Comments on: Best of the Weekend: Drama abounds domestically, TRC stalls

By: Jamie

Jamie — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 16:30:44 +0000

That’s actually not correct – Poite consulted the TMO, but said he had already reached a decision on the tackle. He was asking about the ensuing brawl, and if there was any foul play in there. When the TMO came back and said there wasn’t, he binned du Plessis.

He should have asked him about the tackle though. Would have saved all this mess!

By: TonyTaff

TonyTaff — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 15:55:33 +0000

Poite DID consult TMO Ayoub over the first decision. Ayoub said ‘There was no foul play’. Poite decided to bin anyway. It was like watching an episode of Allo Allo.

Maybe we need TMOs whose first language is the same as that of the ref?

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 15:15:09 +0000

Poite made a poor decision that cost Du Plessis 10 mins in the bin. Whether it was a good call or a bad call doesn’t change the fact that Du Plessis needs to avoid picking up another yellow for the rest of the game, leading with the elbow was dumb. The remaining 39 mins he missed is all on him.

I can’t make someone a bigger villain for making a poor decision that cost a player 10 mins in the bin over someone who stamps hard on a players head with no provocation.

In ascending order of villainy it is Poite < Du Plessis < Wood for me.

On the positives, thought Yarde's first try was pretty special. Very excited by Billy Vunipola's progress as well. Conditioning visibly better and the control at the base of the scrum showed some good skills with the feet.

By: xxxwookie

xxxwookie — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 11:20:58 +0000

I sympathise with Poite a little. From an angle, you see Du Plessis go in with the shoulder and you can’t really see him use his arm. It’s reasonably similar to Mulipola’s yellow on Dave Attwood as Dave Attwood ducked one side and ended up getting thumped with a shoulder. Poite possibly should have gone to the TMO, but if he’s confident in what he saw then it’s what he gives, I’d rather refs didn’t stop and review every decision. He got it wrong, he stuck his hand up on review and said so. That’s more than you get from most refs, so bravo to him. The second yellow card was easy in my eyes. You don’t fend off with an elbow in the throat. I don’t think it ruined the game. It was still fairly well poised going into the last 15-20 and New Zealand closed out well, it was still exciting, but if I were a Boks fan, I’d be unhappy.

Nick Wood’s stamp though frustrated me. Aside from the blatant and unnecessary nature of it, the timing bothered me. When you get frustrated at every breakdown for half an hour, I understand (not condone) laying into someone and blowing your top. If you’re exploding after 73 seconds, it’s a serious issue and you’ve just let your team mates down hugely over nothing. Watching the game as a neutral I was just utterly annoyed by it. Glaws did bloody well to go in in the lead at half time and they fought really well considering they were a man down and the scrum was woeful.

The Argentina game was just so tragic. I really feel they should have come out on top of that game and maybe their own indiscipline was a little to blame for it, but they were the better side out there. Will be good to see them hosting Australia.

By: Dazza

Dazza — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 08:30:35 +0000

I thought Tomkins could’ve been in with a shout for try of the week. The build up to the try and the finish were excellent, and yes Sarries were playing against 14 men, but Glos put up a great fight first half.