Rugby Championship referee appointments

[Ian_Cook]

Interesting to see the iRB version of this press release...

http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/mediaz...440.html#referees+announced+scrum+trial+kicks

...it mentions a couple of things that the earlier SANZAR one doesn't

"Referees will also be instructed to ensure that the scrum is static before the ball is put into the scrum and that the ball goes in straight. "

I know OB.. will be pleased about the first bit, and BCM666 will be happy about the seciond

I remain skeptical about both. I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[OB..]

Interesting to see the iRB version of this press release...

http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/mediaz...440.html#referees+announced+scrum+trial+kicks

...it mentions a couple of things that the earlier SANZAR one doesn't

"Referees will also be instructed to ensure that the scrum is static before the ball is put into the scrum and that the ball goes in straight. "

I know OB.. will be pleased about the first bit, and BCM666 will be happy about the seciond

I am happy about both. My point always was that the first requirement must precede the second. The other way round is infeasible.

I remain skeptical about both. I'll believe it when I see it.

I am not holding my breath, but it is bated.

 

[KML1]

I can only assume that the Bledisloe falls outside of the mainstream IRB appointments. Perhaps Ian Cook or someone down that way could confirm? I assume the BC doesn't count as part of the Rugby Championship?

IRB have confirmed to me that the BC falls outside the "trial" of neutral TMOs - not that they called it a trial in last week's communication. Seems slightly odd that the Bledisloe (which I didn't realise was best of 3!) could come down to a non-nuetral TMO if it turns out to be the deciding fixture.

 

[The Fat]

In an ideal world ALL match officials at professional level would be neutral.

TO3 for Super Rugby semis this week (from SARefs)

Craig Joubert and Steve Walsh have been appointed to referee the semifinals of Super Rugby 2013.

Joubert will referee the semifinal at Loftus Versfeld when the Bulls play the Brumbies and Walsh the semifinal at Waikato Stadium when the Chiefs have the daunting task of playing the Crusaders.

The whole squad of match officials in Pretoria will be South Africans, in line with the refereeing belief that all referees are impartial and that merit takes precedence over nationality and residence.

In New Zealand, both teams are New Zealanders and while Walsh has an Australian tag everybody knows he is a New Zealander.

Semifinal Appointments

Chiefs v Crusaders at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, on Saturday 27 July, 2013
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Television match official: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)

Bulls vs Brumbies at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, on Saturday 27 July, 2013
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

It seems that the referee for the Final will come from Joubert, Peyper, Walsh and Jackson. Of them Walsh has refereed two finals, Joubert one

 

[TNT88]

Good choices.

If there is an Australian team playing a Saffer team in Safferland. Why on earth would you fly a referee from NZ over? I imagine the coaches would rather have an in form Craig Joubert over a jet-lagged kiwi ref probably ranked outside the top 4 refs in super15 (aka: Pollock).

Walsh, Joubert and Peyper are the clear candidates for the grand final. Peyper just had a game in NZ over the weekend so he will obviously get the week off. Then you are left with KJB and Walsh. Why fly them halfway around the world to ref the these games? They may as well stay where they are and referee the game closest to them.

 

[damo]

Good choices.

If there is an Australian team playing a Saffer team in Safferland. Why on earth would you fly a referee from NZ over? I imagine the coaches would rather have an in form Craig Joubert over a jet-lagged kiwi ref probably ranked outside the top 4 refs in super15 (aka: Pollock).

Walsh, Joubert and Peyper are the clear candidates for the grand final. Peyper just had a game in NZ over the weekend so he will obviously get the week off. Then you are left with KJB and Walsh. Why fly them halfway around the world to ref the these games? They may as well stay where they are and referee the game closest to them.

Peyper has been awarded the first of the relegation games between the Kings and the Lions, so he doesn't quite get the day off. I suspect that if the final is in NZ/AUS then Walsh will get the gig, and if it is in SA then Joubert or possibly Peyper will. Peyper has impressed me of late, and I have not been a fan of his in the past. I think Peyper has become the best ref in the SH, followed narrowly by Walsh and Jonathon White. Joubert; I think is slightly off the pace this year.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

I like Peyper too.

