Much has been brilliant about this World Cup. The rise of the minnows, in particular Japan – who arguably no longer fit into that category – promises an exciting future, while proper ding-dong battles between heavyweights – New Zealand vs Argentina, England vs Wales, Wales vs Australia, Ireland vs France – have kept the group stage interesting to the last.
But the farcical nature of disciplinary proceedings both on and off the pitch have been a real blight on the World Cup so far – and what is most baffling, is that they needn’t be. Surely with clear communication from World Rugby, it cannot be too difficult to educate all judges and TMOs as to what is right and what is wrong.
The decision that has caused the most outrage so far has been Alesana Tuilagi’s initial five week ban for leading with a knee when running into a Japanese tackler. Rightly, this sparked mass outrage on social media, and the ban was quickly reduced to two weeks.
But even two weeks for what boils down to a powerful Tuilagi carry (what his family has made a name for) does not stack up when compared with other bans this tournament. David Pocock used his knee in a far less necessary way against Wales, and yet he received nothing more than a ‘citing commissioner’s warning’.
And even more bafflingly, the week previously Michael Hooper had received just a one week ban for charging recklessly and hugely dangerously into a ruck and clearing out Mike Brown with his shoulder.
This is one of the most dangerous parts of the game at the moment, in my opinion, and we cannot be far away from a very serious injury occurring from an overzealous and illegal clean-out. Simply put, one week is a criminally short ban for such an act.
Where is the consistency? That is the most frustrating thing. If there were a concerted effort to cut down on ‘dangerous play with the knee’ then you could just about understand it, but it is the way it has seemingly been one rule for one thing and a completely different one for another that grates the most.
The use of the TMO during games has also been madly frustrating, and not just because of the way it has rendered most games stop-start slogs (as one of the commentators pointed out last weekend, he presided over a 68 minute half the other week).
Why is it that the TMO can stop a game (with this new, madly annoying ‘check, check’ call) to come back for a marginal high tackle or forward pass, and yet he missed possibly the most blatant act of the tournament so far: Sean O’Brien’s swinging arm punch on Pascal Papé.
Now, O’Brien may well have been provoked by an impromptu prostate exam, but that does not excuse his reaction. And there is really no excuse for the TMO to have missed it, either. O’Brien will rightly be banned, but that does not help France, who had to endure another 78 minutes of O’Brien at his best.
We all want to see the best players competing at the World Cup, and the knockout stages will be much poorer for O’Brien’s absence. There have been many that have crowed about World Rugby being biased against the smaller nations, but frankly if O’Brien is not handed a hefty ban, then they may have a point, given the leniency shown so far to the likes of Pocock, Hooper and Wood.
O’Brien must be banned or all faith in the system will be lost.
Continuing the disciplinary theme, there’s been a bit of noise on social media in the past 24 hours about the nationality of the citing commissioner that picked out an alleged dangerous tackle committed by Jonny Gray and Ross Ford in Scotland’s game against Samoa – he’s Australian.
Scotland, of course, play Australia in the quarter-final this weekend. Now, I’m sure Scott Nowland is a professional guy who doesn’t let nationality get in the way of what he does, but why is an Australian commissioner the one reviewing that game? Surely it just opens World Rugby up for accusations of bias?
I appreciate the pool of commissioners and judiciaries probably isn’t that big, but I’m sure they could have found someone from a country that Scotland weren’t playing in the quarter-finals a week later. It just makes them look silly.
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
24 replies on “Farcical disciplinary inconsistencies tarnish a brilliant World Cup”
You say O’Brien will be rightly banned … I would not be surprised if he isn’t. Disgusted but not surprised. There is something rotten in the blazer lead committee rooms.
I thought at one point he wasn’t going to get cited at all. I’m sure the Dublin based WE will ensure justice is done.
I have had the argument about citing commisioner with Scottish fans this morning. It us a non story because:
1. The organising committee do not have a crystal ball. At the point the game was played it was not certain who Scotland would play, it could easily have been Wales. At the point the officials were chosen for each game Scotland could have been playing one of ten teams.
2. The citing commisioner is independent, in the same way the refs and flag boys are. By suggesting they may be swayed by national allegiances brings into question their integrity. This is not football. We trust our officials to be fair and impartial.
3. The simple way to ensure players do not get cited is to ensure that coaches stress that they are disciplined. The responsibility is the player, not the official.
Which leads to the bans, or leniency etc complained about. The whole point of rugby is that we have laws, which are open to intepretation, not rules which are unbending. One person will intepret things differently to someone else. The beauty of rugby is we accept that intepretation and get on with the game.
It is horrendous how biased the officials are against us tier 2 nations.
Yes, we can only aspire to be like Japan and capable of a win against the Boks 😉
Just seen the O’Brien punch. How the TMO missed that is a total mystery. Surely its a straight red card if spotted and should be a few week’s ban?
Good article this. I cannot uderstand how they can be getting the TMO so wrong after its been used for many years without too much of a fuss. Can they really not see that constant TMO interruptions are ruining games?
It should be used for a couple of things only – checking tries in terms of grounding, etc (not going back umpteen phases to see if there may have been a slightly forward pass) and foul play (proper foul play that obviously deserves a card, not vaguely high tackles)
I agree there have been inconsistencies, and everything possible needs to be done to iron these out, and there have been some atrocious decisions – Alesana Tuilagi’s being by far the worst – but we have to take the positive; what other sport is so diligent about discipline that it has a fully functioning citation system in place? The only similar system that I’m aware of is in Formula 1 (and that’s not really one we can make direct comparisons with) and their decisions can literally take weeks to be made!
