Ewen’s still peeved
21 May 2006
Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie is not yet finished with South African referee Jonathan Kaplan.
McKenzie all but blamed Kaplan for his team’s narrow Vodacom semi-final loss at the hand’s of the Hurricanes and now intends to take the matter further.
The former Wallaby is still so angry over his team’s harsh treatment at the hands of bogey ref Kaplan in Friday night’s defeat in Wellington he intends lodging an official complaint with Sanzar.
McKenzie told Australian media that after sifting through the match video he would detail a long list of complaints he had over Kaplan’s performance in the 14-16 defeat that knocked the Tahs out of the competition.
The Waratahs have apparently lost 12 successive games on the road with Kaplan on the whistle and sound like they’ve had enough.
“All I want is consistency,” McKenzie told the Sunday Telegraph. “All I ever talk about is consistency. And I don’t know how it can all be so inconsistent.
“I’ve bitten my tongue for a long time but I’ll be outlining it now because it doesn’t seem to get any better,” he whined.
McKenzie’s complaint will include: skipper Chris Whitaker being marched 10m into goal-kicking range; Kaplan not playing advantage when the Tahs were in try-scoring position; a key second-half decision being taken from a player other than the captain; a lineout penalty against Phil Waugh that went against what was being applied elsewhere; a scrum turnover decision that led to the Canes’ only try; and the scrum collapse penalty that handed the Canes their match-winning penalty.
30 Comments
21 May 2006, 19:04 pm
WOW! Kaplan must have done something bad too deserve this. I didn’t watch the game, but it sounds as if kaplen murderd a player!
21 May 2006, 19:07 pm
typical aussies, crying over spilt milk! now they should know how the sharks and bulls felt this season.
21 May 2006, 19:55 pm
I watched All out Rugby earlier and the stuf Garth Wright showed of Richy McCaw could not be ignorred even iff everyone will call me a Bull whinner , its not the reason as he said that cost the Bulls the game ,thier own game plan cost them. But the blatant blind eye the ref gave it is worrying, later this year we play him in 3 tests and will it still be right to leave it?
21 May 2006, 20:51 pm
And now from the other point of view: enjoy this
Farking brilliant, a lot of Shackle Draggin’ posters on the forums showing their true colours, after their beloved Tahs got smashed, two weeks in a row, by the Hurricanes. Dummy Spitting Sour Grape Swilling one eyes. I love it.
Blaming the ref – FFS. They lost because they weren’t good enough, plain and simple. Pulling out isolated incidents and pointing to these reasons why the loss happened is just plain stupid. For every incident that is pointed at, I am sure a ‘counter’ incident can be pulled out by a Hurricanes fan. But they don’t need to, because they have another week of rugby to look forward to.
The Baxter penalty, and Baxter’s “why would I collapse our own scrum put in”. Well, perhaps the Hurricanes scrum can say the same when they got free kicked for pushing over the mark, 5m from the Tahs line, especially when they had the wood over the piss poor Tahs eight. If you remove those two decisions, the Hurricanes lose three points, but then perhaps gain five (or seven) from a try, or three from the penalty they would have kicked when the Tah’s transgressed in stopping the try.
Maybe, just maybe, instead of looking at Kaplan, they should look at themselves. They have been reffed by Kaplan15 times, and have won one game. How thick can you be? They know how he refs, so adjust to it FFS, how many games does it take to learn something? At least 15 if you wear baby blue and come from Shackle-dragger land, obviously!
If you are really looking for people to blame, perhaps Wendell Sailor would be a better target than Kaplan. Sailor not being there last week, and again this week removed a pretty decent winger from their side, but more importantly, meant that Rogers was removed from first five for the semi final. If the Tahs were to win, they needed their quality players handling the ball as often as possible, not lollygagging around at fullback for most of the game, and a rookie first five running the show. Sailor can shoulder much of the blame.
Perhaps also blame coach McKenzie, why sub your skipper for a brainless dork? Experience is what wins semi finals, and Sheehan was so wound up you thought he was going to explode. Even Waugh had a go at the little munter after he punched someone as the Tahs were receiving the penalty that put them ahead on the score board – did any rabid Tah’s posters mention that in all their excuses threads? That three should never had been scored, and Sheehan should have spent the last ten minutes watching from the stand.
