Recent content by PaulDG

End of a close match, home side (who were apparently stuffed by away side last season but have had a few new players join) win by 5 points. Away assistant coach shakes my hand and says "But you had an absolute shocker". Know what? 8 or 9 years ago, that would have bothered me. What bothers...

Anyone know which society Hinkley RFC uses? Cheers.

53 minutes in. Armatage is put on the ground by Ashton who remains in contact and on his feet. Ashton then drags Armatage about 3 steps into touch. Line out awarded to Saints. Is that OK? Hasn't Ashton a responsibility to release the player on the ground and, if he chooses (as he's remained...

Oh.. First thread on the New Forum... Just thought I'd bring up something that's bothered me ever since I did U7s years ago and I still see whenever I wander over to the midi/minis or one of their coaches has a go at refereeing a junior game. Blowing that bloomin whistle to start play! The...

This seems to be a new [English] "myth" as I've heard it twice now since the new year. Never heard it before. I guess it's from coaches moving up from the Continuum.

I did a ladies' friendly this weekend. I did my usual safety checks. Boots. Fingernails. Rings. Brief look for hair grips. Earrings. As all the ladies knew me, they gave me the usual banter about body piercings, etc. Anyway. About 20 minutes into the game, as we were getting ready for a...

What do we think.. Adult 3rd XV. Uncontested scrums from the start. One team 2nd row bringing the ball back with their hands. Penalty or ignore as not material?

There's no obvious indication on that video about how this "maul obstruction" should be dealt with. No helpful "this is now a penalty" or "this is perfectly OK".. What is it? The video gave lots of examples and it seems to me the forming of a maul at a lineout quite commonly produces the sort...

From a match report I've been sent: Blue gave away two quick penalties for handling just outside their 22m line.The referee called over Captain XX, apparently told him that he did not see who had handled and then yellow carded the Captain. ..Those two quick penalties Blue concede were the first...

Happened at my game yesterday.. Restart kick went about 1m forward but then came back and bounced in field near touch line rolled over touch line about 1m back from the halfway. Kick hasn't gone 10m, hasn't been played by opposition and didn't go direct to touch. The Laws don't quite seem to...

Early in the first half of the match with the score at 0-0, gold have a scrum about 7m out. They win the scrum and pass back to FB within the in-goal. Blue flanker bundles gold FB over the dead ball line before he can clear the ball. Referee awards a 22 drop out. Within seconds (with the...

I had this the other day when playing 10s. 5 man scrum - so the 4 & 5 are generally the hindmost players. I was asked if they could pick up. I'd never thought about this before but reasoned that as they were the hindmost players, then yes, they should. So I allowed it. Was I right?

Ball goes into touch outside the 22. Defender picks up ball runs back into the 22 and takes a legitimate QT. Receiver then kicks direct to touch. Gain allowed? Has the defender taken the ball in? (I thought we'd agreed he had but I think I saw this happen in the Gloucester/Wasps match on...

I know U11s isn't junior but my youngest played in his first match for his school today which was the first time most of the kids involved had played in this Continuum stage and hence the first time most had been in a 5-man scrum. He tells me the teacher with the whistle was using an engagement...

Level 11 pre-season friendly in pretty poor conditions. Home side won relatively easily but the constant heavy rain not made things slippery. Line out changes, no issues. Worked well, actually. Scrum, both sets of backs found it hard to remember to be 5m back as old habits of back foot are...