Kaplan to ref at World Cup
9 Apr 2011
Jonathan Kaplan, Craig Joubert and Shaun Veldsman have been selected by the IRB to officiate at the 2011 World Cup.
Joubert and Kaplan are on the referees’ panel of 10, while Veldsman is one of the tournament’s four dedicated television match officials. Marius Jonker and Mark Lawrence didn’t make the cut.
Kaplan hasn’t called many big games of late, and so this selection will be a massive boost. He’s already refereed 63 internationals, and the competition in New Zealand will be his fourth World Cup.
The other referees at the tournament will include Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand) Steve Walsh (Australia), Wayne Barnes (England), Dave Pearson (England), Alain Rolland (Ireland), George Clancy (Ireland), Romain Poite (France) and Nigel Owens (Wales).
27 Comments
9 Apr 2011, 10:11 am
Joubert suits NH style as his pedantic style slows the game down and it becomes the Craig show. Kaplan far from best.
Fake tan Lawrence at least allows the game to dictate, even if he misses a lot. Mind you, they have also selected the alcoholic kiwalian in Walsh so who knows.
I remember when no one knew or cared who the ref was, pity they have hijacked the game
9 Apr 2011, 10:20 am
This is the first card played by the Kiwis, dont say IRB, remember the man pulling the strings here = Paddy O’Brien
They needed to eliminate the SA influence; so they can tick the first objective
Well done Paddy!
9 Apr 2011, 10:26 am
Only 1 kiwi ref, shows just how kak they are … and that raving alcoholic Walsh … go Wayne Barnes!
9 Apr 2011, 11:46 am
What about that Welshman Nigel Owens? – Ouch, not class. Imagine the end of the semi-final at NZ 22-22 SA, and Nigel Owens goes and emulates his fellow-countryman Clive Norling and allows the game to run on and on and then awards a really iffy penalty to the Kiwi’s… Then Wayne Barnes to the rescue in the final…
Craig Joubert replaces Stuart Dickensen as the pedant, and no free-flow from Mark Lawrence
9 Apr 2011, 11:56 am
Is Steve Walsh a goat shaggger or a sheep shagger? Here is a little cut and paste courtesy Wikipedia. Decide for yourself.
Steve Walsh is a professional rugby union referee from New Zealand. He currently lives in Bondi, New South Wales, Australia.
Walsh is unusual among his peers in that his playing career ended at age 13, due to a spinal injury resulting from a birth deformity, which prevented him playing rugby. In the 2003 Rugby World Cup he was suspended for three days for inappropriate behaviour towards the England rugby team, after an altercation with England fitness coach Dave Reddin, missing one match he went on to referee the quarter final between Australia v Scotland. He was again suspended for four months in 2005 during the Lions tour of New Zealand for verbally abusing Irish winger Shane Horgan.
On Wednesday 18 March 2009 it was announced that Walsh would lose his job after a third strike on his record.It was speculated that he might move to Japan, however this never materialised. Wayne Barnes took over as referee of the grand slam deciding match in Cardiff on the 21st to fill in for Walsh
OK What do I think? He is impartial, as he likes all animals and I belive he has been planted in the panel by Paddy o Brian to Fhuc the Boks in the quarter finals.
9 Apr 2011, 11:59 am
@Nautigal(Nautigal)-5: spot on
9 Apr 2011, 12:02 pm
@Nautigal(Nautigal)-5:
How about sending him some CAstle and Klipdiif as congratulatory presents
9 Apr 2011, 12:53 pm
Shaun Veldskoen’s barely equipped to ref an U14D game on the Saturday morning 8:30 dewscraping shift at any decent rugby school. He’s incompetent.
9 Apr 2011, 12:54 pm
@Roar Loud(RL)-3: Recovered alcoholic. Three years as dry as the Atacama.
9 Apr 2011, 13:02 pm
@Nautigal(Nautigal)-5: if that insane conspiracy of yours was the case, they would have simply included Stuart Dickinson in the panel.
9 Apr 2011, 13:46 pm
Kaplan is the worst referee on the planet. How can a guy who just got suspended for beign so **** be on the referee panel. Hopefully he doesnt adjudicate the Wallaby matches.
Stuart Dickenson should be on the panel. Best referee in world rugby. Impartial and doesnt miss a trick.
