I don't think Davidson was any better than any other referee. Twice in quick succession she made a decision only to be "overruled" by a TMO.

Once for Clarke's tackle busting run to score she's next to the ruck where Kirifi knocked on and said it went backwards.

Then practically immediately afterwards when she said she "I clearly have it on the line". Then the TMO tells her to stick with her on-field decision.

The only thing she did well was to keep penalising Wales for not rolling away. Everything else was bog standard these days.

So for all the "TMO is ruining the game", she's the one with the whistle changing her mind from what she's seen and what she's adjudicated.

@Chris said in Wales v All Blacks:

One thing that stood out to me and I know it's only Wales.
But how much better we are with D Mac at 10, He kicked long mostly no dinky stupid kicks that give away possession he kicked for grass most of the time.Plus his intent to attack was always good.He was more aware of space and what was around him,
BB is gone as a test player he is not up to it anymore,If the coaches had a brain D Mac and Mounga in the 23 and no BB.

He’s not perfect but his mindset to attack makes a big difference. Love that he wants to kick long when given the chance. I think he only had one kick where I said why. But whether at 10 or 15 he wants to attack. A player like Jordan who was playing more like a 2nd fullback is far more effective when the 10 is attacking too.

@antipodean said in Wales v All Blacks:

I don't think Davidson was any better than any other referee. Twice in quick succession she made a decision only to be "overruled" by a TMO.

Once for Clarke's tackle busting run to score she's next to the ruck where Kirifi knocked on and said it went backwards.

Then practically immediately afterwards when she said she "I clearly have it on the line". Then the TMO tells her to stick with her on-field decision.

The only thing she did well was to keep penalising Wales for not rolling away. Everything else was bog standard these days.

So for all the "TMO is ruining the game", she's the one with the whistle changing her mind from what she's seen and what she's adjudicated.

I thought she had an excellent first half.

The unfortunate thing is that ref’s seem to think that they have cards in their pockets so they need to use them. She succumbed to that.

In fact, I wish ref’s actually sought to get through games WITHOUT going to the pocket.

@pakman said in Wales v All Blacks:

@antipodean said in Wales v All Blacks:

I don't think Davidson was any better than any other referee. Twice in quick succession she made a decision only to be "overruled" by a TMO.

Once for Clarke's tackle busting run to score she's next to the ruck where Kirifi knocked on and said it went backwards.

Then practically immediately afterwards when she said she "I clearly have it on the line". Then the TMO tells her to stick with her on-field decision.

The only thing she did well was to keep penalising Wales for not rolling away. Everything else was bog standard these days.

So for all the "TMO is ruining the game", she's the one with the whistle changing her mind from what she's seen and what she's adjudicated.

I thought she had an excellent first half.

The unfortunate thing is that ref’s seem to think that they have cards in their pockets so they need to use them. She succumbed to that.

In fact, I wish ref’s actually sought to get through games WITHOUT going to the pocket.

Which of Wales' two yellow cards do you think weren't justified? They were pretty clear cut for me. If anything Plumtree was lucky to escape without a 20-minute red.

@Mr-Fish said in Wales v All Blacks:

@pakman said in Wales v All Blacks:

@antipodean said in Wales v All Blacks:

I don't think Davidson was any better than any other referee. Twice in quick succession she made a decision only to be "overruled" by a TMO.

Once for Clarke's tackle busting run to score she's next to the ruck where Kirifi knocked on and said it went backwards.

Then practically immediately afterwards when she said she "I clearly have it on the line". Then the TMO tells her to stick with her on-field decision.

The only thing she did well was to keep penalising Wales for not rolling away. Everything else was bog standard these days.

So for all the "TMO is ruining the game", she's the one with the whistle changing her mind from what she's seen and what she's adjudicated.

I thought she had an excellent first half.

The unfortunate thing is that ref’s seem to think that they have cards in their pockets so they need to use them. She succumbed to that.

In fact, I wish ref’s actually sought to get through games WITHOUT going to the pocket.

Which of Wales' two yellow cards do you think weren't justified? They were pretty clear cut for me. If anything Plumtree was lucky to escape without a 20-minute red.

You’ve gotten sucked into the card mindset. As an AB fan, I’d have preferred both to just be penalties.
We’d have had a better game.

Yes, I know the current rules/protocols but I personally don’t want to watch TMO bingo.

If you're making head contact, a yellow card is almost inevitable under the current climate. That's the new norm due to the various CTE issues/lawsuits - far too big a risk for WR to roll that one back.

