Recent content by Mike Whittaker

Have spent much of the weekend watching the HK Sevens - excellent entertainment. Generally thought the refs did an excellent job. Must be a great training ground for the bigger games. Most unfortunate error of judgement (IMHO) by otherwise excellent ref in final surely denied Wales the result...

Have been browsing some of the regulations on the IRB web site and come across this one... http://www.irblaws.com/EN/clarificationdetail/union/RFU/7 Am finding it difficult to get my head around the concept of a maul not having ended successfully or unsuccessfully and yet no longer existing...

But we have a wonderful TMO ...

It is unfortunate that argument still continues on the rights and wrongs of a red card which, it would appear, is now accepted as a correct decision by most referees and those who manage and administer the game of rugby. So why does the controversy continue and what can be done to prevent a...

Me, I'm not going anywhere - and not sure where you are coming from as Grade D not on my charts so perhaps clarification would help there? If you adopted your approach in a Level 5 game here (highest without appointed ARs) you would not only lay your self open to being set up something chronic...

Is it just coincidence that a SH ref gets the SH semi, that a NH ref gets a NH semi and that the bilingual English/French speaking ref gets to ref the French? God only knows how they will determine the most appropriate ref for the final??

Used to say of a tackled player, "Ball over body - ok; Body over ball - penalty" Certainly now the tackler seems to have less time than ever and the tackled player ever more...

You may well find that the 'patch', even if it is not OB Velcro or colour coded, is treated like a club badge or some other special seeing as how it is only on the prop shirt, unless of course it becomes the fashion for all shirts to have a 'prop patch' on them so that weedy scrum halves can...

This could run and run...

Clearly, to be a good TV commentator cannot be easy - after all there is only one Bill McClaren in a lifetime. However, the fellows on ITV just don't seem to be much of an enhancement to the match for me. As someone who watches the Tour de France on TV, I appreciate the skill of the...

BIASED REPORT Yes OFFSIDES 8 ADVANTAGE 8 SCRUMS 7 RUCKS & MAULS 8 TACKLE 6 CONTROL 7 COMMUNICATION 8 DANGEROUS PLAY 7 FITNESS 9 ATTITUDE 9 OVERALL 8 OTHER COMMENTS Thought Nigel let himself down on consistency today. Maybe he was scared of dishing out too many cards before the RWC? His energy...

I draw attention to article in the Guardian but make no comment other than to say that we do at least have rugby matches to watch whilst all this goes on. Hopefully that will continue... http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/aug/26/rfu-blackett-inquiry-council :shrug:

Just picked up the new official mobile app. http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/mobileapps/index.html Interested to hear comments when we have had a chance to explore...

Saw this article in the paper yesterday... CLICK HERE Wonder how they manage for refs?? And who would fancy refereeing it??:swet:

Another lovely touch down 'controversy' at the end of the first half... Was it over the line, on the line, where were his knees, is that relevant? Yes it has the lot... As the commentators implied it is one of the great things about rugby, different sets of people can watch the same thing and...