2015 Rugby World Cup **Potential spoilers**

[Lullabelle]

The Wales game was good as was the ref, he kept the game flowing nicely

 

[Stephenite]

I enjoy watching the haka although I may offend some with this next bit but, I remember when a lot of the All Blacks were dark skinned, black hair and tattoos/ tribal markings and they were big lads ( remember Jonah Lomu?) this made the haka very intimidating because it genuinely looked like a tribe, recently a lot of the players are 'white' and tattoo free and they don't look very threatening. This isn't meant as a race comment just an observation.

Wait til you see the Scots!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The NZ-Argentina game was another cracker. This World Cup is shaping up to be no picnic for the favourites.

 

[Billy Wizz]

Two teams have done the 50+
The Green and the real Red.
Conviction and belief.

 

[Wafer]

NZ V Arg, cracking game, Argies really pushed the All Blacks who were not looking very slick and seemed rattled at times. I thought fitness would play a part and the last 20 mins would be important, and that seems to be what happened. Certainly showed the other teams that NZ are far from invincible though.

Had a good ride while Wales racked up some more injuries, Henson will be getting a call up at this rate :O

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Two teams have done the 50+
The Green and the real Red.
Conviction and belief.

I have to disagree. Those were the least interesting and unbalanced of the games so far. Nothing to do with conviction and belief, simply superior firepower.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Average Welsh side made to look average in an average game of rugby against amateur opponents, hmmmm.
England fail to convince anyone but themselves.
I <3 Japan.
The look on the poor Saffer faces.
Don't think we learnt much from the Irish.
The kiwis did what the kiwis do. Enough. Just enough.

Really looking forward to the Scotland game against Japan on Wednesday.

Oh, and I got a cheap red ss England shirt at Gatwick last night.

 

[Aperitif]

Two teams have done the 50+
The Green and the real Red.
Conviction and belief.

Cobblers.

 

[Aperitif]

I enjoy watching the haka although I may offend some with this next bit but, I remember when a lot of the All Blacks were dark skinned, black hair and tattoos/ tribal markings and they were big lads ( remember Jonah Lomu?) this made the haka very intimidating because it genuinely looked like a tribe, recently a lot of the players are 'white' and tattoo free and they don't look very threatening. This isn't meant as a race comment just an observation.

This needs another airing for 2015 then!

 

[Cubist]

Edit - the part I dont understand is whether or not the TMO has the same rights as a touch judge to proactively bring things to the ref's attention and what those things are - there must be times that he can just say somethings happened without going to replay - the footage is all in the public domain so odds and sods would be picked up by the telly pundits anyway

Yes, they do. Yesterday Wayne Barnes was asked to check a potential bit of foul play. You'll possibly hear the TMO call "TMO check check" in the background, then will bring the ref's attention to whatever it is they want to scrutinise. The example yesterday was that cheating twat McCaw tripping Lobbe taking a quick tap penalty.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhzuorMfWrw

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Yes, they do. Yesterday Wayne Barnes was asked to check a potential bit of foul play. You'll possibly hear the TMO call "TMO check check" in the background, then will bring the ref's attention to whatever it is they want to scrutinise. The example yesterday was that cheating twat McCaw tripping Lobbe taking a quick tap penalty.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhzuorMfWrw

Cubist is right. However it is unclear to me from my limited reading/understanding of the current protocols, whether or not the ref can go upstairs, as some have done, after awarding a try and then looking at the replay provided solely for the benefit of the ticket buying public.

Me? I'd ban replays until after the conversion is taken. I'd rather howlers stood than death by TMO & replay.

And. For the record. I HATE ITV's coverage.

 

[psmiffy]

Yes, they do. Yesterday Wayne Barnes was asked to check a potential bit of foul play. You'll possibly hear the TMO call "TMO check check" in the background, then will bring the ref's attention to whatever it is they want to scrutinise. The example yesterday was that cheating twat McCaw tripping Lobbe taking a quick tap penalty.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhzuorMfWrw

Yup - I caught that - so therefore is he the equivalent of a third linesman ? - but is his remit to be proactive limited to foul play or can he call on other matters ?

 

[Cubist]

Cubist is right. However it is unclear to me from my limited reading/understanding of the current protocols, whether or not the ref can go upstairs, as some have done, after awarding a try and then looking at the replay provided solely for the benefit of the ticket buying public.

Me? I'd ban replays until after the conversion is taken. I'd rather howlers stood than death by TMO & replay.

And. For the record. I HATE ITV's coverage.

Thing is, a precedent was set on Friday night. Brave decision if you ask me. I think the protocol is that once he has awarded the try, it stands unless one of the touch judges or the TMO disputes it BEFORE the conversion is taken. You could argue that the replay is in effect a matter being brought to his attention, and once Peyper had seen it integrity clicked in. You can't blame him I don't think. However, now that he has done that, there was no option for Owens a day later when replays showed the player had lost control of the ball.

I hope it won't get to League standards where some refs (Silverwood for example) seem to refer absolutely every try to the TMO, often going back several phases looking for offsides that he should have spotted during play.

 

[Cubist]

Yup - I caught that - so therefore is he the equivalent of a third linesman ? - but is his remit to be proactive limited to foul play or can he call on other matters ?

I think it's just foul play.... the touch judges can offer calls on offside and forward passes though, as well as foul play.

 

[Wafer]

Weirdly I thought Wayne Barnes had a decent match on that front with the All Black and Pumas. I don't usually rate him at all but in terms of TMO stuff, he seemed happy to work a few things out over the radio while the game carried on, rather than stopping for a million replays of every little thing.

Technology is there to stop the howlers, I don't think missing the technical knock on by the Fijian for the disallowed try initially is a howler. McCaw's cynical trip was different, he missed it and was going to penalise the knock-on it caused.