France profit from moment of madness
15 Oct 2011
JON CARDINELLI writes that a reckless Welsh tackle proved to be the catalyst for an unlikely 9-8 World Cup semi-final win for France.
Up until the 18th minute of Saturday’s play-off at Eden Park, Sam Warburton had been one of the standouts for Wales and indeed one of the stars of the 2011 tournament. Sadly, the young Wales captain will not be remembered for his impressive displays against South Africa in the pool stages and Ireland in the quarter-final, but rather for one brainless tackle that would jettison the Dragons from the global tournament.
Wales were in firm control for much of the first quarter. While their scrum struggled against a lighter but technically superior French eight, they enjoyed the majority of possession and territory, and went to a 3-0 lead in the eighth minute thanks to the boot of James Hook.
France took a pounding at the collisions. Dimitri Yachvili floated a pass to Vincent Clerc well behind the gain line, and this proved to be the game-changing moment, as Warburton, in his enthusiasm to make the hit and possibly force the turnover, lifted Clerc beyond the horizontal and then let the winger fall to ground. Referee Alain Rolland brandished the mandatory red card, and as good as Wales had looked, they were always going to struggle to hang on for 62 minutes with only 14 men.
France used the numerical advantage to good effect at scrum time, but were woefully bad in general play. Morgan Parra had kicked them to a 6-3 lead by half-time, but it was the short-handed Wales that continued to control possession and territory. The French backs battled to field the high balls launched by the Wales halfbacks, and when they did, they often made some shocking decisions which allowed Wales to regain the pill.
It was here where Wales needed to make the best of a bad situation. Hook had done brilliantly to slot his first penalty attempt from the touchline, but proceeded to fluff two subsequent shots from midfield, as well as a drop-goal attempt. France were far too loose towards the end of the first stanza and may have scored more points had they kept it close, but Wales may also have gone to the break in the lead if they had kicked their goals.
Parra bisected the uprights in the 49th minute, but the plucky Welsh refused to lie down. They continued to pressure the French back three, and the tactical substitution of Stephen Jones had the desired effect as they played smarter and tighter. While they had wasted opportunities in the first 40, they took the first chance available to them when Mike Phillips breezed through the French defence for an important try. Tellingly, Jones missed the ensuing conversion to allow France to maintain a slender 9-8 lead.
At times the Tricolores looked like the team with the one-man disadvantage. They were guilty of being too casual in some instances, and too frantic in others. It’s the type of performance many would have expected after their strong showing against England, as they have a reputation for inconsistency. They battled to put a 14-man Wales side away, and in the end, they were the side that held on for the win.
It was always going to be too much to ask of a Wales side one man short. It would have been remembered as one of the great victories had they finished a multiphase attack at the death, but unfortunately it will go down in history as a game they lost in the 18th minute when their captain received his marching orders. Three missed penalty-attempts (Leigh Halfpenny didn’t have the distance with a 50m shot in the 76th minute) and a missed conversion, also cost them dearly.
624 Comments
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15 Oct 2011, 11:59 am
Pienaar is absolutely slaying the Ref.
Go Francois.
15 Oct 2011, 11:59 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-249:
It is a very sad state of affairs
15 Oct 2011, 11:59 am
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-227: IRB Match Official Selection Committee is headed by David Pickering (Wales) and include Tappe Henning (South Africa), Kevin Bowring (England), Bob Francis (New Zealand), Stephen Hilditch (Ireland) and Michel Lamoulie (France). Paddy O’Brien is the IRB Referee Manager.
Pull your **** together. Al you know is POB dis, POB dat. ffs.
15 Oct 2011, 12:00 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-252: All to try and gift one Nation the World Cup…
Its actually a bit obvious now.
15 Oct 2011, 12:00 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-243: ag, shut up, sad man.
15 Oct 2011, 12:02 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-254:
Australia?
15 Oct 2011, 12:02 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-232: Shame frogs won, it would be nice 7th/8th place playoff for your teams.
