Rugby Union 23/24 Discussion

It wasn’t Adamson tonight. I was just pointing out Adamsons performance for Harlequins as the last time I’d seen as bad and impactful an outing for a ref.
 
I don’t think I’ve noticed him before now but he definitely wasn’t good.
He wasn’t reffing tonight.

He’s the balding Scottish one. He jogs gleefully around the field making up rules as he goes along.

Honestly, and I’m being 100% serious here, I will watch a match Adamson is reffing that I wouldn’t watch otherwise….just to see what weird shit he’ll do. It’s fantastic for the neutral
 
He wasn’t reffing tonight.

He’s the balding Scottish one. He jogs gleefully around the field making up rules as he goes along.

Honestly, and I’m being 100% serious here, I will watch a match Adamson is reffing that I wouldn’t watch otherwise….just to see what weird shit he’ll do. It’s fantastic for the neutral

Ah. Ok. What did you make of yer man tonight though? Biased or bad? Or neither? Or both?!
 
Because you were illegal in every fathomable way at every single ruck. It wasn't slight and it wasn't touch or go - it was blatant and undeniable - there isn't really much point in continuing a discussion if you weren't able to recognise that because you support the side it benefitted.

I watch a lot of rugby and I very, very rarely criticise referees (probably more in the last couple of years than the previous 30 because standards have fallen so far). I've also watched Munster lose too many times to Leinster in the past decade and a half to have anything left in the line of sour grapes.

But that was worst and most one sided performance I have seen from an official since Mike Adamson robbed Castres against Harlequins a few years ago. If it was Munster, I'd have taken zero satisfaction from a win like that and would be far too embarrassed to be online making glib and smug comments.
Eggchasers rugby a YouTube channel today claimed the standard of reffing in the URC is far below the level required.
 
Ah. Ok. What did you make of yer man tonight though? Biased or bad? Or neither? Or both?!
When Leinster went 14-0 up I fecked off to take the dog for a walk. Can’t say I noticed anything particularly egregious up to that point. When I got back I switched over to Arsenal Ipswich as I had a couple of bets on (which of course Arsenal let me down on)
 


Have a look at this

I’ve actually gone to find the law to see what it says:

Rugby law 14.7a states that a tackled player must immediately make the ball available to continue play. The player can do this by releasing, passing, or pushing the ball in any direction except forward.

I think a strong argument can be made there that he’s held it too long to then make the pass
 
I’ve actually gone to find the law to see what it says:

Rugby law 14.7a states that a tackled player must immediately make the ball available to continue play. The player can do this by releasing, passing, or pushing the ball in any direction except forward.

I think a strong argument can be made there that he’s held it too long to then make the pass

The Munster fans don’t think he was tackled. They would argue that he’s dived on the ball and thrown it up out of the ruck. The ref obviously thought he was tackled. I couldn’t be sure exactly what happened when I watched it. The replays don’t really help either.

If he was the player originally tackled he doesn’t have to place the ball down when he releases it. He is allowed to pop it up like that and he released the ball before anyone from Munster was in a position to get their hands on it (which is usually the point at which you’d get pinged for not releasing)

This is by far the most extreme example of the ref being “biased” by the way.
 
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The Munster fans don’t think he was tackled. They would argue that he’s dived on the ball and thrown it up out of the ruck. The ref obviously thought he was tackled. I couldn’t be sure exactly what happened when I watched it. The replays don’t really help either.

