Comments on: Joubert abuse is wrong, but performance of officials deserves scrutiny

By: AlexD

AlexD — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 20:21:59 +0000

i’m not sure about some of the comments on here that are akin to saying the ref is infallible/sacrosanct and untouchable.
Bollocks!
Everyone is accountable and if the decision(s) are as crass and bankrupt (albeit unwitting) as in the last five minutes of Scotland v Australia the response should not be “Oh well it’s the ref’s decision So let’s leave it at that!”
Nothing would ever get sorted or reformed in life if we applied that one to everything in life. Joubert is a man and IS accountable for THAT decision!
(No witch hunts but a rematch)

By: AlexD

AlexD — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 20:09:17 +0000

Don’t buy into Cheika’s comments about Gavin Hastings and Matt Dawson’s remarks. They have EVERY RIGHT to express their PROFESSIONAL opinions! Cheika’s message in my mind translates as:
“They’re professionals and should know better than to comment!”
Bollocks!
He doesn’t want them speaking up because they’re sending out the message (broadcasting it loud and clear even) that “Australia didn’t win and shouldn’t be in the semis.”
I suggest a rematch. If it’s a trite embarrassing for the RFU so be it.
If Australia still won I’d be okay with it just as long as it was fair and square.
It’s sport for christsake not investment banking! (Monied sport but sport nonetheless!)
DISGRACE
What do you Aussies out there think about it in the spirit of FairPlay?
Perhaps we’re the only ones who still believe in it! Quite possible. Sad but true!

By: Steven Mumford

Steven Mumford — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 18:22:38 +0000

Fwd pass ? i think “EnZeders” got it back in shovel fulls after Joubert’s performance in 2011 RWC final ..let the game flow , he let NZ do as they wished. So , thats France 2011 who were lucky to overcome Wales (Warburton/Rowland) 2011 , Scotland 2015 not forgetting England 2007 (Cueto not in touch). “They” even tried in 2003 when dominant Eng scrum was continually penalised. I understand Barnes nvr refereed NZ since 2007 (sorry if that is incorrect).Wales have had no such luck the Frenchman Rowland did return to Wales officiating. He should have retired immediate following his diabolical decision to send off Warburton. No player has been sent off before or since for the same offence. Anyway common denominator bias against NH.

By: Don P

Don P — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 14:39:57 +0000

More balanced & tolerant than I am brother, but I concur with all you’ve stated.

Joubert had a split second to decide & ANY ref would have likely made the same decision under the same circs. What else could have been the case? Hindsight & replays are as useless as an ashtray on a motorbike… AFTER the event.

If the TMO ‘controlled’ the game, the right decisions would surely more often be made as he could ‘correct’ the ref…& thus avoid the controversy events like that of last w/end.

The argument that TMO ‘interference’ would waste time just doesn’t stack up when compared with ave scrum time wastage; i.e. 10 / game! The real ? is; ‘do we want the correct result or not’?

A no brainer for me. It’s got to be right decisions… & refs need more support from WR to this end, esp in the aftermath of controversy.

‘player safety (does )come(s) first’, so ‘the citing process has to reviewed’! And ‘referees (DO) need that extra help in a high pressure situations’.

Well argued Ally.

By: Don P

Don P — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 14:09:30 +0000

‘…referee-bashing is unedifying…’ indeed & for Hastings to come out with all his stuff is character assassination.

However, when Barnes missed that fwd pass in 2007, any EnZeder stating this was labelled a whinger or a whiner or ‘.. it’s what happens on the day’ etc. Sound familiar? Well what’s the diff? Perhaps because of collective anger that the NH are out of the 1/4ers? Can’t have it both ways folks.

For me joubert has been a ref who lets the game flow so that we actually see some rugby. That he’s been pilloried by WC smacks of his being hung out 2 dry.

Poor form.

By: Redblackimp

Redblackimp — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 23:10:55 +0000

Want some fish with that chip on your shoulder? Don’t forget Joubert disallowed an Australian try earlier in the match due to a dubious ‘knock on’ that he referred to the TMO. Plus the scrum penalties to Scotland were extremely generous.

Suck it up princess.

By: Ally

Ally — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 19:32:37 +0000

As a gutted Scotland fan I have still enjoyed every match I have watched,and for pure excitement the Scots v Aussie’s match was one of the best of the tournament.
It doesn’t really help that it has just been posted on the rugbyworldcup.com website that the referee selection committee have just confirmed that Joubert got the last penalty decision wrong.
However in Joubert’s defense he had to make s split-second decision and it would have been helpful to him if he would have been allowed within the laws to check the decision with the TMO.
Scotland did lead to their own downfall at the end of the match by not catching their own lineout.

There are some areas to address for world rugby:
1 The citing process has to reviewed.It has been inconsistent at best,not applied in an equitable way to all countries and some incidents e.g tip-tackles being cited for some games & missed in others.
I do believe player safety comes first and high tackles etc need to be penalised.
2 The referees need that extra help in a high pressure situation to have the right to check any decision at their discretion,especially match deciding ones.I realise we don’t want to have numerous stoppages in a match,but I’d rather the game was a little longer & get the right decision,especially if it decides the match.
Hopefully some good will come out of these incidents to improve citing and use of the TMO,removing dangerous tackles and helping the referees get the decision right,especially ones that decide the match.

By: Pablito

Pablito — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 19:22:17 +0000

Couldn’t agree more Brighty.

Joubert was wrong but even so, World Rugby should be backing a decision that was made in a split second and pointing out that he could not use the TMO

Any other words can be had in private not in the media. This just makes it much, much worse.

By: Steven Mumford

Steven Mumford — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 18:50:50 +0000

Also i have not had the stomach to watch again (yet) Wales v SA , i was at the game and felt then that Wayne Barnes wrongly gave scrum “put in” to SA from which their try was scored. Southern Hem again getting these crucial decisions at crucial times.

By: brighty

brighty — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 18:45:33 +0000

I’ve just seen the statement fro, World Rugby and wow – they have hung Joubert out to try. I was as emotional as most straight after the game but I fail to see what publicly stating Joubert was wrong will achieve. It won’t change who is in the QFs. It will ruin (too strong?) a big chunk of one man’s life.

Yes, he’s incompetent and needed to be trained and/or sidelined, but in a decent manner, not in public. World Rugby have just made a fiasco out of a farce.

By: Steven Mumford

Steven Mumford — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 18:44:40 +0000

Sorry “gave the 2011 RWC to New Zealand”

By: Steven Mumford

Steven Mumford — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 18:42:39 +0000

Joubert has form , gave the 2011 RWC to France , should have awarded Wales a penalty try v Australia last week always bias against Northern Hemisphere as are tmo’s