The Springboks vs British & Irish Lions 1st Test Thread

[sorCrer]

The stink about the TMO is completely over the top.

FFS if people are going to moan about a match official, do it about is competence not his nationality.

If I'm remembering correctly it's hiscompetence that mostly concerns me.

That he's also a saffa only makes it worse, but i wouldn't be able to guess which side that would effect more, as he may give homer calls or go extra hard on the boks to avoid calls of being a homer.

Do you have an example of this incompetence? 42 tests so there should be plenty.

[assfly]

I heard on a podcast yesterday that Matthew Pierce reckons that our front row is one of (if not the) shortest front row the Boks have ever selected, at least in recent times. Obviously deliberate by Rassie to ensure that the Lions can't get underneath us at scrumtime. Will be interesting to see how it pans out, especially as he selected them without knowing what the Lions front row would be.

That first scrum is going to be incredible. Cant' vokken wait.

[Big D]

Pretty fresh of Gatland all this talk in light of what happened at the end of the Lions series against NZ

Inserts tongue in cheek...I figured that was one back for Burger not being sent off in 2009?

[Raggs]

The stink about the TMO is completely over the top.

FFS if people are going to moan about a match official, do it about is competence not his nationality.

If I'm remembering correctly it's hiscompetence that mostly concerns me.

That he's also a saffa only makes it worse, but i wouldn't be able to guess which side that would effect more, as he may give homer calls or go extra hard on the boks to avoid calls of being a homer.

Do you have an example of this incompetence? 42 tests so there should be plenty.

Eng vs NZ - Jonker claims there was a knock on in a maul ( no one else could see it, including Owens when he looked), cancelling an Eng try. (I'm not going to raise the underhill non-try from the previous year, reckon that was a 50/50, you lose those sometimes).

Eng vs Ire - Huge amount of off the ball/stuff missed by ref, think Jonker's mic was broken, or his TV. For and against both sides.

Eng vs Aus - Farrell doing Farrell specials, and getting away with it scot free, rather than getting a yellow/red card...

On a quick search I can also see that he was overrulled by Sanzaar on a call too recently.

And having a home town TMO is a terrible call regardless. Have a home town AR, not ref or TMO.

[Grandpa]

It's all about perception.... doesn't matter who is the TMO... if there is any chance of a perceived bias, then it's a problem...

TMO can be anywhere in the world, so not sure why they can't find someone neutral from 7 billion people... even Putin would be preferable..

[Biffer]

The stink about the TMO is completely over the top.

FFS if people are going to moan about a match official, do it about is competence not his nationality.

If I'm remembering correctly it's hiscompetence that mostly concerns me.

That he's also a saffa only makes it worse, but i wouldn't be able to guess which side that would effect more, as he may give homer calls or go extra hard on the boks to avoid calls of being a homer.

Do you have an example of this incompetence? 42 tests so there should be plenty.

Let's start with the 'no contact to the head' last week

[assfly]

Let's start with the 'no contact to the head' last week

That was the correct call. Very close to being otherwise, but correct in the end.

[SaintK]

Let's start with the 'no contact to the head' last week

That was the correct call. Very close to being otherwise, but correct in the end.

No it wasn't

[Paddington Bear]

I think we'd cause less of a stink over the nationality of a match official in a Lions series if there wasn't a long and distinguished tradition of home officials blatantly cheating and ignoring brutal foul play by the home side in Lions matches.

[assfly]

I think we'd cause less of a stink over the nationality of a match official in a Lions series if there wasn't a long and distinguished tradition of home officials blatantly cheating and ignoring brutal foul play by the home side in Lions matches.

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

[Paddington Bear]

I think we'd cause less of a stink over the nationality of a match official in a Lions series if there wasn't a long and distinguished tradition of home officials blatantly cheating and ignoring brutal foul play by the home side in Lions matches.

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Whatever you want to believe

[Grandpa]

I think we'd cause less of a stink over the nationality of a match official in a Lions series if there wasn't a long and distinguished tradition of home officials blatantly cheating and ignoring brutal foul play by the home side in Lions matches.

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Didn't Poite admit to cheating recently when changing his last minute decision in the final NZ v Lions test? "For justice.. and the right decision to make..." was his excuse...

[OomStruisbaai]

Moaning about refs before the test is just plain looking for early excuses. Lions will hammer us, no use for this.

[Paddington Bear]

I think we'd cause less of a stink over the nationality of a match official in a Lions series if there wasn't a long and distinguished tradition of home officials blatantly cheating and ignoring brutal foul play by the home side in Lions matches.

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Didn't Poite admit to cheating recently when changing his last minute decision in the final NZ v Lions test? "For justice.. and the right decision to make..." was his excuse...

Famously, the French love the Brits.

[assfly]

Didn't Poite admit to cheating recently when changing his last minute decision in the final NZ v Lions test? "For justice.. and the right decision to make..." was his excuse...

I love the idea you're using an example of a dodgy ref decision that stopped the Lions from losing a test series.

[SaintK]

I think we'd cause less of a stink over the nationality of a match official in a Lions series if there wasn't a long and distinguished tradition of home officials blatantly cheating and ignoring brutal foul play by the home side in Lions matches.

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Doddie Weir's knee says you don't know what you're talking about!

[assfly]

Whatever you want to believe

Touché. You want to accuse a professional referee of deliberate cheating, you better be able to prove it. That's all I'm asking for, proof.

[Biffer]

I think we'd cause less of a stink over the nationality of a match official in a Lions series if there wasn't a long and distinguished tradition of home officials blatantly cheating and ignoring brutal foul play by the home side in Lions matches.

