position and apparently looking specifically for the very thing he missed!

The generous Australian commentators suggested that "it keeps the game of rugby interesting". But should our top officials just do better?

No surprises that it is the dynamic duo of Wayne Barnes and Nigel Owens at the center of the controversy yet again...

Dear oh dear.....there really should be an entrance exam for posters like you to express an opinion.

WTF?

Gentlemen, I agree AWOP can be controversial at times, but he isn't wrong.

Had Australia lost this test the uproar would have been exponentially worse than the uproar of the 28 000 spectators who boo'd the big screen when they saw it.

No the opposite Biltong. There would barely be a whimper. Only a couple of journos and ex-players would have made a small noise.

Linebreaker wrote:No the opposite Biltong. There would barely be a whimper. Only a couple of journos and ex-players would have made a small noise.

Ah well, must be thinking of other nation's supporters then.

What would happen is that fewer people watch rugby in Australia, then fewer young players want to play the game, and Australia become worse at rugby falling out of the top 3, then through lack of regularly playing in a competition involving the top 3 teams, SA and NZ fall off the pace and become susceptible to NH sides. Then, and I shudder even to whisper the name of this unspeakable truth: England might win the RWC again.

All because of Nigel Owens bad call! See what happens when we don't take this seriously?

anotherworldofpain wrote:What would happen is that fewer people watch rugby in Australia, then fewer young players want to play the game, and Australia become worse at rugby falling out of the top 3, then through lack of regularly playing in a competition involving the top 3 teams, SA and NZ fall off the pace and become susceptible to NH sides. Then, and I shudder even to whisper the name of this unspeakable truth: England might win the RWC again.

All because of Nigel Owens bad call! See what happens when we don't take this seriously?

And you could do better ??

Fair point AWOP, though maybe stretching it a bit to the extreme.

But just about every game has ref calls that goes wrong, think we just got to play on regardless. The Pumas did what we all were taught at school, play till the whistle. these calls over time evens themselves out.

Very much like cricket, before appeals and the man with the telly upstairs, umpire calls, sometimes correct sometimes wrong, will even themselves out over time.

Yeah Biltong, you must be confused with another team there mate. The few rugby fans here in Oz are pretty used used to these refereeing inconsistencies, controversies and blunders.

It's the same in the other codes - there have been a few critical blunders there too in recent times. A handful of people might kick up a storm for a few hours or a day; the rest don't even bother to respond. They just suffer in silence.

How we won that match was beyond me. Cooper was playing for the other side, right? Same old, same old. Some minor glimpses of potential form but then it was usually squandered. Full marks to Argentina for playing a more clever game for most of it. They'll feel disappointed they came so close. They'll get their payback in Argentina I'd say. (I might have to change my picks in your prediction thread)

You won it with guts LB, more than I can say for SA.

Disagree there biltong, think the boks played with pride and passion, a bit aimless kicking maybe but for sure there were passion there.

That's about all we've got. So very,very lucky but it should feel better than it does. I was pleased with a few of the young rookies' performances but still so many things went wrong too often.

I was impressed with yur 7, hooper? i think

Hooper played his heart out, Dennis was better than last week. Douglas fitted in well. Perhaps the only benefit of our horror run with injuries is that these guys are a getting valuable exposure to international rugby at this level sooner than they normally would.

At least when you were pretending to not understand English you were interesting!

Yes, an international referee should do better given that there are enough cameras around these days to hone in on just about anyone in the crowd scratching their arse let alone tracking the play that leads to a try. But as others have said, you win some you lose some. If I let every little dud referring decision get to me I would have stopped watching rugby a long time ago.

Well, that tseems to be the question answered then! Collectively it seems we are happy to let the little mistakes from the officials go.

How mature of us all!

Linebreaker wrote:No the opposite Biltong. There would barely be a whimper. Only a couple of journos and ex-players would have made a small noise.

plus Biltong who would have had a Bryce Lawrence sized tantrum

Tell me

I actually thought oz played ok in bits. They're hit or miss a big part of the time and with the injuries did ok in the end. Cooper isn't playing well but some of his swagger is back. He's trying things but yeah some were shockers.