The Tah’s can also point a collective finger at themselves. Losing the the Chiefs in the penultimate round of the Super 14 was not the preperation they needed for the semi final run in. Had they won that, and they would have been playing in Sydney last night, and I don’t think the Hurricanes would have been able to get up two weeks in a row and win there. Think reading too much of their own press from their cheerleaders in Australia got to them. Looking strong on paper gets you nowhere, ask the Blues about that one.
Flat track bullies? You decide – but over the season they didn’t manage to beat any of the other three semi finalists, losing the to the Bulls, the Crusaders and Hurricanes in round robin play, and then the the hurricanes again. Bluntly didn’t deserve to be in the final.
Bottom line, they lost their last three games of the season, three must win games. They simply weren’t good enough, played dumb rugby, and paid the ultimate price, finishing their season a week before the final.
Please note, for Bart’s peace of mind, I toned down my abuse of the Warrahbabies fans, for the sake of harmony on the Forum, no name calling please boys and girls…
Compliments of the Silver Fern Lot
22 May 2006, 00:59 am
That’s rich, Sarky! Especially when moaning about refs is SA’s national sport. It is a long chronicle of bleating of “the refs all hate us” whether that ref is McHugh from Ireland, Spreadbury from England, Honiss from NZ, Dickerson from Oz, or Wotsizface from Wherever.
Let’s not forget the regular howls of outrage ever time a SA player is cited and suspended… the cries of ” if he was an Ozzie/Kiwi/Pom/Frog etc…he would have been let off” …
Look, it offends the patriotic SA-uber-alles spirit to hear bad things said about anything to do with SA. You don’t like to hear your cities are boring and/or dangerous; your commentators are inept; your camera angles are poor, your teams are one-dimensional, your administrators are weak and your quota selections are self-defeating.
But if you want to dish out the insults, you have to be brave enough to take them.
Kaplan is NOT as crash-hot as some of you think he is. Get over it.
22 May 2006, 02:05 am
When this guy started out as a coach, I was impressed by the way he turned the Tahs around from easy beats to title contenders the last couple of years. Now I don’t respect this guy and has built up a reputation as the biggest whiner I have seen, and thats for both winning and losing. If only his union can concentrate on the S14 season and his sights set on the title and not talkin’ league players to comin’ over, then I guess the Tahs would be at Jade this weekend. Serves him right that they are not there as he took the foot off the tahs pedal and they were passed by the chiefs and then canes and now they don’t even appear in the rear view mirror.
When or if knuckles gets fired, The current Brumbies coach is who I would like to see take over the top job. Ewen would run out of ideas as the tahs do at the business end of the season.
Kaplan is not the best ref, but who else is? George Ayoub is still an official and we all know how **** he is. Honiss is piss poor, Dickson is a hot/cold ref. The best ref/s IMO is the new SA ref Jonker & Joubert chaps.
The french ref Joel Jo… is a bloody good ref too.
22 May 2006, 03:39 am
Well said Tackler!
Unfortunately, Saffers seem unable to handle criticism, but enjoy dishing it out. They are forever whining about being done in by referees, and yet when one of their referees is criticised they cry foul!
The fact is, Kaplan made a number of errors, but that’s still no excuse for the Tah’s losing. However, Kaplan needs to be hauled over the coals. 12 successive loss with Kaplan in charge should tell you something. Especially when you end up as high up on the log as the Tah’s did.
Personally, I don’t like coaches moaning about the ref to the media. If they want to complain, they should put it in writing and send of to the PTB without whinging to the media.
22 May 2006, 03:59 am
Ian and Tackler – Grow up boys. When you do you’ll realise that just as you don’t speak for everybody in your current geographic location, neither do a few blokes posting on blog in SA, or Oz, or NZ, or the UK. Most true rugby fans who know the game also know that it’s just plain silly to get too wound up about the ref. I know that I for one, wouldn’t like to be in their shoes – they have approximately 3000 stupid little laws to think about in just about every instance of a 80 minute game. The only way refs will have less of an influence over the game will be if the IRB simplifies the laws at the breakdown and scrum, and lineout – especially the bloody breakdown. And Ian – Your arguement about Kaplan and Tahs is ridiculous – If they can’t adapt to how he calls a game, they should be hauled over the caols. Kaplan aside, they lost their last three games and did what everyone expected them to do – lose in the semis – just like they do every year.
22 May 2006, 04:25 am
Ian
I think you need to think before you post. You have completetly missed the the point.
Noone has said that Kaplan was right all the way through the game. SA sides have had there share of moaning about refs giving their sides bad decisions it is part of life called human error.
