Mike Selig
Referees in England
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2008
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Evening all,
Maybe the best place to start is the end result. 5 YCs (4 against away side), 2 RCs (both away - both for abuse). Final score 46-7 to home.
Away side (wonder if Phil E has ever come accross them) quite simply the side with the worst rugby ethos I've ever come accross. Within the 1st 6 minutes we'd had a high tackle, a cheap shot (shoulder charge after the scrum-half had passed the ball) and then another high tackle. The latter saw the first YC.
Things just never improved. After 13 minutes the captain tried a punch and missed. I think I may have bottled the no card but I was really trying hard to get them to comply. 2nd YC was for another high tackle which only missed because the full back ducked it (cue "he ducked into it!"; to be honest my view was that if he hadn't ducked he would have lost his head).
Things settled briefly towards the end of the first half, but then 3 YCs inside 7 minutes (spear tackle with mitigation against home team; away team number 8 joining maul with his fist, then finally away team prop for persistent dissent - again having first penalised then warned captain).
From then on it basically became a moan-fest, with every decision leading to chorus of disaproval from away team. Home side pretty much good as gold. 2 RCs in last 10 minutes for severe abuse, inc captain. No apology from hooker, half-hearted one from captain and proffusive one from coach who said he was embarassed by their behaviour.
Home team and officials full of praise for the way I handled it afterwards in bar. A couple said I was the best ref they'd had all season and one said he thought I was a high level ref sent to "sort it out". Apparently away team have history.
I'm really at odds here. I have no idea what I could have done differently. Obviously I could have been more lenient, but really the YCs were all stonewall, and I genuinely think most of my decisions were correct. Home coach commented that he thought I was communicating them well, but away team simply weren't listening. Basically they were fustrated and taking it out on me.
All left a really sour taste.
Would appreciate any advice/thoughts/support.
Maybe the best place to start is the end result. 5 YCs (4 against away side), 2 RCs (both away - both for abuse). Final score 46-7 to home.
Away side (wonder if Phil E has ever come accross them) quite simply the side with the worst rugby ethos I've ever come accross. Within the 1st 6 minutes we'd had a high tackle, a cheap shot (shoulder charge after the scrum-half had passed the ball) and then another high tackle. The latter saw the first YC.
Things just never improved. After 13 minutes the captain tried a punch and missed. I think I may have bottled the no card but I was really trying hard to get them to comply. 2nd YC was for another high tackle which only missed because the full back ducked it (cue "he ducked into it!"; to be honest my view was that if he hadn't ducked he would have lost his head).
Things settled briefly towards the end of the first half, but then 3 YCs inside 7 minutes (spear tackle with mitigation against home team; away team number 8 joining maul with his fist, then finally away team prop for persistent dissent - again having first penalised then warned captain).
From then on it basically became a moan-fest, with every decision leading to chorus of disaproval from away team. Home side pretty much good as gold. 2 RCs in last 10 minutes for severe abuse, inc captain. No apology from hooker, half-hearted one from captain and proffusive one from coach who said he was embarassed by their behaviour.
Home team and officials full of praise for the way I handled it afterwards in bar. A couple said I was the best ref they'd had all season and one said he thought I was a high level ref sent to "sort it out". Apparently away team have history.
I'm really at odds here. I have no idea what I could have done differently. Obviously I could have been more lenient, but really the YCs were all stonewall, and I genuinely think most of my decisions were correct. Home coach commented that he thought I was communicating them well, but away team simply weren't listening. Basically they were fustrated and taking it out on me.
All left a really sour taste.
Would appreciate any advice/thoughts/support.
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