World's top Referee to handle World's top club clash

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We often criticise a referee when he gets it totally wrong but rarely sing their praises when they get it spectacularly right.

I'd like to correct that a little by congratulating Craig Joubert on his appointment to the super rugby final.

The world's #1 whistler has earned the respect of players, fans and his bosses alike with his consistent, clear and sensible interpretations throughout his career and is a role model others should aspire to.

In recent times he has handled the rugby World Cup final, where he did a splendid job although sparked the ire of some northern fans and journalists by bucking the trend of not penalising France in World Cup competitions featuring New Zealand.

Joubert was again center stage in Australia for the Lions tour where he controlled the only test to be referred adequately and without major controversy.

Congratulations to Craig. A man at the top of his game and on top of the world.

I'd agree Biltong. Thought he was OK.

I would have preferred he ream out the captains part way through the first half for all the penalties both sides were giving away. Seemed each time the game picked up, there was an infraction. Obviously he was not obliged to do so, but I woke up at 3:30 to watch the damn match. Its the least he could do for me.

Joubert was excellent. I though he was overly tolerant of the Brumbies in the first half. Every time the Chiefs gained momentum one of the Brumbies loosies or locks deliberately ran into the 9/10 area and it got ridiculous.

I though George Smith was blatantly offside in the lead up to the interception that led to the first try, and I also through the turn over that led to the first Brumbie penalty was blatant offside from Ben Moore, who never retired from the previous ruck. However I think Kerr-Barlow was stupid to keep playing around them instead of making a bigger issue of it to Joubert.

Eventually the match officials clocked it and warned the Brumbies (around 50 minutes) and from there in the Brumbies couldn't live with the pacey Chiefs.

All in all I thought it was a victory for positivity and rugby. I don't like Jake White's approach to rugby, and I'm saddened that the once exciting Brumbies are now percentage players, cynics and play the tiresome hack-and-hope game.

Still interesting that all the points from boths sides on the day were scored by Kiwis. Gosh, there's some talent spread the world over, isn't there Saint?

Craig Joubert is still the best referee in the World.

Agreed Laurie, no clangers, despite some trying to still claim a NZ side was somehow given the rub of the green. Fact of life is, the better team won, CHIEFS!!! Yeah ha!!

ebop wrote:Agreed Laurie, no clangers, despite some trying to still claim a NZ side was somehow given the rub of the green. Fact of life is, the better team won, CHIEFS!!! Yeah ha!!

Did the better team win, CHIEFS!!! because they was the better team?..Or did they win because the Brumbies like so many teams this year, thought they could not lose because of how mutch time was left on the clock?

Madj, that's the most tangential "moral victory" I've heard you try to apportion to date.

Brumbies lost because they play Jake White rugby. Negative. Spoiling. Territorial. Percentage based. Kick the ball away. Try to get away with killing and slowing. Try to force penalties in kickable range. This is why they are loaded with guys with big punts and have the worst disciplinary record in super rugby under white.

The chiefs took them on anyway. Stayed positive. Waited for Joubert to get frustrated with their tactics and when he did, the chiefs steamrolled them and once behind ( a la springboks) had no way of manufacturing a try. Look - their only try came from spoiling negativity and TKB not being streetwise enough to milk the deserved penalty.