Canes hail Kaplan
23 May 2006
Jonathan Kaplan is the flavour of the week in Wellington and the Canes couldn’t be happier having him referee Saturday’s Vodacom Super 14 final.
Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper said the Hurricanes “overwhelmingly” endorsed Kaplan.
“That’s why we rate him the No 1, because he’s very clear and we understand how he interprets the laws in the contact area,” Cooper told the New Zealand media.
The mind games with match officials have started and the Canes obviously want to get on the right side of Kaplan.
Former All Blacks and Canes captain Tana Umaga said his team had learned lessons from the 20-11 defeat against the Crusaders in the league stages.
“One aspect of the Crusaders that they’ve got over us is their ability to play to the ref,” he said. “That’s something we have to learn. We have to be able to move with the ref. If he’s calling it one way then we have to go that way as well. I suppose we were a bit slow to do that earlier on.”
Umaga rated Kaplan alongside England’s Chris White as the best referee in the world and easily the best in the southern hemisphere.
“We’re lucky to have a ref like that controlling the final because he likes free-flowing football, he doesn’t like people slowing the ball down. That’s good for both sides because we like to have the ball in the hand a lot.”
24 Comments
23 May 2006, 22:05 pm
I’m sure that not even the Dragons care.
23 May 2006, 23:00 pm
And Heineken Meyer and the Bulls reckon that Stu Dickerson is the best ref in the world…
(Yeah,right!)
23 May 2006, 23:05 pm
Dragons, Dragons, Dragons. It’s so old and irratating by now. Get a life, all of you…. Dragons I guess.
24 May 2006, 01:25 am
And why wouldn’t they think so! After all, he gifted them the game against the Tah’s!
24 May 2006, 07:18 am
I said this in another thread and was criticized. SA teams must learn to play the ref and adjust the game plan according to the ref.
24 May 2006, 07:28 am
Therein lies the achilles heel of Rugby as a sport.
How can a game be structured around the official officiating the game and not the straightforward rules of the game???
Does anyone see anything wrong with that picture???
24 May 2006, 07:30 am
Blueblood
How do you adjust your game plan when Linston Maneuls is the ref. MMMMM….Maybe you just leave the field.
24 May 2006, 07:36 am
Ian
There was no gifting in that game, He saw an infringement in the scrum and awarded the penalty. Whats so hard to understand….
Now because the prop decides to play dumb and say he doesnt know what he was penalised for, everyone shouts cheat…. think about it…..
If you were that prop, and you pretty much caused the penalty that lost the game, would you own up to it?
24 May 2006, 08:01 am
Keo, you meant Umanga is also a former ‘Canes captain as well hey?
I thought Rodney was captain at the mo?
24 May 2006, 08:10 am
Perhaps Mr Cooper can pass along some notes to Ewen. Seems its only teams that play in light blue, dare I say baby blue, that dont understand his interpretations.
24 May 2006, 08:33 am
Tana’s last comment is funny……”its good for both sides,cos WE like to have the ball in hand a lot”….seems good for you Tana
he he
24 May 2006, 08:54 am
Jake_White,
Lighten up mate, it was said tongue in cheek!
24 May 2006, 09:07 am
This final, much like every other final in the history of sport, has all the hallmarks of a great match in the making – prior to kick off.
I agree with Tana’s comments. Kaplan is an outstanding ref, and will allow the game to flow. So provided the two teams keep it clean, and play the way they got to the final than revert to some get past the post first attitude game plan, we may well have a blinder on our hands.
Kaplan’s match management style is a good starter. Lets hope the other necessary elements slip into place.
24 May 2006, 09:16 am
Tanerau Latimer New All Black. You heard it first here.
The NZ U21 team was named for the World Cup, and Latimer, who was named in the training squad, was not included. Logic would affirm that he would have made the squad, therefore, there must be another reason.
I am assuming that the U21 World Cup squad would take precedence over NZ A and the Maori AB’s, therefore, I think Latimer might be the Jason Eaton of 2006, and be chosen in the extended AB’s squad for the tests v Ireland and Argentina.