To imply that waratahs have a God given right to be in the final due to finishing high on the table – that is stupidity on your part.
Have a look at the scrum in question – how can you back McKensie with the same argument he has as you did not see the pull down in question as you did not have the camera angle.
Have a look at the side where the camera angle is and you will see the waratah player put his hand on the ground after engaging and then try and pull down the opposition prop when bound again.
The problem with you is that you expected the waratahs to win as it was your right and the ref did not lose the game for you.
For the ref to ‘lose’ it for you for the past 14 times maybe go and have a look at the scores of all the waratahs game under Kaplan and you will see that the waratahs were mostly piss poor in most of those games.
To look at one game with inconsistencies,
The Test between SA and OZ in Brisbane 2003 you will see so many ref misatkes and the wallabies benefit from most decisions.
It was a ludicrous reffing display and one could see the Boks frustration build up. Most of my oz mates who had an idea of rugby union rules indicate that OZ had the fair share of decisions going their way when it should not have.
Noone complained othe rthan oz about biting.
22 May 2006, 04:33 am
Tackler
Who said that Kaplan was crash hot.
He has had inconsistencies – what makes rugby interesting is the human factor.
What makes SA people any different, there is nothing, you will complain, the saffas will complain the ozzies will do the same.
Mckenzie should just get on with it his persistence is going to get him embarrassed. The funny thing is even if Kaplan says sorry I made a mistake Mac cannot do anything about it.
If the waratahs lose again under Kaplan, Kaplan should put in a waratah team performance report and tell Mac how to do his job properly.
Please contribute something worthwhile if not something funny.
Please look through a glass that is at least half full and not empty. You have a negative mindset.
22 May 2006, 04:45 am
Mckenzie is training to be the next Eddie Moans.
22 May 2006, 06:21 am
I think they are entitled to say what they like about the ref but they shouldn’t say it to the press. It is a bad look and it will never change the result. People will remember that they didn’t accept the result graciously and they were bad sports.
Does anyone else remember Al Baxter’s comments after the Blues game earlier in the season? He basically said that he was going to monster the AB’s later this year because he thought he did the business on Tony Woodcock in that game. Those predictions have come back to bite him pretty badly! He will get anhialated by England, Ireland, NZ, SA – all in succession – people will be punching the air if he and the human pudding (Matt Dunning) get selected again for the Wallabies.
22 May 2006, 07:13 am
BokinOzzie,
Don’t put words into my mouth! I did not say, or imply that the Tah’s have a God given right to be in the final. My point about their position on the log last year and this year, is that to finish so high, but lose all the games Kaplan refereed, must tell you somethings not right. Either Kaplan has a bias against the Tah’s (perhaps one he doesn’t even realise), or the Tah’s haven’t adapted to how Kaplan referees.
Whenever Dickenson referees an SA side, the Saffas moan about how biased he is against their sides. Similarly, I think Kaplan is biased against the Tah’s. If you read my post properly, I said that Kaplan’s mistakes are not an excuse for the Tah’s losing-they only have themselves to blame. However, Kaplan should be accountable for his poor performance in the same way Honis should have been when SA played Ireland last year! They are professionals and if professional sportsmen are accountable for their performance, so should referees like the NRL ones are).
Frazer,
Re-read my post! I said that in my opinion, I prefer coaches not to moan publicly (i.e. to the media) about referees. I agree with you that they should just get on with it.
22 May 2006, 07:16 am
Ewen asks for consistency. In my book 12 losses at the hands of Kaplan is pretty consistent.
It looks like Kaplan doesn’t like the colour blue.
22 May 2006, 08:13 am
mckenzie is a whiner…
by definition if kaplan is reffing nsw must be playing anz team and given the record of nz teams some of those games have been aginst the crusaders blues and so on
it would intersting to see how many ofthose losses are against the crusaders blue hurricanes and how man yare in nz given nsw pathetic record in nz
22 May 2006, 08:15 am
lol Lawrence!
22 May 2006, 08:19 am
Sarky, great comments. I agree he wasn’t perfect but managed almost the identical (very few) mistakes with each team
How about for next year Kaplan coaches the Tahs and Mckenzie has a shot at reffing, at least then Mckenzie could make sure the Tahs beat the canes!
