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Ref's comedy of errors goes All Blacks' way
Greg Growden | November 3, 2008
WHEN the Bledisloe Cup teams headed to Sha Tin racecourse on Wednesday for a night on the punt, the Wallabies thought they had it all over the All Blacks.
The All Blacks put on their traditional grim, brick-with-eyes persona and retreated to a corner of the Hong Kong Jockey Club members' function room and kept to themselves. The Wallabies thought: "Great … they're jumping at shadows."
The All Blacks' uncommunicative nature continued during the week, prompting complaints from the local officials, who were trying to sell Hong Kong as the next big Test venue. In contrast, the Wallabies were all over town, promoting the game.
On to game day and the Wallabies again thought they had it all over the All Blacks.
The siege mentality within the All Blacks camp had become so intense that even a request from New Zealand's Radio Sport for one of the players, who was not involved in the game, to be an expert commentator during the live call was fobbed off. Instead, Wallabies prop Ben Alexander gladly put on the headphones and gave the Kiwis an unexpected Australian perspective on the game.
And at half-time in the Test, the Wallabies believed they had it all over the All Blacks.
The All Blacks were surprisingly sluggish early on, struggling to keep up with the Wallabies, who were using width and pace, and through excellent ball-in-hand play went ahead with two Drew Mitchell tries.
Yet even as the Wallabies trotted into the dressing rooms at half-time boasting a 14-9 lead, there were ominous signs. The most worrying concerned the man with the whistle.
When it was first announced that Irish referee Alan Lewis would be in charge of the game, there were loud groans from the Australian and New Zealand media corps.
Lewis is a nice guy but over the years we had seen too many flighty performances from him. In such a crucial match, you don't want someone who often seems to be struggling to keep control
During the first half, it seemed as though the All Blacks could do nothing wrong and the Wallabies were cast in the role of serial offenders, especially at the breakdown. At one stage, the penalty count was 11-2 in the All Blacks' favour.
The penalties, many of which would have been free kicks under the ELV laws, kept going New Zealand's way and it kept them in the game.
The Wallabies pack were bewildered. Although they were holding firm, they were continually penalised for supposed errors in their engagement and easy points kept coming for the All Blacks.
It got worse in the second half, when Lewis appeared to lose his sense of direction and missed several forward passes, the most glaring being when Sitiveni Sivivatu put Richie McCaw in for the match-winning try. The pass was thrown several metres forward.
The Wallabies didn't help themselves early in the second half when a lapse in concentration led to Sivivatu levelling the scores. Nonetheless, the Wallabies have every right to be seething about Lewis because his performance had too much of a bearing on the outcome.
The Wallabies did have it all over the All Blacks. Then in walked Jerry, I mean, Alan Lewis, and the stand-up comedy routine began.
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...560645720.html
I don't like people bitching about referees' decisions so I'm not going to comment on that prat.![]()
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
I only saw the last 10 mins, but according to a couple of Text Messages recieved the Ref was a wanker
He's an ex Cricketer.
Gordon Bray made the comment before the start that the first time Alan Lewis faced Australia he got cleaned up for a Duck.
Posted via space
Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
I just don't understand for such an important Test why it had to be NH rules and a NH Ref?
Well done Ben Alexander though![]()
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Important Test? It was nothing more than an exhibition match (thank goodness the Bledisloe had already been decided before this money-grabbing jaunt to HK).
Were the ELV rules used for Saturday's match the same that will be used for all matches that these teams play on the NH tour?
CHEERLEADERS ROCK!!!
Best comment I heard that night was a non-rugby friend asking where the ref was from and, hearing Ireland, asked whether it was the North or South island.
did grumbles post something UN-STUPID
i think i'm going to faint...
A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
Courtesy of quality South African commentry
Now now everyone, let's be reasonable here: to be fair and in his defence.................... nah, actually, I can't do it!
Some of his calls were a complete mystery to me. He clearly had pre-conceptions about thefront row and made some extraordinary guesses.
I wouldn't have minded if he was consistent with his penalising, especially at the tackle/post-tackle. Alas he was not.
On the positive side though, those of you who thought "He's crap, I could do a better job than that!" shall now undoubtedly take up the noble art![]()
Ecky- I would love nothing more than to referee the next game between the All Blacks and Australia. However, I think their may be some questions asked when I red card all 15 All Blacks for being 'ugly, cheating, disgusting, yucky, sheep-loving, offside kiwis' and give Drew a try (can I do that?) for 'a good effort and a nice hair day'
Other than those points, I think I'd make a great ref!![]()
A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
Courtesy of quality South African commentry
I reckon i could put in a plug to be a touchie...or assistant ref...whatever....
Be fat, blind and useless even if the play is right in front of you.
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."