@Mr-Fish I grant you that.

But for ‘voluntary’ penalties I’d rather ref’s kept it in their pants.

Perhaps more assertiveness along the way would help? If I were a ref I might say to the captain that the crowd didn’t come along to see me giving out cards so for God’s sake tell your players to cut the crap.

Perhaps I’m just still riled from the ludicrousness of the Codie yellow!

@pakman Fair - that Taylor yellow was baffling. Crawley got a card for the exact same thing against South Africa so at least there was some consistency there...

@Mr-Fish I’ll take a look. I walked out of pub after the TMO was obviously starting the first yellow, so have only seen 35minutes.

@pakman said in Wales v All Blacks:

@Mr-Fish I grant you that.

But for ‘voluntary’ penalties I’d rather ref’s kept it in their pants.

Perhaps more assertiveness along the way would help? If I were a ref I might say to the captain that the crowd didn’t come along to see me giving out cards so for God’s sake tell your players to cut the crap.

Perhaps I’m just still riled from the ludicrousness of the Codie yellow!

Teams tend to give away 'voluntary' penalties because they don't want to concede a try. As an alternative to the yellow card, how about we do something left field like award 7 point penalties for a period of time. Maybe as a one off or for 10 minutes? Anything is better than cards.

@pakman it is a subtle change of mindset in how you look at something, because I agree with you in that it seems refs/TMO are looking at every situation as a way to issue a card, almost like they have KPIs around how many cards they issue

Why does this deserve card?
vs
How can I avoid issuing a card?

@Crazy-Horse maybe issue more PTs for professional fouls inside the 22 and allow a tap restart?

There's three occasions for cards: dangerous play, cynical play, repeat offending.
I think maybe we should look at finding a way around the repeat infringing ones. If 3 points isn't enough reward, would 4 be? Or changing the kick off following a penalty (either who does it or where from), so that you get the ball back in better field position after kicking one?
Thugs and deliberate cheats still need to go I think: spirit of the game and all that.

@reprobate said in Wales v All Blacks:

There's three occasions for cards: dangerous play, cynical play, repeat offending.
I think maybe we should look at finding a way around the repeat infringing ones. If 3 points isn't enough reward, would 4 be? Or changing the kick off following a penalty (either who does it or where from), so that you get the ball back in better field position after kicking one?
Thugs and deliberate cheats still need to go I think: spirit of the game and all that.

Similar to the basketball team foul threshold? Once a team reaches the penalty threshold for the half, penalties could increase to four points?

@Crazy-Horse said in Wales v All Blacks:

@pakman said in Wales v All Blacks:

@Mr-Fish I grant you that.

But for ‘voluntary’ penalties I’d rather ref’s kept it in their pants.

Perhaps more assertiveness along the way would help? If I were a ref I might say to the captain that the crowd didn’t come along to see me giving out cards so for God’s sake tell your players to cut the crap.

Perhaps I’m just still riled from the ludicrousness of the Codie yellow!

Teams tend to give away 'voluntary' penalties because they don't want to concede a try. As an alternative to the yellow card, how about we do something left field like award 7 point penalties for a period of time. Maybe as a one off or for 10 minutes? Anything is better than cards.

Not sure what you mean by "for a period of time". Please explain ...

Brainstorming an option how about automatic three points with PK restart on halfway?

@taniwharugby said in Wales v All Blacks:

@pakman it is a subtle change of mindset in how you look at something, because I agree with you in that it seems refs/TMO are looking at every situation as a way to issue a card, almost like they have KPIs around how many cards they issue

Why does this deserve card?
vs
How can I avoid issuing a card?

@Crazy-Horse maybe issue more PTs for professional fouls inside the 22 and allow a tap restart?

Didn't read this when I posted the above. Kindof #booboo.

@ShaquilleOatmeal said in Wales v All Blacks:

@reprobate said in Wales v All Blacks:

There's three occasions for cards: dangerous play, cynical play, repeat offending.
I think maybe we should look at finding a way around the repeat infringing ones. If 3 points isn't enough reward, would 4 be? Or changing the kick off following a penalty (either who does it or where from), so that you get the ball back in better field position after kicking one?
Thugs and deliberate cheats still need to go I think: spirit of the game and all that.

Similar to the basketball team foul threshold? Once a team reaches the penalty threshold for the half, penalties could increase to four points?

