B.Lawrence “allowed a free-for-all”

ALL

has it *clicked* yet, Ladies ?

and you are bl00dy well right about the ‘pen to go up bu 9-8′ – I read that wrong off the RWC-app thingy. It most certainly was a DG by Steyn.

Notwithstanding that, Steyn DID kick a pen to go 6-8 and SA WERE awarded 2 pens in the 2ndH (on 51 and 55mins).

The point I was trying to make is that SA were awarded penalties in the 2ndH – hardly an indication of unfair treatment by Lawrence. This contrasts, starkly, with Barnes in Cardiff’07, the very point I was trying to make.

We can’t blame Bryce Lawrence. He played a part but we had so many chances. If FdP had held onto ball as he went over the tryline it would be the Boks in the semis now. We lost that game because we have no decent backline and no attacking strategy. I don’t understand why we didn’t just go for another drop goal. Another 2 drop goals and then a try to land that killer blow. I think there was nerves and desperations on both sides but the way I see it is that some Boks playing for their careers just gave up in the end. Habana shouldn’t have been taken off. I was disappointed in Fourie. JdV had a good game but he is terrible at hardly ever passing or offloading in the tackle.

If you swapped the Boks for the ABs with that amount of dominance, territory and possession they would’ve put 40 past Aus. We have to put our hands up here. We failed to adapt to Lawrence’s reffing of the breakdown coupled with a poor attacking strategy. The Boks threw this game away. The ref cannot take the blame here. Aus quite simply played a more intelligent game.

Most of my animosity towards Bryce has built up over a few seasons – it certainly isn’t based on his game on the weekend. In fact, I think, it was one of his more even performances. Not that it was good.

Adapt or die… when someone who I don’t rate at all in the modern game (Naas Botha) can come out at half time and say…

“Right chaps, you’ve seen how the ref is policing the break-down… so damn welll adapt and protect your ball more, up the ante with clearing out and counter-rucking… and play the breakdown the same way the Aussies are…”

… Then you’d damn well think the Bok brains-trust could see the same thing… how obvious was it at half time… how obvious was it Joubert let things go too in the Welsh game… not that obvious to the brains-trust though…

Adapt or Die in a RWC… there are ALWAYS going to be many dubious ref calls or lack of calls…

Aussies 251 tackles @ 81% success rate
Boks 69 tackles @ 65% success rate

Sorry I’m not buying that the Bok’s (Stormer’s) defence was any good at all…

A plus this RWC was the temperament shown against the filthy Samoans, the downside their soft ruck attendance on own ball allowing Pocock free reign… the Aussies did to Brussouw exactly what Boks should have done to Pocock all game…

3 heavy men clearing out at ruck at all times, Vickerman’s cheap-shot that put Brussouw out of the game was vintage Bakkies!

Japies are too staid in their thinking as per normal… ie one fetcher negates another fetcher… it’s rubbish and I’ve said it before… Aussies don’t buy into that and the T5 or anyone else arriving at the breakdown simply smash and clearout anyone threatening their ball… Bok’s left this to one man… and he had free reign all game (ref or no ref)…

Spies is a perfect example. Massive hulking piece of meat and more tender than the finest ribeye. Lambie’s defence is harder than Spies. He goes down like a sack of **** everytime. He should be much stronger for someone his size. I would’ve expected Spies to be much more of a handful but he is easier to bring down than JPP.

Some ridiculous ruling both ways – still not sure how we got the scrum feed when Habana knocked down a Cooper pass when the Aussies were on attack.

So in summary – Referee was atrocious and deserves to be attacked – but by both teams.

Reason we lost could be down to a number of points but dropping the ball on three separate occasions with the try line in sight was probably one of the main ones. Can’t blame the ref for that.

Im yet to see ONE incident or decision where the Boks can hold up and blame the ref/B.Lawrence. Not ONE.

Ive watched the match 3 times.

Actually, I think its exciting when the breakdown has players flying in. As long as they stay on their feet and dont come in from the side, it resembles the modern version of the old-school ‘ruck’ with fwds going hammer’n'tongs. It was an excellent match, now just soured by a team and nation completely unable to accept defeat without blame.

No Tries scored from fwd-passes.

PenaltieS awarded in kickable positions.

No sympathy here, none whatsoever.

I guess the rest of the world is going to tire of our tirade and just like the kiwis in post 2007, we along with the less than perfect A Watson will be told to get a life and move on.

Did the AB Capt did point any fingers at Barnes ? NO, unlike Smit, within hours of defeat.

And did the Aussies score a Try from a fwd-pass (like France at Cardiff) ? No.

Did the Boks go an entire 2ndH without ONE penalty awarded to them, like ABs at Cardiff ? No. In fact, they were awarded 2 penalties in kickable positions, both converted, including the 2nd penalty which put SA in from 9-8 having trailed 3-8 at HT.

Did the Boks score atleast ONE try from their wealth of possession & territory, like the ABs did in Cardiff ? No.

Did the Boks score a 2ndH DG despite not having their flyhalf injured (DC) – let alone the reserve-flyhalf (N.Evans) injured as well ? No. They ended the match with 3 x fit flyhalfs (M.Steyn, B.James, P.Lambie).

soooooo NO EXCUSES……?

again, NO

and they just dont stop. Now SA referees are in on it too – remember A.Watson who did his very best to keep Aus in the RWC 2003 Final with terrible rulings at the scrum ? Line up the apologists, one and all….

“New Zealand rugby referee Bryce Lawrence continues to cop widespread criticism for his performance in the South Africa-Australia World Cup quarterfinal last Sunday.

South African referees manager and former test referee Andre Watson is the latest to put the boot in, saying he was surprised by the Lawrence’s performance in Australia’s 11-9 win in Wellington.

He also said that the South African referees association will aim to take action against Lawrence.

”His opening game [at the World Cup] was outstanding, I had no problem with his appointment, but (in the quarterfinal) he allowed a free-for-all, giving (David) Pocock a field day,” Watson told a Cape Town radio station.

”It’s not what you would expect from a referee of his calibre. He didn’t referee the breakdown the way he was supposed to. He just didn’t step in.”

The breakdown was a mess at stages during the match, and both sides expressed dissatisfaction post-match. Naturally South Africa reacted most angrily, with retiring captain John Smit saying he was delighted he would no longer have to be refereed by the New Zealander.

Rugby fans in the Republic have united against Lawrence, and a Facebook page titled ‘Petition To Stop Bryce Lawrence Ever Reffing A Rugby Game Again’ has attracted an incredible 64,827 ‘likes’, as of 9am today.

There are also a handful of other anti-Lawrence pages on the social networking site.

South Africans accused Lawrence of getting several key decisions wrong, and allowing Wallabies openside Pocock to illegally spoil the Springboks ball and flow in a match they lost despite an overwhelming advantage in possession and territory.

Watson believes the Kiwi whistleblower, who is now to South African fans what Englishman Wayne Barnes was to New Zealand supporters four year ago after the All Blacks’ quarterfinal exit against France, will be punished in some way.

”He will be punished, but that’s up to the IRB (International Rugby Board). I do not believe we will see him in any Rugby World Cup again,” Watson said.

”It’s done and dusted now, but we (South African referees association) will be taking action. We want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

sickening.

The romantic notion of ball-in-hand run them off their feet only works against weak oposition or with quick turn over ball. Even for the talented AB’s.

Our game plan looked suspiciously like that of the Stormers. On the plus side good defence and dominance up front, but blunt on the attack. Too many forwards (especially Schalk) in the back line who look spectacular with the ball in hand but does very little damage. Get speedsters running at slow forwards and you’re in business.