He manages to keep Ali Williams in check which is no mean feat in itself!

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

I am happy about both. My point always was that the first requirement must precede the second. The other way round is infeasible.

Infeasible?

I thought it was unfeasible - but then my knowledge is dervied from "Buster Gonad and his unfeasibly large testicles" so I may be wrong!

View attachment 2600

 

[OB..]

Infeasible?

I thought it was unfeasible - but then my knowledge is dervied from "Buster Gonad and his unfeasibly large testicles" so I may be wrong!

View attachment 2600

Both forms exist, with infeasible being the more common.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Both forms exist, with infeasible being the more common.

Not round 'ere it's not!:biggrin:

 

[OB..]

Not round 'ere it's not!:biggrin:

This article may amuse you http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2012/07/variation

" Having done the digging, I would now simply say that "infeasible" has more intellectual defenders and is more common today. It has a cousin in the French infaisable. ("Un-" is a Germanic prefix.) If you must use one or the other, "infeasible" seems the better choice."

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

This article may amuse you http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2012/07/variation

" Having done the digging, I would now simply say that "infeasible" has more intellectual defenders and is more common today. It has a cousin in the French infaisable. ("Un-" is a Germanic prefix.) If you must use one or the other, "infeasible" seems the better choice."

Buster Gonad and his infeasibly large testicles it is then! Thanks OB..

 

[The Fat]

Buster Gonad and his infeasibly large testicles it is then! Thanks OB..

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
Reminds me of our original rugby club bush band from the late 70s. They had to change their first choice name because other than Saturdays after each home game, they couldn't get any other gigs around town.
Their original name?
Buster Hymen and The Penetrators

 

[winchesterref]

Another article on neutral referees, this time in the Super 15

http://m.watoday.com.au/rugby-union...n-refs-likely-to-hit-home-20130726-2qptd.html

 

[Rushforth]

Another article on neutral referees, this time in the Super 15

http://m.watoday.com.au/rugby-union...n-refs-likely-to-hit-home-20130726-2qptd.html

Odd. I can see the point in having neutral referees, but at a club/franchise level it isn't the nationality of the official which is an issue so much as (perceived) "loyalty".

Where nation A plays nation B, yes of course the referee should be from nation C, D or E.

When team X plays team Y, and the best official (available) happens to be from near team Z but 1000 miles from X and much more from Y, so what?

 

[winchesterref]

Rushforth I agree in this case, if logistically it makes sense in a club match then I can't see it is a huge issue. Don't know how the Aussies see it though?

And with my supporters hat on, would I want Poite refereeing Quins v Racing Metro next season in the HC? Probably not. But with my referee hat on (which most fans won't have) I know it won't make a difference and he would be neutral.

 

[Dixie]

This article may amuse you http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2012/07/variation

Much wisdom there!

" People are tribal, and they often enjoy getting especially tribal about the tiniest things. Britons and Americans can both make passionate defences of driving on their respective sides of the road, or how many syllables "alumin(i)um" has, partly because, though the choice is arbitrary, it is defining: do you belong to the red team or the blue team? It seems to be in our nature to get worked up about these things."

And hence I look down on all those who consider that Loose and Lose are interchangeable and the same thing.

 

[Robert Burns]

Brumbies v Chiefs in Hamilton.

Whilst Walsh is probably in best form he hasn't always been the best ref in the minds of the Brumbies.

However, I believe Peyper will get the final, with Joubert on one line and Walsh probably on the other.

Peter Marshall as TMO?

 

[winchesterref]

Joubert according to this

http://www.odt.co.nz/sport/rugby/266580/rugby-joubert-referee-super-15-final

 

[Robert Burns]

Yep, with an all Kiwi remainder team. How does that fair for the impartial perception....

Perhaps more so because Glen played for the Chiefs. I don't believe the HC has ever had Rolland referee Leinster in the knock out stages, have they?