Interesting idea. I'm pretty sure the average number of penalties per game for different refs would be quite different - so with some refs it would be worthwhile, with others not. Which may be a problem, maybe not.
A penalty needs to be attractive enough vs a try for the attacking team to consider kicking it, and enough of a deterrent for the defending team to stop infringing. Removing the repeat infringements card would remove some of the 'keep playing for more penalties and a card' motivation, but the deterrent needs to be stronger.
I'm also sick of playing under 40m advantage until a try is scored. It makes heaps of amazing defensive plays worthless.
Just keep it to 3 points and a goal line drop out restart might work?

@reprobate said in Wales v All Blacks:

There's three occasions for cards: dangerous play, cynical play, repeat offending.
I think maybe we should look at finding a way around the repeat infringing ones. If 3 points isn't enough reward, would 4 be? Or changing the kick off following a penalty (either who does it or where from), so that you get the ball back in better field position after kicking one?
Thugs and deliberate cheats still need to go I think: spirit of the game and all that.

Thugs can be dealt with good old red cards. Deliberate cheats maybe look at variation of penalty try. So if in 22 automatic 3 and if within 5m automatic 5?

@booboo maybe extend it to a tap restart, or allow them to kick for touch from the restart, meaning they are right back in the red zone on attack.

@reprobate Just brainstorming here but how about advancing the mark for the penalty 10 or 20 metres for repeat offending?

Or (this is very random) five minute power plays - the non-offending team receives more points for tries, drop goals and penalties within the time period, handling errors by the non-offending team result in a free kick to that team, rather than a scrum to the defending team, the non-offending team are allowed an extra stoppage for mauls, that sort of random stuff. I haven't thought that through at all but it popped into my head.

@ShaquilleOatmeal I like your thinking in some ways, but will admit ti not liking another system that will just cause arguments.

or, and i know it's a crazy idea but, how about when the ref says "i have repeatedly penalised you for laying in the ruck to slow the ball down, next time someone goes" the other team says okay you got me, and stops doing that? Wales were fucking lucky not to get one in the first half with their first warning. She then gave another warning in the 2nd half before old mate got sent.

I actually thought the high shot yellow was more dodgy as it was one of those ones where the head contact was the whiplash effect rather than shoulder to jaw. Not the tacklers fault, it's DMacs for selling his mate out.

@taniwharugby said in Wales v All Blacks:

@booboo maybe extend it to a tap restart, or allow them to kick for touch from the restart, meaning they are right back in the red zone on attack.

Yeah. What I meant. A PK on the half to restart. Gives the option of a tap, kick to touch, or shot at goal.

@booboo currently, awarding a pen on halfway from the restart is in the ref's arsenal, but cant recall the last time I saw it.

Is it viewed any differently to a normal penalty?

I mean if you have a kicker able to knock it over, 10 points should be a bigger dis-incentive to infringe.

I'm averse to solutions which are more complex to administer and more subjective than the current state.

They won't bring back rucking so the problem obviously doesn't solve itself.

And you can't put in place a solution that removes the contest at rucks.

For me the simplest solution is to insist players from either side have to stay on their fucking feet.

Infringement which stops a try being scored = YC

If a try is scored = carry on, No YC

I hate it when there’s a Penalty Try and YC

@taniwharugby said in Wales v All Blacks:

@booboo currently, awarding a pen on halfway from the restart is in the ref's arsenal, but cant recall the last time I saw it.

Is it viewed any differently to a normal penalty?

I mean if you have a kicker able to knock it over, 10 points should be a bigger dis-incentive to infringe.

Penalty on halfway is, as far as I know, for illegality in the act of scoring, or thereafter. We're talking about strengthening the sanction for cynical professional foul.

Guarantee 3 points, 10min sin bin, and opportunity to kick to 22/kick at goal/tap and go/scrum should be quite the disincentive.

@MiketheSnow said in Wales v All Blacks:

Penalty Try and YC

Isn't that required if there's a PT.

(Ireland should have been down to 11.)

@booboo said in Wales v All Blacks:

@MiketheSnow said in Wales v All Blacks:

Penalty Try and YC

Isn't that required if there's a PT.

(Ireland should have been down to 11.)

Yeah

But doesn’t make sense

Ref has awarded 7 pts

That should be enough

@MiketheSnow well yeah but they've done that because a try probably would have been scored.

@antipodean said in Wales v All Blacks:

I'm averse to solutions which are more complex to administer and more subjective than the current state.

Yeah, keep it simple.

