Henry suspected match fixing after RWC 07 exit
29 Jul 2012
Graham Henry believes the All Blacks were victims of match fixing during the 20-18 quarter-final loss to France in the 2007 World Cup.
In his biography, ‘Graham Henry Final Word’, Henry revealed that he contemplated match-fixing as the only logical explanation for the All Blacks’ upset 20-18 loss to Les Bleus.
Henry analysed the game on video for his report to the NZRU and found Barnes had awarded only two penalties to New Zealand during the game. His analysis was that France deserved to be penalised up to 40 times.
His gut feeling, according to his biography, was that the video ‘would confirm that referee Wayne Barnes and his touch judges, Jonathan Kaplan from South Africa and Tony Spreadbury from England, hadn’t exactly covered themselves in glory at the Millennium Stadium, that they had missed an obvious forward pass when France scored its match-winning try – a pass so forward everyone in the stadium had witnessed it except the referee – and that Barnes had been pretty lenient on the French at the breakdowns, probably costing the All Blacks the game’.
Henry’s video had three different angles and featured statistical breakdowns of lineouts, scrums, penalties, tackle counts, territory and possession. On those statistics, the All Blacks dominated. They had an overwhelming 73% territorial advantage, winning 166 rucks to France’s 42 and making only 73 tackles compared with France’s 331.
A mind-boggled Henry was so stunned by his findings, he told the NZRU it should pressure the IRB to institute an inquiry. He also said it was ‘incomprehensible’ that the IRB did not have strategies in place to investigate bizarre matches.
The NZRU chose not to push for an investigation.
188 Comments
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30 Jul 2012, 10:38 am
also…
how are henry’s allegations of match-fixing not bring rugby into disrepute…??
players get nailed for bringing rugby into disrepute…
wonder if the same rules apply to knighted ex-coaches…
30 Jul 2012, 10:39 am
Henry’s problem boils down to the fact that he has two different definitions of game manipulation. If he perceives it to have happened to the detriment of his team, he describes it as match fixing. But if it happens to the benefit of the AB’s, it is considered to be the inevitable fulfilling of destiny. And therein lies the problem, not in the so-called penalty count or forward pass.
30 Jul 2012, 10:40 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-99:
hahaha
Damn he seeing right through me.
30 Jul 2012, 10:42 am
@ufo-98:
he doesn’t blame Barnes only.
But all the match officials.
They will certainly be examing their legal options with a view towards relieving the Hobbit Cracker of a large portion of his World Cup Bonus.
I expect the IRB to have a look too re bringing the game into disrepute.
And if we are going to have a match-fixing tribunal then POB will be in the spotlight.
With any luck Henry will be developing the game in Guam by the time this has played out.
30 Jul 2012, 10:43 am
This thread is juicy enough to bring Blackpanty out of purdah.
30 Jul 2012, 10:45 am
@Skeppie-100:
exactly skeppie…
a keo blogger… can’t remember who now… did just such an analysis on the Bok/Aus game and detailed 29 (i think) incorrect or missed calls… he wrote it up and even gave the time of each call…
at the time not a single AB supporter on keo accepted it… all went on about saffas just being whingers and unable to accept defeat…
so it’s fascinating now to see henry’s comments… which strongly echo the saffa comments then… being defended now…
ironic indeed…
30 Jul 2012, 10:46 am
@ufo-98:
So – you have read the book and he still says he “suspects” as distinct from at the time “suspected” or some other similarly.
30 Jul 2012, 10:47 am
@Skeppie-100:
Actually today i was listening to sports talk back at work and this was bought up about GH bringing up match fixing.
Alot of the listeners actually mentioned the Bok and Ozzie game as despicable .
So there are alot of Kiwis that are not happy with the game as well.
A fix need to happen quickly
30 Jul 2012, 10:48 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-104:
yeah… i suspect barnes, kaplan and co will retiring to the caribbean shortly…
30 Jul 2012, 10:51 am
@ufo-106: You know how it goes, when your team is on the back end of a kak reffing display you “see” everything but if you watch a game as a neutral sometimes you don’t really notice the bad calls. I didn’t think the 2007 was that bad but clearly Barnes did a lot worse than missing just one forward pass. Same with our QF, the problem was the consistency of the bad calls as opposed to just one or two bad ones. Geez I really hope it’s all just down to a bad day for the refs and not something else…
30 Jul 2012, 10:51 am
@ufo-106:
Absolute rubbish.
You are embroiling me in your accusation that I believe the match was fixed.
Point to my post please..
30 Jul 2012, 10:51 am
@ufo-106: That man was a referee and he ONLY DID THE FIRST HALF of that game, and gave up with the analysis.
Which was, and remains, spot on.
Henry may or may not be right, the point is the SA guys have just as much room to moan, however neither side will admit it – especially not Sir Graham.
