Monday, August 13, 2012

Ref are you $%&*ing blind? Part II Sportsmanship?


Upset Ted? (picture http://bit.ly/RaxD0o
)

Part 2 of my analysis/rant is refereeing and sportsmanship of the lack of it. What got me going on the whole topic was Graham Henry’s recent  ‘match fixing’ allegations in the wake of the disastrous 2007 defeat to France.. OK, we know he’s trying to sell a book, and that he thought about saying something at the time, and only remembered to 5 years later. You take the biscuit Mr Henry. Nothing to do with faffing about with your ‘two team system’ for the couple of years before the cup (which you dropped after the cup) so that neither us, the players or you knew who you’re A team was. Nothing to do with the terrible bad luck of losing Dan Carter and Nick Evans, in the same match. Nothing to do with coming into the match expecting a cake walk, and finding a French team really up for it. No, all down to Wayne Barnes. The sweetest comment I heard on the whole sorry matter was from a Kiwi. ‘Camped inside the French 22 for the last 15 minutes and no drop goal attempt from the AB’s? Maybe the match fixing allegations are a bit closer to home! :)

Bryce Lawrence is another man to get it in the neck, the only reason the Springboks lost to the Wallabies in the last World Cup apparently. In his defense, I give you the South African coach, Pieter de Villiers. I rest my case.  One dimensional trucking the ball up the middle only game plan, aging players, 70% possession. But death threats for the ref, death threats? This is rugby, he didn’t embezzle your pension fund.

I always associate rugby with sportsmanship, fair play. It’s a tough demanding physical sport. If coaches, players and fans are going to start crying when they fall off the swings, maybe there’s other codes out there that would suit them better.

One a more cheerful note, Leinster got their season off to a good start at Tallaght Stadium against Gloucester . Watch the highlights on Leinster’s site

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