If the ref deems a defender to have deliberately infringed, just get him to stand out of play (side line, db line), and he come back on when possession changes (when the attacking makes a mistake, or scores).

Might even clean the rucks up a bit, if they know they can get outed quick and simple.

@booboo said in Wales v All Blacks:

Isn't that required if there's a PT.

I think it is at the refs discretion.

@MiketheSnow said in Wales v All Blacks:

I hate it when there’s a Penalty Try and YC

Mmm, that's like kicking someone when they are down.
A double whammy.

@mohikamo said in Wales v All Blacks:

@antipodean said in Wales v All Blacks:

I'm averse to solutions which are more complex to administer and more subjective than the current state.

Yeah, keep it simple.

If the ref deems a defender to have deliberately infringed, just get him to stand out of play (side line, db line), and he come back on when possession changes (when the attacking makes a mistake, or scores).

Might even clean the rucks up a bit, if they know they can get outed quick and simple.

And each penalty offense in the same section of play sees another guy on the sideline next to him.

@Bones said in Wales v All Blacks:

And each penalty offense in the same section of play sees another guy on the sideline next to him.

Yeah, simple, and quick.
Quick officiating, and be a quick end of the section.

@mohikamo said in Wales v All Blacks:

@booboo said in Wales v All Blacks:

Isn't that required if there's a PT.

I think it is at the refs discretion.

By the letter of the law it is required if the referee can identify the perpetrator. But it's one of those ones where despite it not being codified in law, the ref has a bit of leniency.

@Mr-Fish

This is another of those rules that just seemed to have popped out of nowhere.
I do not recall any debate about making the change beforehand.
One season it wasn't there, the next it was.

I don't like the double whammy aspect at all.
I mean, they've just conceded 7 and you want to boot someone off; and try and get them to concede another 7.
Yeah, great, game contest over.
Just another dumb ass rugby rule.

@MiketheSnow said in Wales v All Blacks:

Infringement which stops a try being scored = YC

If a try is scored = carry on, No YC

I hate it when there’s a Penalty Try and YC

I think because a try is scored, someone should get off the hook.
If it's a YC, give the YC, doesn't matter if they score or not.

@Darren said in Wales v All Blacks:

@MiketheSnow said in Wales v All Blacks:

Infringement which stops a try being scored = YC

If a try is scored = carry on, No YC

I hate it when there’s a Penalty Try and YC

I think because a try is scored, someone should get off the hook.
If it's a YC, give the YC, doesn't matter if they score or not.

Do you mean shouldn't?

@Bones said in Wales v All Blacks:

@Darren said in Wales v All Blacks:

@MiketheSnow said in Wales v All Blacks:

Infringement which stops a try being scored = YC

If a try is scored = carry on, No YC

I hate it when there’s a Penalty Try and YC

I think because a try is scored, someone should get off the hook.
If it's a YC, give the YC, doesn't matter if they score or not.

Do you mean shouldn't?

Oh yeah, too early and need some coffee

Watched a replay of the game from Sunday morning as i actually only saw the 2nd half
First thoughts was the performance of Holly Davidson i actually thought she was outstanding and her communication was first class

The TMO and the local production on the other hand the less said the better
Ruben Love in the main was very solid and did some very good things , the odd mistake but in the main very good and considering how much rugby hes played since the French series in July , it worked out to around 245 minutes rugby and good number of those minutes were across 3 games for Wellington in the Npc

I personally would like to see Love start in the 10 jersey for the Canes in 2026

I really liked how the loose trio operated as a combination knowing their specific roles , they were all able to operate by keeping to the game plan and shape and that gave Sititi opportunity to operate like a number 8 ,Parker and Du Plessis Kirifi just doing their core roles effectively
finally a game were the ABs discipline was on point
I’m certainly not saying these 3 should be the loose forward trio moving forward but just great to see players completing their roles with accuracy

Set pieces in the main were superb
Ratima is a great competitor but i dont see him in a match day 23 with young Pledger waiting in the wings , although it was great to see him and D Mac match up as a combo
I know theres been a bit of chat about Parker but even the great Jerome Kaino took around 4 years to finally nail down the 6 jersey
We tried Samipeni Finau in the 6 jersey and for me despite his size and supposed physicality we never saw it in the Black jersey
So for me i’m willing to persist with Parker especially given theres not a lot of big options out there , maybe Tupou Vai into 6 ..

Full credit to Wales , they had a few missing and the chaps that came in did very well , however the Boks will be a more ruthless beast