[RWC2019][Pool B] Round 3 - New Zealand vs. Namibia (06/10/2019)

[Umaga's Witness]

I enjoyed how both carded players and the captain were completely accepting of their fate. Read would have been whinging and throwing insults at the ref.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Jesus those yellow cards were bad. I'm all for protecting players etc, but when they person essentially dives/falls into a guy attempting a perfectly legal tackle, we have got it wrong. There's almost no way to prevent it, no amount of cards will 'change the behaviour' because that behaviour is perfectly fine.

Penalty for the accidental high shot and let's move on without wrecking games.

 

[unrated]

TBH those yellow cards maybe were not deserved. If they were given against SA in a close match i would have lost it. I understand the neck issue but if the player ducks down then there is not much you can do. I would be instructing my players to run around bent at the waist.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Jesus those yellow cards were bad. I'm all for protecting players etc, but when they person essentially dives/falls into a guy attempting a perfectly legal tackle, we have got it wrong. There's almost no way to prevent it, no amount of cards will 'change the behaviour' because that behaviour is perfectly fine.

I think the refs need to make sure that if it is fairly innocuous in terms of safety that they only get penalised for a head high. Because a player , if they are looking, can make their arm limp last second, or if it's going to be shoulder they can make their body limp.

The tough thing is that it's not safe to be looking til the last second because you'll be putting your head/neck in a compromised position.

 

[Geralt_]

I enjoyed how both carded players and the captain were completely accepting of their fate. Read would have been whinging and throwing insults at the ref.

Did Read shag your Mrs or something?

They were not yellow card offenses. The rules are broken.

 

[Zapphod]

TBH those yellow cards maybe were not deserved. If they were given against SA in a close match i would have lost it. I understand the neck issue but if the player ducks down then there is not much you can do. I would be instructing my players to run around bent at the waist.

Clearly the key to winning games in the future will be to jump up the field bent at the waist, if the opposition don't get carded for a head high they will for taking the player in the air.

 

[ncurd]

The first card had a swinging arm, I'm less sympathetic about it.

The second....I've heard nonsence this world cup about player ducking into it (Farrell yesterday being one) and tacklers getting down when they haven't. But that is what happened here....the only bit of non mitigation was the Nambian player didn't really change his height.... which is mad considering how low he was.

Honestly world rugby have got this mostly right but if the tackle would of been made at hip height of the shortest play on the park and its a legal tackle otherwise you shouldn't be handing out yellows. Penalties sure.

 

[bushytop]

Did Read shag your Mrs or something?

Needless (All) Black on (All) Black Violence yo!

 

[Larksea]

interesting game
Credit to Namibia, at times both on attack and defense they were very good they really just lacked the ability to play at that level for more than a few minutes at a time.
ALB was brilliant again
Jordie get better and better as the game went on. Angus was great, Savea again, lots of good interplay.
Smith wasn't as good as he has been and Weber made an impact again when he came on. He and Perenara in combination to create that last try. Holy **** that was some try. Potentially a foot on the line at the same time he touched down but the camera was not conclusive. Still amazing.
Biggest talking points will be the two yellow cards. Ive said it many times recently but the game has an issue with ball carriers going so low, leading with their heads and even dipping lower before contact.
Saw in the Japan Ireland game at one stage Michael Leitch went head first into the defense and hot hit square in the head. Nothing called but he could have been seriously injured.
Where we are at now in the game with giving cards out for this sort of contact. If the IRB are serious about fairness and protecting the players then some of the responsibility has to go to the ball carrier. With these harsher rules players are going lower and leading with their heads more and more. Its a minefield for defenders. We have seen genuine bad tackles deserving of cards in this tournament. But When players are carrying low, leading with their heads and falling into the tackle then some common sense needs to be applied, the ball carrier has to take some responsibility.

 

[Iron Lion Zion]

European refs suck.

Southern rugby is just a lot tougher.

 

[donmcdazzle]

The first card had a swinging arm, I'm less sympathetic about it.

The second....I've heard nonsence this world cup about player ducking into it (Farrell yesterday being one) and tacklers getting down when they haven't. But that is what happened here....the only bit of non mitigation was the Nambian player didn't really change his height.... which is mad considering how low he was.

Honestly world rugby have got this mostly right but if the tackle would of been made at hip height of the shortest play on the park and its a legal tackle otherwise you shouldn't be handing out yellows. Penalties sure.

Swinging an arm to make a tackle at waist height is pretty common to be fair... have to get your arm out and wrapped around somehow. The guys head just fell into it as he went to make a normal tackle.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Why are there so many French refs here though? Do you northern hemisphere guys rate them? There are some average kiwi refs for sure but we don't have a stack of them running around at the World Cup.

 

[ncurd]

Swinging an arm to make a tackle at waist height is pretty common to be fair... have to get your arm out and wrapped around somehow. The guys head just fell into it as he went to make a normal tackle.

Swinging arm in any tackle that whacks someone head is going to see you in trouble regardless of height. Been that way for some time, players know this.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

....how do you wrap an arm without swinging the arm....is it the speed that they do it that defines dangerous?

We use to say a stiff arm tackle was the dangerous one...now it's swinging...I can't argue tackles are dangerous...I just don't see how we draw a line

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Glad to see ALB has backed up his decent performance against the Boks with a MotM here. If he finds form I'll be elevating the ABs to my clear second favourite behind England. He seems to have been a bit anonymous in the past couple of years when I've seen him and the last thing the ABs need is throwing on an out of form and possibly over the hill SBW out of desperation.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Glad to see ALB has backed up his decent performance against the Boks with a MotM here. If he finds form I'll be elevating the ABs to my clear second favourite behind England. He seems to have been a bit anonymous in the past couple of years when I've seen him and the last thing the ABs need is throwing on an out of form and possibly over the hill SBW out of desperation.

In terms of his involvement with the ball on attack He went relatively anonymous during his transition from follower to leader in the midfield , but I still think he was excellent for the little things he does. Like no one else in the world he consistently puts in big plays to turn half opportunities into tries and he's been doing this forever. Things like if his team has made a break and gets tackled he will clean the ruck or play halfback. Or simply if he sees an overlap needing quick ball he will clean the ruck, and he is very good at it. Actually there were two tries against Namibia that wouldn't have been scored if it weren't for his cleanout. He will up the risk in terms of his offloads when the reward is high and the cost is low, ie when a successful offload would create a big opportunity that wouldn't be there with any other play. There are other subtleties that are hard to articulate.

....how do you wrap an arm without swinging the arm....is it the speed that they do it that defines dangerous?

We use to say a stiff arm tackle was the dangerous one...now it's swinging...I can't argue tackles are dangerous...I just don't see how we draw a line

Yeah swinging isn't dangerous unless it's stiff.

 

[TheOvalBall]

Namibia were great in the first half.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Gum shields/mouth guards. Isn't wearing them supposed to be compulsory for NZ players and Perernara certainly wasn't wearing one. I noticed when he scored that last try and was mouthing "maybe". Any other players?

 

[mania]

yup

Gum shields/mouth guards. Isn't wearing them supposed to be compulsory for NZ players and Perernara certainly wasn't wearing one. I noticed when he scored that last try and was mouthing "maybe". Any other players?

ardie is still not wearing a mouthguard. he didnt through out super and the RC

 

[Bada-Bing!]

yup

ardie is still not wearing a mouthguard. he didnt through out super and the RC

So what are the repercussions for both and any other NZ players caught not wearing them? Will the NZRU just fine them?