For.....does the NH really bitch this much or is it just RWC

[Sards]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

[Paddington Bear]

1) pots and fucking kettles, and
2) yes it is always like this

[Happyhooker]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

Has anyone put on armbands yet?

[C69]

I bitch like a petulant little school girl literally all the time.
Now fuck off

[Sandstorm]

Du Pont having a cry.

Not his fault; the botox wore off after 80 minutes.

[SaintK]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

[Simian]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

Justice for Bakkies!!

[Simian]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

We’d surely need a Rassie video about it to be able to tell for sure ;)

[petej]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

If only there was a ref who could communicate in French then perhaps dupont would have been able to get heard during the match. He would have had to shout loud to get heard over the multiple South Africans who back chatted to such extent that even a premiership football team would struggle to match.

Rugby's star has well and truely fallen with regard to player behaviour will be a major point from this tournament for me. Certainly not a selling point anymore.

The French need to be really persistent on this. The absence of a bilingual ref should be hammered home. We are far too passive about referees in the north due to rugby's "values" which is a disadvantage and the French should "powerpoint" the ref. This stuff is a competitive advantage in pro sport (multiple examples of this in football). The South Africans are cynical with this and we should join them to level it.

[Ymx]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

If only there was a ref who could communicate in French then perhaps dupont would have been able to get heard during the match. He would have had to shout loud to get heard over the multiple South Africans who back chatted to such extent that even a premiership football team would struggle to match.

Rugby's star has well and truely fallen with regard to player behaviour will be a major point from this tournament for me. Certainly not a selling point anymore.

The French need to be really persistent on this. The absence of a bilingual ref should be hammered home. We are far too passive about referees in the north due to rugby's "values" which is a disadvantage and the French should "powerpoint" the ref. This stuff is a competitive advantage in pro sport (multiple examples of this in football). The South Africans are cynical with this and we should join them to level it.

Nothing more annoying than a rugby ref throwing in a foreign language. It would be such a brain dead suggestion to only appoint referees who are bilingual in both languages they are refereeing. It’s just too obvious why.

Also, the Saffers survive with English as the language despite their grasp of it.

[Simian]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

If only there was a ref who could communicate in French then perhaps dupont would have been able to get heard during the match. He would have had to shout loud to get heard over the multiple South Africans who back chatted to such extent that even a premiership football team would struggle to match.

Rugby's star has well and truely fallen with regard to player behaviour will be a major point from this tournament for me. Certainly not a selling point anymore.

The French need to be really persistent on this. The absence of a bilingual ref should be hammered home. We are far too passive about referees in the north due to rugby's "values" which is a disadvantage and the French should "powerpoint" the ref. This stuff is a competitive advantage in pro sport (multiple examples of this in football). The South Africans are cynical with this and we should join them to level it.

Completely agree with all of this, particularly given the extent to which referees coach (rather than penalise) and the importance of adapting to refereeing interpretations (harder to adapt if you don’t fully grasp explanations etc).

And, yeah. Rugby has lost moral the high ground around back chat etc. The amount of times at the RWC I’ve just thought, jeez… ref should just march them back ten or make it a penalty.

[Chilli]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

Wait for us to lose to you Poms next week.

[Sards]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

If only there was a ref who could communicate in French then perhaps dupont would have been able to get heard during the match. He would have had to shout loud to get heard over the multiple South Africans who back chatted to such extent that even a premiership football team would struggle to match.

Rugby's star has well and truely fallen with regard to player behaviour will be a major point from this tournament for me. Certainly not a selling point anymore.

The French need to be really persistent on this. The absence of a bilingual ref should be hammered home. We are far too passive about referees in the north due to rugby's "values" which is a disadvantage and the French should "powerpoint" the ref. This stuff is a competitive advantage in pro sport (multiple examples of this in football). The South Africans are cynical with this and we should join them to level it.