SA equally were brutal and some fantastic hits. The backs between them other than habana completely blew it for them. It must be gut wrenching to keep seeing hard fought ball go back to players like ruan and steyn for them to consistently turn it to pulp. The missed try, the missed kicks...surely its as plain as day meyer needs to focus on backplay and tactics now.

May be Meyer could ask Carlos Spencer to help out. He's looking for a job

anotherworldofpain wrote: ... England might win the RWC again.

Don't absurd man! We have the RFU to make sure that never happens again!

What about the Allblacks and South Africa game then, Tony Woodcock and Richie McCaw slowed every ruck down and gave away penalty after penalty and no yellow card, I think South Africa should feel very hard done by, oh and also, whilst I am at it, I do not want to see another post on here from a Newzealander about booing and jeering a kicker after what a watched and listened to on the weekend.

Lord

That has happened at just about every kiwi ground for the last few seasons, I'd go as far to say that they have become the worst booers on the planet!

I might make a post about it just to pee off AWOP/greyghost.

Well don't go over the top, as I'm being quite serious!

anotherworldofpain wrote:What would happen is that fewer people watch rugby in Australia, then fewer young players want to play the game, and Australia become worse at rugby falling out of the top 3, then through lack of regularly playing in a competition involving the top 3 teams, SA and NZ fall off the pace and become susceptible to NH sides. Then, and I shudder even to whisper the name of this unspeakable truth: England might win the RWC again.

All because of Nigel Owens bad call! See what happens when we don't take this seriously?

And if a butterfly beats it's wings in Tokyo and no one is around to hear it, does the pope defecate in the woods?

Anyway, shouldn't be the linesman/assistant ref who spots this and not Nige ?

thebluesmancometh wrote:Well don't go over the top, as I'm being quite serious!

I doubt you'll get the ammo though as I haven't read a Kiwi complaining about booing kickers on here. Not that I agree with it though. Respectful silence is the way to go and I'm disappointed that Kiwis do boo the other kicker.

Silence is an option every and any crowd has, but if a crowd wants to make a noise that's just fine by me too.

What I dislike is the attitude of a certain few who criticise booing so aggressively and are desperate to make all think their fan base would not dare, when persacuting those who do!!

LordDowlais wrote:Anyway, shouldn't be the linesman/assistant ref who spots this and not Nige ?

Nige was the lineman!

LordDowlais wrote:I might make a post about it just to pee off AWOP/greyghost.

Surely LD, you don't want to control people's freedom to respond the way they feel fitting? Where would that leave you in the haka debate!

anotherworldofpain wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I might make a post about it just to pee off AWOP/greyghost.

Surely LD, you don't want to control people's freedom to respond the way they feel fitting? Where would that leave you in the haka debate!

I actually like the Haka,AND, I can translate it word for word into English.

Boo!

LordDowlais wrote:

anotherworldofpain wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I might make a post about it just to pee off AWOP/greyghost.

Surely LD, you don't want to control people's freedom to respond the way they feel fitting? Where would that leave you in the haka debate!

I actually like the Haka,AND, I can translate it word for word into English.

Translating the Haka into English would be seen by many as tampering a bit too much.

aucklandlaurie wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

anotherworldofpain wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I might make a post about it just to pee off AWOP/greyghost.

Surely LD, you don't want to control people's freedom to respond the way they feel fitting? Where would that leave you in the haka debate!

I actually like the Haka,AND, I can translate it word for word into English.

Translating the Haka into English would be seen by many as tampering a bit too much.

Ask the big hairy man if he likes being tampered with.

As long as one doesn't read the English translation out loud. It's taboo.

That's dicing with the Gods... and there is a huge price to pay for that as we (non NZers) all know too well.

Banished to 2nd place (or worse) for Eternity - and the added torture of another world of pain beyond description!

anotherworldofpain wrote:Boo!

shouldnt that be Woooowooo