Everyone, from referees & their assistants to TMOs to citation panels, need to be working to the same standards, within the Laws of the game and with regular reviews and panels and the same recommendations (e.g. the current focus on the neck roll) being given to all of these officials at the same time and with the same emphasis.
Fundamentally, though, we have to say that the system works.
I feel that the 68 minute half has to be put in some context. The half itself last for 50 minutes and of the other 18 minutes 5 of that was taken up by an injury for Jacques Burger. SO 13 minutes for other injuries and some TMO checks doesn’t seem that bad to me.
Also in regards to the citing commissioner being an Aussie, it’s relevant the commissioner doesn’t ban the players so it the citing isn’t worthy then it will be throw out. I’m guessing by the fact you’ve mention it that you don’t believe either should have been citied in the first place?
Your headline complains about ‘Farcical disciplinary inconsistencies’ but then you demand ‘O’Brien must be banned or all faith in the system will be lost’ in the face of ‘leniency shown so far to the likes of Pocock, Hooper and Wood’
You are arguing for farcical inconsistency that would see O’Brien get a more severe punishment than Pocock et al.
All i can see is some hate for Australia or is it just me ? So many cases you could have used but uses two Australia? I am South African who supports the boks and AB, therefore should dislike the oz but this seems like attack on them in my eyes. Now that people are calling them the favourites they are being treated like this. OBrien clearly punched him and should this not be worse than a bad tackle or bad rucking. Punching is a deliberate act of harm which, in my eyes, is a red and a 2 game ban.
Re the comments about the Scottish citing commisioner.
How about the South African ref controlling the game between Wales and Australia, the loser going on to play….South Africa.
Would it be an idea to have some sort of mid-game citing? In O’Brien’s case they were showing the incident throughout half time. Surely the ref/TMO could have seen it then and taken action at that point.
Jason, would you have been ‘consistently’ happy with Hooper being read the letter of the law and given a red? Yes or no?
5 weeks for running. 3 weeks for dangerous tackles. 1 week for a punch.
Only one of those has the sole intent of assaulting someone.
Total proof that the system is a farce and completely bent.
Its not only the discipline that should be looked into but France scored a try against Romania I think which, as I agree with the TMO wasn’t a double movement but a triple movement!
The player (who i cannot recall) had clearly lost momentum short of the line, placed the ball forward still short of the line and then finally placed over the line inexplicably the try was given utter madness.
Yep just like Wales at the last RWC playing France in the semi having beaten Ireland the week b 4 in the 1/4 final and getting Roland Rat as ref. A man with a French father and an Irish mother who grew up in ireland, speaks French (sort of) and who played for Ireland.
Clearly an impartial man in the middle there.
Erm….over to you….David Coleman …..what happened then??
But we seen this sort of thing all the time in the Pro12 for far too long. The Pro 12 is run for the benefit of the Irish province, is based in Dublin and refereed by Irish referees even when Irish sides play non-Irish teams.
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Gentlemen. Our sport is not football. We do not question the integrity of our officials as their integrity is impeccable. And I speak as an English supporter who a) has been on the end of what I consider to be poor Roland performances (but not biased, just thought he wasn’t any good and b) remembers the hysteria and accusations of arrogance, sour grapes etc whenever an English person makes the sample accusations.
Grow up people and stop being stupid.
Refereeing in the Pro12 is not perfect but Irish sides have to put up with Welsh officials when playing in Wales. I can recall an away fixture for Connacht where the local referees assistant made a huge and clearly wrong call which cost them the match. It’s not just an Irish thing.
Until people give up their time to qualify as referees then we will be stuck with the same imperfect ones we have, but who wants to give up their time for that? Not too many volunteers around because who wants to put themselves up for being accused of bias or being a cheat?
Are you Stephen Jones, embittered anti-Irish journalist of the Sunday Times? 😉
Most of these posts just show how embittered and divided all the ‘Celtic nations’ are! I include England in the definition of celts here because they are just that. In population the largest! The Welsh refer to England as Lloegyr meaning (correct me if I’m wrong any proud Welshman out there) ‘The Lost Lands’ I.e. That part lost from the Celtic land of Albion or Alba as the entire island was then known. In other words the entire bloody island was Celtic prior to the Roman invasion(43AD). The people in Lloegyr remained celts (just conquered or occupied ones!) I’m 1/4 Irish, 1/4 Scot and half English so find the whole polarisation-(that verges on anti-English)-we’re-more-Celtic-than-you thing an absolute farce. When a Welshman, Scot or Irishman accuses the English or an Englishman of not being Celtic enough (normally by insinuation) they might just be talking to someone MORE CELTIC than them! Food for thought! With a surname like DEWAR I can actually wear a bloody tartan believe it or not! Technically I’m what the Scots north of the border call a Sassenach I believe! (Another bit of charming/v.boring prejudice!)
HOW TRULY CELTIC ARE YOU?
Or sasanach in Ireland. The English inferiority complex. Full circle
Maybe a case of more ‘humble’ than ‘arrogant’ Simon. A propos an English inferiority complex (your words)! I’m comfortable with that !
¿qué?
A que refieres mi amigo?