Pity he ended with such a poor biography, if I had bothered to read PDVs I could compare them
30 Jul 2012, 10:53 am
@ufo-106:
Listen to the garbage you are spewing out.
So you think not one Kiwi believed Bryce had a shocker.
You sure you want to run with that?
OK so in 2007 when we were told stop crying, we lost fair and was told that Barnes had a good game.
So 2007, you made the bed. 2011 time to sleep in it.
30 Jul 2012, 10:53 am
@Brads-107:
of course i haven’t read the book… neither have you i ‘suspects’…
but when when you’re delving into semantics to bolster your case… well… …?
fact is… as reported… henry has said the abs lost due to matchfixing… period…
he’s always looked like a sourpuss…
now he’s proved it…
30 Jul 2012, 10:58 am
@Hurricane-113: you think the french should take their “fair play award” from GH in light of these mumblings about him thinking their team might’ve won through “match fixing”?
30 Jul 2012, 10:58 am
@ufo-106:
But Henry brings the linesmen into it.
With talk of conspiracy and match fixing.
This is a new level.
30 Jul 2012, 10:59 am
In future Henry shall be referred to as Dame Graham Henry… for being such a girl
30 Jul 2012, 11:01 am
@ufo-114:
Wrong again.
He doesn’t say anywhere that he believes (present tense) the games was fixed.
You can piss and moan as much as you like about symantics, but that is what is at issue and I am supremely confident than my take on what is written is closer to the mark than anything you insinuate
30 Jul 2012, 11:03 am
@Transformation-115:
Yep and suppose they should give it Barnes or how about Bryce?
What do you think?
30 Jul 2012, 11:04 am
Basically, if you want to publish allegations of match fixing – if you even want to use the word – you’d better have a hefty dossier of evidence at hand, with another copy lying on a police captains desk with a big fat case number on it. Otherwise you deserve to be kicked in the nuts in a civil law suit and publicly castrated by the IRB.
30 Jul 2012, 11:04 am
@Brads-118:
kak.
he said he believed the game was fixed.
NZRU told him to drop it and he did to keep his job.
where does he say he has since changed his mind?
30 Jul 2012, 11:06 am
@Hurricane-108: Well either way I just hope it is what it is and we don’t have something more nefarious on the go. It does seem a bit of a stretch that match fixing would be at play in a rugger game.
30 Jul 2012, 11:06 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-121:
You find the comment where he says he still believes it and send it to Barnes, Kaplan and co.
There will be a reward!
30 Jul 2012, 11:07 am
@>^..^< katman-120:
I am sure match fixing was published last year as well.
So keep still while i kick you in the V@gina
30 Jul 2012, 11:08 am
@Skeppie-110:
exactly skeppie…
funnily enough at the time… and now still… i don’t blame our loss on bryce…
we were ahead and danie stuffed up in the line out.. which JoC converted… that and a few other mistakes cost us the game… despite bryce… we still could and should have won…
@Brads-111:
you’re getting paranoid bud… the only thing i said about what you believed is that at the time all kiwi bloggers believed saffas were just whinging with no grounds to do so…
i did not say you believed the match was fixed… i did say it was ironic that you’re all defending henry for exactly what you castigated us for…
and that IS ironic… no…?
@Hurricane-113:
hehehe…
read what i said bud… you all said we were whinging… not one of you said ‘well… maybe you guys have a case here…”
@goyougoodthing2-112:
yeah… i have long said that reffing is simply not up to standard… and something should be done… most matches i post beforehand that i hope the ref doesn’t have an overbearing influence on the result… it’s the ame for all teams…
but henry belated like a stuffed sheep is alleging that the all blacks are the victims…
if henry wanted to raise this subject with any credibility and dignity why did he not showcase other matches such as the SA/Aus game f=to make the point that generally reefing is bad…
but he’s so intent on being the victim instead of the using his ‘vast knowledge and experience’ to try and sort the problem out…
30 Jul 2012, 11:11 am
@Brads-123:
nononono.
that’s not how it works.
he left the match fixing accusation hanging in the air like a **** in an elevator.
unless he specifically says he believes it not to be the case anymore it still stands.
Are you really this thick or are you just pretending?
30 Jul 2012, 11:11 am
@Skeppie-122:
I can’t lend myself to believing rugby at the RWC level could be fixed.
30 Jul 2012, 11:14 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-121: to think Sanzar formed a commission of enquiry when pdv suggested alain rolland & barnes were handing victories to new zealand to promote their world cup…i wonder what the IRB would’ve done to Ted for these allegations.
30 Jul 2012, 11:14 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-126:
Of course he still believes it, why wouldn’t he, nothing has happened to change his mind.
But he doesn’t say that anywhere, so no law suit.
How hard is that to grasp.