15 Oct 2011, 12:02 pm
@James in NZ(James in NZ)-248: that nails it indeed … it does not matter, it will be a blue and yellow final … QC is going to stand on McCheats ankle early in the match and end him.
15 Oct 2011, 12:03 pm
This tournament, sadly, has been overshadowed by ref inconsistencies and controversy, and even more alarmingly, whispers of match fixing and corruption.
Is this what we want from rugby?
IRB better get its act together, or else rugby will go the way of cricket and lose millions of followers.
15 Oct 2011, 12:03 pm
@James in NZ(James in NZ)-256: The World Invitational Champs 1987.
To win the RWC 2011. The Rigged World Cup 2011, that is.
15 Oct 2011, 12:03 pm
@Nils(Nils)-255: leave him be, hes familiar with France, and hes still hurting from last week
15 Oct 2011, 12:03 pm
Sorry but do we have to wait for a player to end up with a broken neck before we accept that tip tackles have to be ruled out of the game. For the sake of prevention refs have to blow these offences and red card the individuals. SAFETY is paramount and tip tackles should have no place in rugby. I disagree with the commentators that this was not a red , its the only way we will stamp it out and to go on TV and say its not a red condones it and allows players to feel they can continue to do it without proper sanction. A red card sends the right message.
15 Oct 2011, 12:03 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-254:
Die “running PK” en die “double step PK” is ontwerp vir ouens soos Nils.
15 Oct 2011, 12:03 pm
Cooper the enforcer. Ok
15 Oct 2011, 12:04 pm
Well, the yarps are watching it from Snor City….
15 Oct 2011, 12:04 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-261: Hehehe
15 Oct 2011, 12:04 pm
@Nils(Nils)-253: We were not talking about the selection we were talknig about the management of the refs and the instructions they are given prick.
15 Oct 2011, 12:05 pm
Spare a thought for the poor souls who payed 1000′s $’s to watch such drivel. And the French just put that Qtr in Cardiff in perspective as well. How easy did they defend the pick and go and one off bursts. Looks like barnes got it right then for not penalising them for the entire 2nd half ’cause that’s all the AB’s did.
15 Oct 2011, 12:05 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-261:
Condolences with your Mom’s passing on,not much anyone can say to make things better.
Kia Kaha
15 Oct 2011, 12:05 pm
Australia will crunch France in a final.
Aus whipped them 59 – 16 in France last November, haven’t lost to them since 2005.
A better final will be France v NZ.
Much closer and more nerves from the SH opponents…
15 Oct 2011, 12:05 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-259: We have only had whisperings of match fixing from South Africa – no other country.
15 Oct 2011, 12:06 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-263: lol. Double step PK, surely…
15 Oct 2011, 12:06 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-97:
Which nz ref is better. MAybe we should roll out the cheats that were Paddy O’Brien, Wayne Ericson or Peter Marshal??
15 Oct 2011, 12:06 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-265:
That is fine.
You are in NZ and your mom did not allow you to go and watch any games.
That is real sad.
15 Oct 2011, 12:07 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-272:
Backhand gaan n bietjie van n overkill wees.
15 Oct 2011, 12:07 pm
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-271:
Those match fixing claims only came from one brokeback doos, his name is Noakes.
15 Oct 2011, 12:07 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-260:
I wish I had your confidence for a NZ win.
So if we did get this one, it’d be our 1st and rigged at that.
Sort of sucks the fun out of it a bit.
15 Oct 2011, 12:08 pm
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-271: Its coming. Saffas just ahead of the curve. The only ones with enough ballas to call it as it is.
The Rigged World Cup 2011.
15 Oct 2011, 12:08 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-262: Red was over the top imo. Yellow card was the better option with a suspension at a judiciary. It’s not like a yellow card would’ve been out of place as far as these type of indiscretions go.
15 Oct 2011, 12:08 pm
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-271: esteemed scientists and professors nogal.
one country or 10, the IRB needs to address the issue.