It sounds logical, but will it be reality. Time will tell.
24 May 2006, 09:21 am
mcCawesome – Excellent player, Latimer. If I were GH, I would bring him in to the AB squad ASAP. He’s a future superstar for sure.
24 May 2006, 10:39 am
Frazer,
Agree with your estimation of Latimer – seems to have the X-factor. Henry and Co. have proved that they can identify talent, and nuture it along. Two examples from last year are Jason Eaton and Chris Masoe. Both were chosen based upon their potential skillset, and both have come on this S14 season and both will be in the AB’s squad this year.
I have got to say that, assuming this happens, Marty Holah must be thinking about moving on. He was the back-up to McCaw for so long and really did not do anything wrong last year to miss out on the Grand Slam Tour. Seems that he has just been passed by, really only on the basis that they are looking for a more robust #7. This seems to have knocked his confidence a little as I did not think that he was as dominant for the Chiefs as in previous seasons.
Another one to look out for is Liam Messam, the captain of the Sevens last year. He is going to play #7 and is very much in the mould of Masoe. He is only about 21 and will be battling for the #7 at the Chiefs in the future.
24 May 2006, 12:21 pm
I said adjust, not construct.
24 May 2006, 13:24 pm
Jason Eaton was picked out a while ago as he has gone through the NZ rugby academy and has been mentored by Ian Jones and you can see it in his play.
One thing you have to admire the Crusaders for is spotting and developing local talent. Everyone focuses on the Rico Gear and Kevin Senio but look at Daniel Carter (who thought life after Mehrtens could be so good) and Richie McCaw. Now other NZ teams are following on – the Hurricanes are basically modelling themselves on Canterbury as the Cooper and McLean both got their experience there.
24 May 2006, 13:47 pm
Your absolutely right KiwinOZ about the Canes modelling themselves on the Saders.
It was interesting to hear Duncan Johnstone exemplify this on the “Pressbox” (He’s a journo on xtra.co.nz) when he said that under their yellow and black strip, they have a red and black strip on.
I know some Canes supporters may find these comments offensive, but they are actually complementary that they have been smart enough to incorporate things that have made the Saders the franchise that they are. Imagine what the Blues could do, with all their talent, if they had a setup like the Saders.
However, for them to win, they need to use their flare, and unleash their beasts.
Another thing that was interesting was on Deakers show as he was interviewing Ron Cribb. Man did he have all the talent and skillset. He made the comment that leaving the Saders and Canterbury was his worst career move, and Deaker made the comment that if he had stayed, he would still be in the all black. Sounds like he is thinking about coming back. IMO he could have been anything
24 May 2006, 13:59 pm
Blog 8.
Well said Jake. Does anyone remeber Al Baxter snitching on Paulse for kicking him. Paulse got summoned jach Sh*t happened.
24 May 2006, 14:04 pm
Saders got better loosies and more cr8tivity. Carter, Muager and Mc Donald are geniuses and Gopperth :/ well not in the same league, but saders better watch out if ball goes wide. UMANGA,NONU and FA’ATAU. Potent and Huge. Interesting to see who has theb etter game Eaton or Jack?
24 May 2006, 16:13 pm
A leading Aussie rugby writer Zavo Spiros called the Tah’s allegations against Kaplan a complete nonsenses, told Euan McKenzie to look again at the match tape.
The one thing about Kaplan is that the replays always proved him right, remember that disallowed goal at the England-Ireland Test when the replay showed England player who dotted it down had been ahead of the up and under kicker?
24 May 2006, 18:09 pm
I agree with the ‘Canes. Kaplan is the best referee in South-Africa and one of the best in the world. The ‘Canes hopefully will take advantage of that and WIN THE CRUSADERS!!!
GO HURRICANES!!!!!
Who else here support’s the ‘Canes on Saturday?
24 May 2006, 23:42 pm
Onlooker, I agree. I saw that play again last night and if he got anything wrong it was that he pinged the wrong Tah’s prop. I though tubby teddy on the other side dropped it first…but one of them had to because the h’Canes were about to steamroller them over the tryline
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