9 Apr 2011, 15:46 pm
Mark Lawrence is the number one ref in the world, this is a disgrace. Expect some really 5hitty norther hemisphere reffing in the WC, cause there are loads of refs from there…
9 Apr 2011, 16:16 pm
@We are red(Redbull)-11: Dickenson is **** but he’s better than the bluffer Walsh. Paddy is clearly getting Dicko back for being forced to apologise to him over the ABs/Italy scrum embarrassment. Jonker is dodgy but Mark Lawrence should be there, Joubert is fortunate.
9 Apr 2011, 17:17 pm
JOUBERT ?!?
its too late for an April Fools joke
isnt it
JL1 ?
9 Apr 2011, 17:49 pm
Paranoia in full swing.
Only 100% Saffa ref contingent plus Barnes in all NZ games would make this crying quieter.
10 Apr 2011, 10:27 am
STILL cant figure out why C.Joubert gets even close to a RWC-whistle whilst M.Lawrence – vastly superior to most refs, let alone with the vastly incompetent Joubert – gets to watch on tv with the rest of us.
and S.Walsh ……FFS !
10 Apr 2011, 10:46 am
@We are red(Redbull)-11: Hahahaha
That is real funny love your sense of humour
10 Apr 2011, 12:27 pm
Craig Joubert is a great ref, for those who think differently you have obviously not been watching him through the course of the past year. He is calm, confident and good at managing the game. Try watching him when he is not refereeing your particular team and just 2 other teams, you might get a good sense then of how good he is. CJ is very far from pedantic as goyougoodthing2 mentions – if you want to see pedantic then watch Nigel Owens or some old games of Tappe Henning. I agree though that Mark Lawrence is a huge oversight from the IRB, he has been doing very well and IMO is better than Kaplan at the moment. Kaplan is unfortunately not at his best, although he is more than capable of handling the games and he is still better than most of the NH referee’s appointed. Let us just hope that all the games are refereed consistently at least then the teams know what to do, consistency on the field allows for a more equal game.
10 Apr 2011, 13:16 pm
@DC(DC)-18:
Tappe Henning ?!?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tears of laughter~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10 Apr 2011, 13:39 pm
Exactly, he is from the old school but was super pedantic. Just saying no ways people can call Joubert pedantic.
10 Apr 2011, 15:39 pm
@DC(DC)-20: Um, CJ is pedantic. See I said it. Pedantic. Mildy autistic even. He does not let the game flow.
It’s the Craig Show.
10 Apr 2011, 20:10 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-21:
Its not just that he is pedantic
he gets decisions completely and utterly wrong, but seems to have convinced himself that the more authoriative he is when making a decision, the more professional he looks.
wrong
10 Apr 2011, 20:14 pm
How the hell Lawrence was not selected we will never ever know…
11 Apr 2011, 09:22 am
@ Black Panther-22:
Would love to know examples of where he got decisions completely and utterly wrong. Perhaps do yourself a favour and go to the http://www.sareferees.co.za website for a few video clips of law clarifications and explanations on the weekend games.
11 Apr 2011, 09:55 am
@DC(DC)-24:
off the top of my head
1. how did Andy Ellis get back ON the field during the Bledisloe Cup match, 2008, Sydney ? (A. he shouldnt have, he was replaced, not blood-binned).
comical !
and how about his clown assistant, dear old Marius Jonker
2. how did Bismarck score a try, Sharks vs Canes, 2009 ? (A. he shouldnt have. The match-ball was still in Row Z; the quick lineout was taken with a different ball. nb – the Canes were ahead at the time, they ended up losing).
Perhaps you and the dipstick Joubert should go and do yourself a favour and find an explanation why he is your no1 referee, how on Earth Plonker still gets a game, and this in the land where every referee is, apparently, “a cheat”.
11 Apr 2011, 13:35 pm
Kaplan included astounds me – looks like the refs are selected on past performance and reputation instead of current form too, much like the Bok squad selection policy. What exactly has Shaun Velsman done to endear himself to the IRB as a professional TMO? That said, I’d rather have him watching the game on telly than ruining it on the field! And if Steve Walsh Jnr is used as a benchmark for selection then the likes of Mark Lawrence and Marius Jonker should’ve both made it. Northern hemisphere refs will level the ‘home ground’ southern hemisphere advantage but it won’t make any difference as the title will stay in the south.
16 Apr 2011, 04:09 am
Its ridiculous that Mark Lawrence missed out. He is an outstanding referee. Best in the world in my opinion.
Equally ridiculous is that England gets two when SA clearly has the strongest depth in Refs(Im a kiwi) David Pearson is a muggle and Wayne Barnes . Lets not go there. cant understand how Steve
The NH refs struggle with the pace of the game in the south and always have. I agree that it wont matter as the SH will win the cup.
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