15 Oct 2011, 12:08 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-275: SheezusLOL!!!! Fark, that is funny
15 Oct 2011, 12:09 pm
@mudrockshark(mudrockshark)-273: even Clive Norling was better than those you mentioned and he wasn’t that great.
15 Oct 2011, 12:09 pm
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-271: SA, hey? Once upon a very long time ago they used to play quite good basic rugby over there. These days they’re more into ref-whinging, I’m told.
15 Oct 2011, 12:09 pm
At least the final will be a try fest. Hope that AB’s beat Australia then we can look forward to a 50+ scoreline final for the first time ever.
15 Oct 2011, 12:09 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-278:
Nils en die kiwi’s is marabse
15 Oct 2011, 12:09 pm
@James in NZ(James in NZ)-277: Never fear when Paddy is there…
Its in the pocket.
15 Oct 2011, 12:10 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-267: shut up dog.
15 Oct 2011, 12:11 pm
No kiwi can ever get on a high horse about ref whinging.
2007 ensures that.
15 Oct 2011, 12:11 pm
Cheers
And keep whingeing okes, it’s sweet.
15 Oct 2011, 12:11 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-285: Hehe
15 Oct 2011, 12:11 pm
NZ will beat Aus.
*It has been decided*
15 Oct 2011, 12:12 pm
I see old Tackles is spouting off **** again.
Look, folks, I really think Warburton was hard done by. The relevant rule is as follows:
(From Section 10.4): (j) Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground is dangerous play. Sanction: Penalty kick
See that? PENALTY KICK. There is NO SUCH THING as an “automatic” red card for a tackling offence. Referees are advised (as per the IRB’s memorandum on dangerous tackles, released in February, 2011, which you can find for yourself on the IRB’s website) to treat each case “based on an objective assessment … of the overall circumstances of the tackle.” This may be anything up to and including a red card, but there’s no requirement to send a player off for a dangerous tackle. Ever.
Given the fact that it was early in the match, that it was a RWC semi-final, that there had been no prior foul play, and that Warburton clearly attempted to pull out of the tackle (although also clearly too late), I think a red card was a very harsh call to make. Yellow? Absolutely. Post-game reprimand? Possibly. But red card? No.
It wasn’t a brave call, it was a pedantic and blind call that ruined the match. This isn’t some great refereeing conspiracy – I seriously doubt such a thing exists – but it was, IMHO and upon review of the laws, a very harsh move on Rolland’s part.
If I was Welsh I’d be pretty farkin’ pissed off right now. I’m not saying they were guaranteed to win if Warburton had stayed in that match, but it sure looked like they had the upper hand.
15 Oct 2011, 12:12 pm
Only one country is asking for an investigation of the refs, and it’s being pushed by a crackpot conditioning coach of the boks! Boks lost just accept it, you ought to be accustomed to it by now.
15 Oct 2011, 12:12 pm
Allez le Bleu!
15 Oct 2011, 12:12 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-286:
Gaan google op n stadium “watkykjy”.
Jy sal jouself doodlag,gaan check ook die “ou koeie” uit.
15 Oct 2011, 12:12 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-288: and 2003…
and 99
and 95 especially… Soozie notwithstanding.
and 91.
15 Oct 2011, 12:13 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-295: Will have a look now.
15 Oct 2011, 12:13 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-279: have to disagree as a coach of an under 16 team the last thing you want to see is this kind of thing happening on the field as the youngsters learn from this. THe message has to be unequivocally that a tip tackle.gets a red card in all instances. This is too dangerous for there to be exceptions, im sorry.
15 Oct 2011, 12:14 pm
Revenez dans quatre ans, les Yarpies!
15 Oct 2011, 12:14 pm
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-271: What he said was it’s up to the IRB to disprove it. Lawrence looked pretty deliberate in his reluctance to call the breakdown and head high tackles. Bookies got their filthy paws on virtualy every other sport. Why not rugby and who better than the referee? Think about it…
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