The Rugby Union Thread

lloyd

Watching my first Pro12 game of the season and really wondering why.....Cardiff v Leinster, some of the decisions going against Cardiff are pretty questionable.

Where's the ref from? Fucking Dublin! Had he been good enough a player he'd have been playing for fucking Leinster (Played for St Mary's college) his whole family are probably Leinster supporters and when he retires he'll be sat in the stands, supporting Leinster.

Now, while I'm not accusing him of any conscious bias, why the fuck are the league allowing this man to referee this game? 

Its it's a joke, there's not another sport in the world that would have this guy reffing this match, yet here we are again.

fretmeister

At 50 seconds.

What a try!

tbm

lloyd said:

Watching my first Pro12 game of the season and really wondering why.....Cardiff v Leinster, some of the decisions going against Cardiff are pretty questionable.

Where's the ref from? Fucking Dublin! Had he been good enough a player he'd have been playing for fucking Leinster (Played for St Mary's college) his whole family are probably Leinster supporters and when he retires he'll be sat in the stands, supporting Leinster.

Now, while I'm not accusing him of any conscious bias, why the fuck are the league allowing this man to referee this game? 

Its it's a joke, there's not another sport in the world that would have this guy reffing this match, yet here we are again.

Loath though I am to fuel Welsh referee related paranoia...   ...I have to agree. Is there not a Scottish or even an English ref who could look after those games? Ive seen it loads. Welsh ref at games involving Welsh teams in Ireland. Its daft. Did Steve Walsh ever ref the All Blacks? I think he must have right?

In this particular case the riffing was just shocking. As a Leinster supporter even I was thinking he gifted us a few calls. Two leading up to our try in particular.

The best Irish ref currently working is tied to the RFU, JP Doyle, but I doubt you'll ever see him ref an Ireland game or Irish team. Outside of him our current crop are really not great. But the same could be said for a Leighton Hodges. He's useless. 

snakemanStoo

I seem to remember there were complaints about officials from one of the nations in the pro 12 recently, although I can't find the news reports.  It was pretty much what you said, although I can't remember whether it was from a Welsh team or an Irish team.  I'll keep looking just so I don't seem flakey.

lloyd

tbm said:

lloyd said:

Watching my first Pro12 game of the season and really wondering why.....Cardiff v Leinster, some of the decisions going against Cardiff are pretty questionable.

Where's the ref from? Fucking Dublin! Had he been good enough a player he'd have been playing for fucking Leinster (Played for St Mary's college) his whole family are probably Leinster supporters and when he retires he'll be sat in the stands, supporting Leinster.

Now, while I'm not accusing him of any conscious bias, why the fuck are the league allowing this man to referee this game? 

Its it's a joke, there's not another sport in the world that would have this guy reffing this match, yet here we are again.

Loath though I am to fuel Welsh referee related paranoia...   ...I have to agree. Is there not a Scottish or even an English ref who could look after those games? Ive seen it loads. Welsh ref at games involving Welsh teams in Ireland. Its daft. Did Steve Walsh ever ref the All Blacks? I think he must have right?

In this particular case the riffing was just shocking. As a Leinster supporter even I was thinking he gifted us a few calls. Two leading up to our try in particular.

The best Irish ref currently working is tied to the RFU, JP Doyle, but I doubt you'll ever see him ref an Ireland game or Irish team. Outside of him our current crop are really not great. But the same could be said for a Leighton Hodges. He's useless. 

It's a disgrace really, he's pretty incompetent for a top class ref IMO but, the inconsistencies shown last night were terrible-like you say some of the calls leading up to the try were terrible-would another ref have made those mistakes-possibly, but why leave yourself open to accusations?

He was desperate to give the try where your mans arm was clearly in touch too, he was literally giving the try, despite being told no try and having to be told to look at the arm again.