30 Jul 2012, 11:15 am
@Brads-118:
now you’re looking really silly…
henry has accused the people of match fixing… spin it any which way you can till you fall over… them’s the facts…
@the artist formerly known as gunther-116:
this really is funny…
for years the ABs and Aus fans have mocked saffa fans for pointing out bad calls as believing in conspiracy theories… now the most famous AB coach of all time has allegedly stolen our alleged songsheet… and is bleating a very unbecoming tune…
30 Jul 2012, 11:16 am
@Transformation-128:
Teddy has let the cat out of the bag.
@Brads-129:
he made the accusation.
it’s there in black and white.
30 Jul 2012, 11:17 am
@ufo-125:
lol
Match fixing….no i believed there was no match fixing. But maybe i am hoping there is no match fixing. Do we really want to be cricket and not believe the outcome was real?
Scary stuff
Useless refs…. yep i believe in those.
I here about useless refs every week on here so they must exist
30 Jul 2012, 11:18 am
@Brads-123:
well.. if this is all untrue and such words never passed the lips of graham henry… or are printed in his book… he should lawyer up… and nail the news agencies for making false allegations about him…
BTW… have you read the book…?
yes/no
30 Jul 2012, 11:18 am
@ufo-125: You know the funny thing is…ask me what games I remember when the Boks go the smooth end of the reffing stick and I won’t remember one. I sure as hell know it’s happened but would never pick it up….do they call those blinkers?
30 Jul 2012, 11:19 am
@Transformation-128:
That was to sanction a current SANZAR official who was making a jackass of himself bringing the game in disrepute.
Henry is no longer directly linked to SANZAR and I doubt very much we will hear support fro his view from the NZRU.
Hansen for one has distanced himself. Albeit, using the phrase “I have moved on” much favoured by Henry.
30 Jul 2012, 11:20 am
@Brads-127: I agree, I just don’t think rugby is an easy sport to fix. If Brycie actually had been bought at the end of the day if the Danie incident at the lineout had not happpened the boks would still have won. It just does not seem feasible to me.
30 Jul 2012, 11:21 am
@Hurricane-132:
yeah… we don’t wanna go there…
so what are our choices here bud…
1 useless refs…
2 match fixing…
3 everything’s perfect…
30 Jul 2012, 11:25 am
@Skeppie-134:
hahaha…
we’re all the same bud…
30 Jul 2012, 11:28 am
@ufo-137:
I pick #1
30 Jul 2012, 11:29 am
and guys…
let us not forget that after bryce’s horrific performance against the boks last year…
new zealand rugby awarded him the referee of the year trophy…!
so lets not kid yourselves than anyone in new zealand really believed he had done a less than perfect job…
30 Jul 2012, 11:30 am
@Hurricane-139:
me too…
sanzar really needs to address this…
hopefully this extended TMO duties in the CC will start sorting this out…
30 Jul 2012, 11:31 am
@ufo-140:
Lets not forget the perfect job he did for the Boks that not one of you guys ever mention against the British and irish lions.
30 Jul 2012, 11:33 am
@Hurricane-142:
Oh smiley face
Cos i only heard he gave you guys the rub of the green in that series…….. i really cant remember
30 Jul 2012, 11:33 am
@ufo-133:
Read the book – no.
but don’t I believe it possible, irrespective of what he may still think happened, that Henry would have allowed his biography to go out with “specific” words which actually accuse Barnesetc of match mixing..
30 Jul 2012, 11:34 am
@Hurricane-142: It’s like I was saying earlier I never really pick up on refs when they blow teams playing against the Boks out of the water, I think I just get too caught up in the game. (Although it obviously happens) I didn’t really notice Brycie helping us during the BL tour?
30 Jul 2012, 11:36 am
@Brads-123: Are you claiming that he used to believe the match was fixed, but no longer does? If so, where is the quote or evidence of this apparent change of heart? Because without that, his original accusation still stands. Doesn’t take a legal genius to figure that out.
@Hurricane-124: Yes, by emotional fans on online forums, you nincompoop. Not by the coach of the All Blacks in a book. Must I explain the difference to you?
30 Jul 2012, 11:38 am
Old Gerty = Barnsey
30 Jul 2012, 11:42 am
@>^..^< katman-146:
And a legal genius our Bradley is not.
I’d like a match fixing tribunal personally.
Paddy O’Fuckwit will be the first on the stand.
30 Jul 2012, 11:44 am
@Brads-144:
so you’re just like us bud…
pissin in the wind…!!
allegations/accusations/insinuations… semantics… seriously…
ask yourself what you’d think and feel if your name was barnes or kaplan…?
“And I still can hear him say:
You’re all just pissin’
in the wind
You don’t know it but you are.
And there ain’t nothin’
like a friend
Who can tell you
you’re just pissin’
in the wind.” – neil young…
30 Jul 2012, 11:44 am
Of all the cheating refs old Gerty is still my favourite, he’s the only one stupid enough to admit it.
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