Australia v NZ today

[backdoc]

The referee won the match today.

And he has previous:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/dec/18/connacht-wasps-european-rugby-champions-cup-mathieu-raynal

[baldpaul101]

to be fair he kept Australia in it by not red carding their lock who blatantly tried to ruin an all blacks knee by coming in recklessly at the side. Should have been a red all day long!

[backdoc]

Agree with that baldpaul101.

To me that sort of reckless endangerment should lead to an automatic 12 week ban or equivalent without negotiation. Some teams would have to further enlarge their squads if that were the case [ ]

[BlackAndGoldSunglasses]

Mad end to the game:

https://twitter.com/ultimaterugby/status/1570386520795652096

From @iainpayten on twitter:

78.25: Penalty.
78.50: Raynal - "Play on please".
78.55: Raynal - "Quick play".
78.56: Raynal blows time off. "Time off.
7 seconds elapses. "You play now. Time on."
Three seconds.
78.59: Raynal "Ten?" - Foley looks back, begins kick.
79.04: Blows freekick

39 seconds had elapsed

[BlackAndGoldSunglasses]

And here's the knee / card incident:

https://twitter.com/GauthierBaudin/status/1570365426911027200

[NellyWellyWaspy]

In fairness, Mathieu Raynal is not, at International level, fit for purpose. He isn't the only one.

[HDAWG]

I watched it. Unbelievable comeback by Aus, but definitely helped by referee calls. Until they pushed reynal too far at the end. Aus screwed it up once, then got a penalty, then screwed up again! Absolutely stupid beyond all meaning.

[Peej]

The Australians all having a moan, but Raynal is quite right and clear. He even stops the clock once to tell them to hurry up, and they still don't do it. There's a good 20 seconds between him awarding the penalty, and then stopping the clock the first time - all while telling them to play. But White (and it couldn't happen to a nicer bloke) is standing there making no effort to play. Raynal tells him to hurry up before the putting the clock back on. 10 seconds later Foley hasn't even taken a step. 

Yes it's unusual to see the law applied, and there are probably loads of events when kicks have taken longer. But if the ref tells you to hurry up, hurry the fuck up. Go for gamesmanship, look like a tit.

[mike909]

I watched it. Unbelievable comeback by Aus, but definitely helped by referee calls. Until they pushed reynal too far at the end. Aus screwed it up once, then got a penalty, then screwed up again! Absolutely stupid beyond all meaning.

Quite stupid, first class. Penalty. Kick it out....win simple lineout, kick so out of penalty range...end.

[JonnyD]

Bit late on this but have just watched the ‘clear out’ on Quinn Tupaea as well as Foster’s press conference response to it and had some thoughts.

Actually cannot believe it, know Swain was yellow carded but what a cheap shot.
Thought he was a numpty against England when he got sent off (also thought Johnny Hill was a numpty here too) Swain said that he had never been provoked in such a way on the pitch when Hill got to him and that tipped him over the edge.
Well he didn’t need any provoking against NZ, what a horrendous shot.

It has been confirmed Tupaea has a ruptured MCL as well as a partial ACL year and will be out for quite a while.

Jack Willis would have been paying close attention to this I’m sure. Whilst different to the crocodile role that caused Jack his injury and what he has been campaigning against - this law on targeting the legs was brought in subsequently as a partial response. I’m not sure if the ref followed the ‘letter of the law’ with this incident in the same way that they almost go through a box ticking response when it comes to head contact. Swain however deserves the book thrown at him. Reminds me of Callum Clark a while back breaking Hawkins’ arm - very different but a clear attempt at injuring a player.
Just horrible and Swain is blacklisted in my mind now

[DGP Wasp]

So many of the red cards we see for head contact are for poor technique rather than anything with malicious intent.  This is an out and out pre-meditated cheap shot and completely indefensible.

[baldpaul101]

The TMO deserves some credit for seeing it, I missed it entirely during live play.
Shame the ref bottled sending him off, I don't think I've seen a more blatant & unpleasant red card offence for some time. Lets hope it gets upgraded & he receives a ban.

[baldpaul101]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/62991621

Copped a 6 week ban. Should have been more IMO, but better than nothing

[Neils]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/62991621

Copped a 6 week ban. Should have been more IMO, but better than nothing

Agreed - could almost make a case for as long as the injury caused.

[DGP Wasp]

Sanzaar decided the incident was "not intentional" but "highly reckless".

Just how intentional does something have to appear in order to be considered intentional?