How would you feel if you were a Cardiff Blues fan and had paid good money to go watch that? I'd be fucking fuming, yet nothing is said because we're supposed to respect the ref at all times, if I was involved with the game at any level down there I'd be busting my arse to get people to look at the situation.

As it is I'm just losing interest pretty quickly.

lloyd

snakemanStoo said:

I seem to remember there were complaints about officials from one of the nations in the pro 12 recently, although I can't find the news reports.  It was pretty much what you said, although I can't remember whether it was from a Welsh team or an Irish team.  I'll keep looking just so I don't seem flakey.

It happens with all the teams in fairness-this ones a special case as Dudley is a lifelong Leinster man and part of the association of referees Leinster Branch (which when you read that out loud seems even more ridiculous he's got the gig)  if we insist on refs from the away teams country, then I think we could at least get someone from another province/area.

I think the refs really should be coming from neutral countries as the standards are shockingly bad and poor decisions lead to accusations of bias, which in this case are understandable.

Wales have a 4th official in Derek Bevan who's 69 and looks and sounds about 80, he's fucking horrendous, takes an age to make a decision and gets it wrong on many occasions-why is he still allowed to pollute the game? It's maddening.

lloyd

Even the Leinster Forum is slamming the officiating on display-"most one eyed performance by an Irish ref" "we shouldn't moan about another decision all season" and "atrocious officiating" joke league.

Blaendulais

fretmeister said:

Gassage said:

fretmeister said:

It was obvious that Picamoles was a bit frustrated with Lee Dickson taking for fucking ever to move the ball, so he just took it and went himself.

I doubt it will be long before Nic Groom is the first choice SH. He's got that Southern hemisphere mentality of not fucking about and getting the ball moving.

Why you sold Kahn Fotouali'i is beyond my comprehension- best running 9 in the world.

Mine too.

I can only imagine it was Salary cap related. Kahn was amazing with Samu Manoa, and now we have another big ball carrying No8, but a slow SH.

Could be interesting - Dickson is club captain so it would be difficult to make him 2nd choice starter.

I am always surprised that Malinder has stuck with Dickson he's one dimensional really.  

fretmeister

scrumhalf

RIP Anthony Foley, such sad news.

Gassage

I have met Axel many times. The most Munsterish man ever. I'm almost in tears.

rsvmark

Watched the Sarries Toulon game this weekend. If you get a chance, watch it. Game of the season right there.

fretmeister

rsvmark said:

Watched the Sarries Toulon game this weekend. If you get a chance, watch it. Game of the season right there.

It was a cracker.

But the "Balls of Steel" award of the weekend has to go to Stephen Myler. Swirling wind, rain like a tropical storm and nothing left on the clock. Score and win, miss and lose.

That was somewhat tense from my couch, never mind the ground.

exocet

From a Welsh perspective, this was a nice bit of skill from Scott Williams

Gassage

Report on Foley's death-

Fluid in lungs caused by heart condition.

Horrendous. Absolutely awful.

eSully

Gassage said:

Report on Foley's death-

Fluid in lungs caused by heart condition.

Horrendous. Absolutely awful.

Tremendously sad. Still shocked by it. Looks likely that Munster are going to go ahead with the Glasgow fixture as well. The day after Axels funeral! The emotion in Thomond Park Saturday if it does go ahead will be something else!

Gassage

I would love to be there. I really would. Best club ground in world.

eSully

Gassage said:

I would love to be there. I really would. Best club ground in world.

I would love to have been there. Munster gave Axel a fitting send off. They gave a tremendous performance and really destroyed a Glasgow team that last week put Tigers to the sword. Hope you were watching, it was an amazing game.

fretmeister

Saints playing so badly today, even by this seasons crap standards. Castres ripping up apart.

Backs defending valiantly but the forwards are making every mistake possible.

eSully

Missed most of it tbh but considering Rory Kockett was yellow carded and they're still nil sounds a pretty terrible performance. 

Sarries - Scarlets should be a decent game but I can't see past a reasonably comfortable Sarries win