If he was the player originally tackled he doesn’t have to place the ball down when he releases it. He is allowed to pop it up like that and he released the ball before anyone from Munster was in a position to get their hands on it (which is usually the point at which you’d get pinged for not releasing)

This is by far the most extreme example of the ref being “biased” by the way.
Ryan was the ball-carrier wasn’t he? He was then tackled, there was a counter-ruck, then he passed it off the deck. The replays are a bit awkward, but I’ve watched it a few times now. I can definitely see why you’d take issues with it
 
Ryan was the ball-carrier wasn’t he? He was then tackled, there was a counter-ruck, then he passed it off the deck. The replays are a bit awkward, but I’ve watched it a few times now. I can definitely see why you’d take issues with it

Ok then if he’s the carrier it’s about how long he held onto the ball. I reckon you would regularly see a player at the bottom of a ruck presenting the ball to a 9 for as long as he did. But if an opposition player gets onto the ball with a jackal the ref blows up immediately. I think the ref didn’t have an issue with him delaying the release because no Munster player tried to latch onto the ball.

I do see why they would take issue with it, mind you. But I don’t see it as a really obviously, outrageously bad/biased call.
 
Ok then if he’s the carrier it’s about how long he held onto the ball. I reckon you would regularly see a player at the bottom of a ruck presenting the ball to a 9 for as long as he did. But if an opposition player gets onto the ball with a jackal the ref blows up immediately. I think the ref didn’t have an issue with him delaying the release because no Munster player tried to latch onto the ball.

I do see why they would take issue with it, mind you. But I don’t see it as a really obviously, outrageously bad/biased call.
It’s one that you never see pinged. I think the difference here and why it looks bad is that normally the defence is on the retreat and there’s no challenge for the ball, whereas in this situation there’s been a pretty successful counter-ruck, so by then the player on the ground really should Be leaving the ball alone.

If this was England Ireland at the aviva I’d be calling feck out of it, let’s put it that way :lol: :lol:
 
It’s one that you never see pinged. I think the difference here and why it looks bad is that normally the defence is on the retreat and there’s no challenge for the ball, whereas in this situation there’s been a pretty successful counter-ruck, so by then the player on the ground really should Be leaving the ball alone.

If this was England Ireland at the aviva I’d be calling feck out of it, let’s put it that way :lol: :lol:

Yeah it’s definitely unusual. The only infringement could be not releasing but I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen that given unless an opposition player has his hands on the ball. So you can see why the ref didn’t think it applied here.
 
Very satisfying afternoon against Saracens. I was at the Rec when they put 70 points on us a few years back, I hope the female Saracens fan who sat next to me was there today. Easily one of the most annoying fans I’ve ever had the misfortune of being near, basically scream/laughing when a player knocked the ball on or similar. Me and my mates still bring it up whenever someone mentions Saracens.
 
Very satisfying afternoon against Saracens. I was at the Rec when they put 70 points on us a few years back, I hope the female Saracens fan who sat next to me was there today. Easily one of the most annoying fans I’ve ever had the misfortune of being near, basically scream/laughing when a player knocked the ball on or similar. Me and my mates still bring it up whenever someone mentions Saracens.
Some amazing scores today
 
How is Piers O’Connor viewed by Connacht fans? Always liked him at Bristol, thought he was a classy operator, though I think he mostly played 13 there
Liked by the fans I think. They did a good interview with him on TV here before the match. Also seen a few photos of him with the family he has from here which is a nice reminder of his link to here.

Connacht are extremely poor tonight.
 
Liked by the fans I think. They did a good interview with him on TV here before the match. Also seen a few photos of him with the family he has from here which is a nice reminder of his link to here.

Connacht are extremely poor tonight.
Yeah it was a tough match to watch, so much so I’ve switched over to the basketball
Forgot to say he's an absolute tank.
He absolutely ran over the opposing full back in the first half. So good that the support players couldn’t catch up and he got turned over
why don’t you marry him?
:lol: Why dont you stop being a cnut and tell us who your favourite player is?
Forgot yet another thing too.

One of the commentators keeps calling him Piers Morgan :lol:
:lol::lol: It’s the late game on Saturday at Christmas, I don’t expect sobriety anywhere, especially in an Irish commentary booth
 
i don’t think anyone has been worth watching since danny wilkinson won the world cup in 2003.
I would have thought a user by the name of Rimaldo would at least have been a John Hopoate fan. If you don’t know, google him