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Doddie Weir's knee says you don't know what you're talking about!

Will Greenwood might want a quick word as well.

[Paddington Bear]

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Doddie Weir's knee says you don't know what you're talking about!

Will Greenwood might want a quick word as well.

O'Gara, the list goes on.

[assfly]

So those players were only on the end of foul play when playing for the Lions? They never encountered it when playing for their respective countries? Ffs

[Grandpa]

Didn't Poite admit to cheating recently when changing his last minute decision in the final NZ v Lions test? "For justice.. and the right decision to make..." was his excuse...

I love the idea you're using an example of a dodgy ref decision that stopped the Lions from losing a test series.

Cheating doesn't take sides... That's why you remove all potential for bias... no hometown or French refs or TMOs,...

[SaintK]

So those players were only on the end of foul play when playing for the Lions? They never encountered it when playing for their respective countries? Ffs

They may possibly well have, I don't know
But they were deliberately injured playing in matches for the Lions in S Africa. Which is what we are talking about!

[OomStruisbaai]

So those players were only on the end of foul play when playing for the Lions? They never encountered it when playing for their respective countries? Ffs

I could have died - BoD

[Chilli]

Interesting about Gatland by the players.........................................................

[assfly]

I love the Joe Marler podcast. His last few shows about the Lions have been excellent.

[Biffer]

Doddie Weir's knee says you don't know what you're talking about!

Will Greenwood might want a quick word as well.

O'Gara, the list goes on.

Stuart Lane, Rodney O'Donnell.

[Big D]

I think we'd cause less of a stink over the nationality of a match official in a Lions series if there wasn't a long and distinguished tradition of home officials blatantly cheating and ignoring brutal foul play by the home side in Lions matches.

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Doddie Weir's knee says you don't know what you're talking about!

That still annoys me to this day. Was one of the most cowardly and deliberate acts I can remember. The contrast between the act which put Weir out the tour and the class way he took the news on camera was stark.

[Openside]

https://amp.rugbypass.com/news/gatland- ... ssion=true

Gatland not happy about the TMO.

He is pathetic. His antics are getting annoying.

He has a point - Jonkers completely shat the bed over the Faf yellow. In todays climate that was as straight a red as you will see - no arms and head butted Navidi.

[Openside]

Let's start with the 'no contact to the head' last week

That was the correct call. Very close to being otherwise, but correct in the end.

If this is about Faf you are either blind or lying. End of.

[assfly]

If this is about Faf you are either blind or lying. End of.

charming.

Yellow card, nothing more. Excellent officiating, let's move on.

[Grandpa]

If this is about Faf you are either blind or lying. End of.

charming.

Yellow card, nothing more. Excellent officiating, let's move on.

Out of interest... what would have made it a red for you?

[assfly]

Out of interest... what would have made it a red for you?

Direct contact to the head. Which it came very close to.

[Mahoney]

My recollection is that they really obviously clashed heads? And Faf hurt himself in the process?

[Begbie]

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Doddie Weir's knee says you don't know what you're talking about!

That still annoys me to this day. Was one of the most cowardly and deliberate acts I can remember. The contrast between the act which put Weir out the tour and the class way he took the news on camera was stark.

Aye. Think Marius Bosman is the only guy I've ever heard Doddie speak negatively about, and rightly so, he's a thug and a coward.

[Biffer]

My recollection is that they really obviously clashed heads? And Faf hurt himself in the process?

Yep. He reeled away from the tackle after the head to head contact. The ref even mentioned that the tackler had hurt himself. Unbelievable he got away with that.

[Grandpa]

Out of interest... what would have made it a red for you?

Direct contact to the head. Which it came very close to.

As others have mentioned... Faf was in pain from the clash of heads.... so how direct does it have to be?

[handyman]

I think we'd cause less of a stink over the nationality of a match official in a Lions series if there wasn't a long and distinguished tradition of home officials blatantly cheating and ignoring brutal foul play by the home side in Lions matches.

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Doddie Weir's knee says you don't know what you're talking about!

Just saw a video of that for the first time. The offender should have been given a lifetime ban, absolutely disgraceful act.

[sorCrer]

Let's start with the 'no contact to the head' last week

That was the correct call. Very close to being otherwise, but correct in the end.

No it wasn't

Owens says it was.

[Big D]

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Doddie Weir's knee says you don't know what you're talking about!

Just saw a video of that for the first time. The offender should have been given a lifetime ban, absolutely disgraceful act.

If you see the clip of how well Doddie reacts when the Doc tells him tour over it really speaks volumes of the man. I have the good fortune of meeting him a couple of times since his diagnosis and as recently as 2 years ago when the disease had really started to grip him he still signed books and spoke to people like they were a long lost friend. A nicer man as you could meet.

I think that is part of the reason it still infuriates me how callous an act that was.

The first time I met him was the Scotland v All blacks game in 2018 I think. I was luckily enough to be in the presidents suite that day. I met some of the Scotland team and NZ team, all gave me a picture and a good chat with some (SBW and Russell) but my prized memory of that night was the 15min we spent talking to Doddie Weir over a beer and his glass of wine.

[Biffer]

Brutal foul play happens in all test matches. Nothing special about Lions tours.

As for blatant cheating, that's a pretty big accusation that I think you'll find hard to prove.

Doddie Weir's knee says you don't know what you're talking about!

Just saw a video of that for the first time. The offender should have been given a lifetime ban, absolutely disgraceful act.

Doddie Weir used to have one of these hedgehog shaped boot cleaners inside his back door, one of those ones you rake your boots along to get the muck off.

He called it Marius.