That really sounds like you want to adjust the reffing to suite your ends
You don't think his fractured cheek had anything to do with it

[Sandstorm]

Nothing more annoying than a rugby ref throwing in a foreign language. It would be such a brain dead suggestion to only appoint referees who are bilingual in both languages they are refereeing. It’s just too obvious why.

Reynal is bi-lingual and everyone has to listen to him talk about "Fool play...."

Ditto Italian refs, who's English is also their 2nd language and so English-speaking players struggle to speak to them.

[Insane_Homer]

Not half as annoying Barnes addressing every IRE/AB player by their first name.

[petej]

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

If only there was a ref who could communicate in French then perhaps dupont would have been able to get heard during the match. He would have had to shout loud to get heard over the multiple South Africans who back chatted to such extent that even a premiership football team would struggle to match.

Rugby's star has well and truely fallen with regard to player behaviour will be a major point from this tournament for me. Certainly not a selling point anymore.

The French need to be really persistent on this. The absence of a bilingual ref should be hammered home. We are far too passive about referees in the north due to rugby's "values" which is a disadvantage and the French should "powerpoint" the ref. This stuff is a competitive advantage in pro sport (multiple examples of this in football). The South Africans are cynical with this and we should join them to level it.

That really sounds like you want to adjust the reffing to suite your ends
You don't think his fractured cheek had anything to do with it

Precisely. What do you think the presentation was for by your coach? What is the back chat for? Means of applying pressure for your gain and there is bugger all between the top teams in the world (1 point between SA and France). Marginal gains. You don't have to have bilingual refs but having it out there pre match would be useful particularly if it is picked up by the media.

I support a football team called arsenal who spent much of the last 15 years being too nice getting booted all over the place. In many of these years they committed the least fouls and had the highest proportion of cards to fouls in the league. The last few seasons they have improved a lot all over but also critically at cynical fouling, dealing with refs and general shit housing. A lot of that is due to the coach who also seems to manage the media better than previous coaches.

[Sandstorm]

Not half as annoying Barnes addressing every IRE/AB player by their first name.

[Ata Rangi]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

If only there was a ref who could communicate in French then perhaps dupont would have been able to get heard during the match. He would have had to shout loud to get heard over the multiple South Africans who back chatted to such extent that even a premiership football team would struggle to match.

Rugby's star has well and truely fallen with regard to player behaviour will be a major point from this tournament for me. Certainly not a selling point anymore.

The French need to be really persistent on this. The absence of a bilingual ref should be hammered home. We are far too passive about referees in the north due to rugby's "values" which is a disadvantage and the French should "powerpoint" the ref. This stuff is a competitive advantage in pro sport (multiple examples of this in football). The South Africans are cynical with this and we should join them to level it.

Monsieur O’Keefe is their man.

Throughout England versus France at Twickenham in round four of the Six Nations, we were treated to a fine Ben O’Keefe French display, with the Kiwi referee talking to both teams in their native tongue.

So often in world game we hear complaints that Anglophone officials aren’t doing their bit, but with the Rugby World Cup being played in France from 8 September until 28 October, O’Keefe has clearly put the work in. In fact, he has also refereed in France’s Top 14 this season, immersing himself in the game over there.

[OomStruisbaai]

happens when you lost. Sexton even swear at the ref. Bad NH rugby habits.

[Ymx]

Not half as annoying Barnes addressing every IRE/AB player by their first name.

Agree, that smacks of special treatment.

Should be shirt colour and number

“black 8, you look great in that”
“green 10, shut your gob”

[Fonz]

1) pots and fucking kettles, and
2) yes it is always like this

too right

[OomStruisbaai]

1) pots and fucking kettles, and
2) yes it is always like this

too right

Sards only pot and kettle is when Marius vd Westhuizen ref the Stormers.

[Line6 HXFX]

Fucking'ell, how toxic is rugby culture between fans? Can we reverse it a little bit? Used to be banter was for before the game, sympathy for after..these days it's just toxic all the time.


Honestly girls, do better.

[sockwithaticket]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

If only there was a ref who could communicate in French then perhaps dupont would have been able to get heard during the match. He would have had to shout loud to get heard over the multiple South Africans who back chatted to such extent that even a premiership football team would struggle to match.

