Jonathan Kaplan
Retired former Test referee Jonathan Kaplan has taken aim at officialdom he feels are sweeping under the carpet mistakes by under-performing match officials.
Writing in his weekly column on his website, RatetheRef, Kaplan was particularly scathing of Australian referee Angus Gardner, New Zealander Chris Pollock, along with TMO’s Ian Smith (Australia) and Aaron Paterson (New Zealand).
Despite describing Gardner as “one of the best so far this season, Kaplan did not hold back over his performance in the Rebels’ 42 / 22 win over the Blues in Melbourne last Friday.
He felt there was a “critical error” by Gardner at an “important juncture” in the game when he allowed a quick throw-in after the ball was handed to the thrower by the ball boy.
“The TMO (Smith) didn’t seem to be that interested in this misdemeanour either, and incredibly allowed the try even after a number of slomo replays,” Kaplan said.
“This cannot be good enough at this level! At any level.
“The public is being robbed of the contest.
“Even more so, as the game-defining error came with not much difference in the scores. Not ideal.”
Kaplan went on to say that it is not good enough that match officials, supposedly the cream of the crop, miss this type of thing in slomo, on replay, in the quiet of a booth, where the accuracy should be very, very close to 100%.
“I have great sympathy for referees who miss things as a result of the pace of the game, but not this.
“The referee is complicit in this poor call as he had the facility of the review on the big screen.
“It will get swept under the carpet.
“The commentary team will focus on the positives and skirt around the real issue that this should never have happened.
“The fans always seem to get a raw deal. When will this end?”
Kaplan also made it clear that he felt the Sharks were denied a legitimate try at a crucial stage in their 24 / 32 loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington last Saturday.
“They were a bit stiffed when referee Chris Pollock and Aaron Paterson, the TMO, together ruled that obstruction had taken place at a lineout – when for all money it appeared that a perfectly good try had been scored,” Kaplan said on his website.
“I didn’t agree in motion and have not changed my mind.
“It was a simple transfer-shift lineout move and the opposition were involved.
“Barring this call, I actually thought the ref allowed a contest and his game management appeared to be excellent.
“I thought his rulings were very fair, and he gave both teams the chance to play, and win.
“It just shows how important 1 decision can be!”
Kaplan also did not have much good to say about Australian Rohan Hoffmann, who officiated in the Western Force’s 18 / 11 win over the Waratahs: “The referee had an ordinary day at the office, with many incorrect rulings (going both ways).”
He also had a few unpleasant words for his countryman, Stuart Berry, who was in charge of the Stormers’ 25 / 24 win over the Brumbies in a spiteful match at Newlands.
“It was a niggly game with lots at stake. The game suffered as a result. It needed balance and strength of decision making, and although I felt Stuart Berry has come on strongly this season, I don’t think he achieved both of those.”
rugby365 & Ratethe_ref