22 May 2006, 09:17 am
ian & tickler,
is it just me or did that post not say at the end “compliment of the silver fern lot”?
now if you dont know, the guy he mentioned, bart, runs this website.
bart, (tackler you twat)is a kiwi, which means that this was written on a KIWI website, you know, the guys you are staying with now tackler?!
unfortunately he did not give the authors name, but i think it needs to be cleared up it was not someone on a SA forum that wrote that.
just shows you how you love to gun down saffas at the first opportunity you get without even knowing or considering circumstances.
grow up
22 May 2006, 09:18 am
no that i dont agree with it, well written – stop bitching – bunch of girls.
22 May 2006, 09:44 am
Tackles – U wish u live in this boring country with its high crimes and kak camera angles!! Cheap shots u doos. So we have problems, dont NZ ? U want to tell me its safe in NZ ? They dont have a high record of wife abuse amoungst the moari’s ? They have farking sunny days through out the year with bikini clad super models strolling the beaches ? So Kaplan made some mistakes , so what ? Whoever reffed the Bulls game certainly let Mccaw get away with some questionable tactics , so what ? The bulls lost becos of the crusaders were the better team with a better plan and execution not becos of Mccaw and the ref. The NSW lost because the Canes were better not because of the Ref ,
PS – the Obz and NZ commentators are just so kak !
22 May 2006, 09:53 am
TheTackler and Ian get knotted! I will tell you straight the Kiwi and Aussie ref’s are Cheats! When they are involved in a game you can bet the S.A boys will get the short end of the stick with the famous “I blow it like I see it mate” retort when questioned on their motives. Lets face it you Kiwi’s and Aussies hate losing to S.A. and will go to any length to help each other!
Get Northern Hemisphere refs for the Super14 I say
22 May 2006, 10:49 am
Ian
How many times has Kaplan reffed NSW in thew past 3 years and against whom.
You will see that majority were against the NZ sides and these sides have had the wood over NSW.
Highlanders, Blues, Crusaders have spanked NSW over the passed 3 years and to say that Kaplan was responsible for these losses is ludicrous.
This is what you are implying!!
NSW has only been competitive in the past 3 years in terms of being consistently viaing for hte top 4 places otherwise they were rubbish.
If it was a reffing mistake so what it happens I do not think it was sinister as it is his professional career at stake.
The problem is that you think he deliberatly did it.
Have your whinge and then get on with it as we are all entitled to it but to go on about it is just a waste of time.
Mack should stop it as he knows that he benefited from some Kaplan mistakes and if he did not the waratahs would have been dumped.
The better team won at the end of the day.
22 May 2006, 10:49 am
Mccaw pushed the boundries big time, the bulls were too thick to adapt and do the same, if the ref allows it push it as far as he will allow. Thought Jack was ahead of the kicker when he won the ball from a carter/mauger kick and it lead to the tmo try.
Crusaders were to good and bulls to boring.
22 May 2006, 10:50 am
Bunce
I agree.
22 May 2006, 20:38 pm
if stans o lady was playing the bulls woulda won
22 May 2006, 23:18 pm
Refs are HUMAN too, never once during my time at Rugby did a ref do me or mine team any favours, nor has a ref ever done the S14 team I support any favours, in fact all refs calls are incorrect (if you support your team).
Come on, does anybody really care after the final whistle, I mean, the fat lady has sung!.
The worrytahs NEVER had the mileage to get to the finals and thats THAT!.
22 May 2006, 23:53 pm
Rebcraig, for your information, a Kiwi wouldn’t help an Aussie for anything in the World (except if England were the other team!)
We love Aussies like the Canadians love Yanks
It’s a baby brother syndrome thing
23 May 2006, 04:47 am
Rebcraig just can’t be shifted off his Japie conspiracy-theory! As for NH refs… well, maybe old Vetsak van Zyl, the man who dislocated Irish ref Ed McHugh’s arm, would have something to say about that idea!
Kaplan is good enough to ref the S14 final, but that doesn’t make him perfect or even any better than any number of NZ or Oz refs. But some dim SA fans just go plumb crazy when others fail to agree that anything and everything from SA isn’t unquestionably by far the best in the whole wide world.
23 May 2006, 05:12 am
PissAnt
I read somewhere that ‘Bart’ is an Aussie who moved to Auckland.
ricane
‘baby brother syndrome’…surely you mean to refer to the ‘Aussie interiority complex’
23 May 2006, 07:54 am
TheTackler you sure do have a short memory. Do you not remember the Japie letters and faxes your referees accidently sent to our S.A. refs?
Wake up W–k-r! or was that only a conspiracy theory? You stick to your sheep and we will stick to our Laagers
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