Rugby's star has well and truely fallen with regard to player behaviour will be a major point from this tournament for me. Certainly not a selling point anymore.

The French need to be really persistent on this. The absence of a bilingual ref should be hammered home. We are far too passive about referees in the north due to rugby's "values" which is a disadvantage and the French should "powerpoint" the ref. This stuff is a competitive advantage in pro sport (multiple examples of this in football). The South Africans are cynical with this and we should join them to level it.

Completely disagree. There are too many different languages spoken at a tournament like the world cup to reasonably expect refs to have a handle on them and it's inconsistent to expect refs to have a grasp of French, but not Georgian or Japanese. The sport should have one common tongue that all teams and all officials speak.

What can definitely stand to improve is the standardisation of communication by referees. Far too many of them drop in a lot of colloquialism and speak very quickly, some of them in accents that will be difficult to decipher for those hearing English as their second or third language. Officials need to be clear and concise.

[OomStruisbaai]

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

If only there was a ref who could communicate in French then perhaps dupont would have been able to get heard during the match. He would have had to shout loud to get heard over the multiple South Africans who back chatted to such extent that even a premiership football team would struggle to match.

Rugby's star has well and truely fallen with regard to player behaviour will be a major point from this tournament for me. Certainly not a selling point anymore.

The French need to be really persistent on this. The absence of a bilingual ref should be hammered home. We are far too passive about referees in the north due to rugby's "values" which is a disadvantage and the French should "powerpoint" the ref. This stuff is a competitive advantage in pro sport (multiple examples of this in football). The South Africans are cynical with this and we should join them to level it.

Completely disagree. There are too many different languages spoken at a tournament like the world cup to reasonably expect refs to have a handle on them and it's inconsistent to expect refs to have a grasp of French, but not Georgian or Japanese. The sport should have one common tongue that all teams and all officials speak.

What can definitely stand to improve is the standardisation of communication by referees. Far too many of them drop in a lot of colloquialism and speak very quickly, some of them in accents that will be difficult to decipher for those hearing English as their second or third language. Officials need to be clear and concise.

I like "The South Africans are cynical with this and we should join them to level it.". The idiot forget South Africa play in the NH competitions. He is welcome to compare Kolisi /Vermeulen/ Bongi with any other team. Bongi is a bit irritating but not even close to Sexton.

[Blake]

Not half as annoying Barnes addressing every IRE/AB player by their first name.

O'Keefe also does/did it.

Heard him call Eben, Duane, Bongi, Syia and Deon by their first names during the match. I don't mind it though. What's your problem with it. I think it's beneficial when referees have a good report with the players.

[Sandstorm]

Not half as annoying Barnes addressing every IRE/AB player by their first name.

O'Keefe also does/did it.

Heard him call Eben, Duane, Bongi, Syia and Deon by their first names during the match. I don't mind it though. What's your problem with it. I think it's beneficial when referees have a good report with the players.

As long as he says "Hands off Retshegofaditswe" too

[sefton]

Sards must be pleased as punch with this haul.

[Enzedder]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

They learned from the masters Sards.

Still haven't sussed out video production yet, but it will come

[Guy Smiley]

Du Pont having a cry.
The Irish about forward passes.
The vokken ref.


Just let it go ffs.

They learned from the masters Sards.

Still haven't sussed out video production yet, but it will come

[topofthemoon]

Nothing more annoying than a rugby ref throwing in a foreign language. It would be such a brain dead suggestion to only appoint referees who are bilingual in both languages they are refereeing. It’s just too obvious why.

Reynal is bi-lingual and everyone has to listen to him talk about "Fool play...."

Ditto Italian refs, who's English is also their 2nd language and so English-speaking players struggle to speak to them.

Tri-lingual (at least) as he also speaks Spanish which he's used when reffing Argentina (outwith World Cup matches).

[topofthemoon]

The irony is strong here.
Anyone made a video or Powerpoint presentation...........no I thought not!

If only there was a ref who could communicate in French then perhaps dupont would have been able to get heard during the match. He would have had to shout loud to get heard over the multiple South Africans who back chatted to such extent that even a premiership football team would struggle to match.

Rugby's star has well and truely fallen with regard to player behaviour will be a major point from this tournament for me. Certainly not a selling point anymore.

The French need to be really persistent on this. The absence of a bilingual ref should be hammered home. We are far too passive about referees in the north due to rugby's "values" which is a disadvantage and the French should "powerpoint" the ref. This stuff is a competitive advantage in pro sport (multiple examples of this in football). The South Africans are cynical with this and we should join them to level it.

Monsieur O’Keefe is their man.

Throughout England versus France at Twickenham in round four of the Six Nations, we were treated to a fine Ben O’Keefe French display, with the Kiwi referee talking to both teams in their native tongue.

So often in world game we hear complaints that Anglophone officials aren’t doing their bit, but with the Rugby World Cup being played in France from 8 September until 28 October, O’Keefe has clearly put the work in. In fact, he has also refereed in France’s Top 14 this season, immersing himself in the game over there.

That puzzled me a bit. Scotland had O'Keeffe for a warm-up match against France and he communicated in both English and French throughout the game. World Cup rolls around and he only uses French on a single occasion in the quarter-final.

My assumption is that World Rugby instructed refs to only use a single language (English) throughout the tournament for consistency among officials and towards the teams they are taking charge of.

[Guy Smiley]

My assumption is that World Rugby instructed refs to only use a single language (English) throughout the tournament for consistency among officials and towards the teams they are taking charge of.

That would be a fair take... and insistence on a single language to go with the directive on watches.

WR wouldn't know reason or logic if they fell over it.

[OomStruisbaai]

The French crowd boooing the match officials yesterday was a new one.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

The French crowd boooing the match officials yesterday was a new one.

Tell me you've never watched any French rugby without telling me you've never watched any French rugby

[OomStruisbaai]

The French crowd boooing the match officials yesterday was a new one.

Tell me you've never watched any French rugby without telling me you've never watched any French rugby

Find it weird they booo the ref for losing the previous week.

[Simian]

The French crowd boooing the match officials yesterday was a new one.

Tell me you've never watched any French rugby without telling me you've never watched any French rugby

I was just about to say that!

[Line6 HXFX]

Ref drama is all part and parcel of the professional product of Rugby Union...nothing keeps you all interested, and talking (miserably bitching) throughout the week, quite like feeling hard done by about the Ref.

They probably ran the numbers.

You honestly don't want rugby run competently or fairly.
It would be a snooze fest.

Outrage and drama after, are all a deliberate part of the product.
Throw in nationalistic deep seated historic rivalries.. flags, singing, anthems, religious hymns, military stuff, finger jabbing, morality tales and harkas and you have a great sporting product apparently.

[Jethro]

Fucking'ell, how toxic is rugby culture between fans? Can we reverse it a little bit? Used to be banter was for before the game, sympathy for after..these days it's just toxic all the time.


Honestly girls, do better.

Fuck off soy Boy this isn't tiddlewinks

[Line6 HXFX]

Just saying it is a sport that is deliberately designed to create outrage and anger amongst supporters, (before during and after games). And it is fucking great at it, and it works to keep the game in supporters minds and in the news.
This is the product you are purchasing.
Outrage is a much better by-product than disappointment or loss of interest or belief for the paying public..after losses.
Ffs they even have laws (that are "interpreted" by a actual human, who acts as judge) instead of proper rules.
How fucked up is that?

It is all a deliberate calculated professional psyche fuck.
Like the daily mail, they drag you in with flags, patriotism, anthems, national pride, and keep you hooked with anger and outrage, about decisions of the ref, player statements, coaches statements..personalities, drama..


No important game can ever be lost by a team...without outrage, that lasts at least a week.. about summut.

Professional Rugby is just resenta'tainment now.