IRB referees boss Paddy O’Brien admitted that the decision to sin-bin Drew Mitchell for a late tackle on Richie McCaw was incorrect.
courtesy of Rugby Heaven
South African Cobus Wessels has been stood down as an assistant referee for Saturday’s rugby Tri Nations Test between the All Blacks and Australia, officials said today.
The decision to replace Wessels followed a review of his performance when the teams clashed in Melbourne last Saturday, the International Rugby Board (IRB) said in a statement.
IRB referees boss Paddy O’Brien admitted that the decision to sin-bin Drew Mitchell for a late tackle on Richie McCaw was incorrect.
Wessels had made the recommendation to match referee Craig Joubert in the first half although television footage later showed the decision to be a mistake.
“If anything, it’s lucky to be a penalty,” O’Brien said.
“McCaw offloads as he’s about to collide with Drew Mitchell, who puts his hands out and pushes him away. So there’s no way it’s a yellow card offence.
“As a result of that, with the second yellow, Australia went without a player for 30 minutes and that just shouldn’t have happened.”
“Cobus has been very understanding, he admits that he got it wrong and we’re not going to hang him out to dry. He’s got to go away and think about that, referee the Currie Cup and hopefully learn a lesson from it,” O’Brien said.
Mitchell went on to be shown a second yellow card for slowing down play after half-time, resulting in an automatic sending off, which cost Australia sorely in defence. The All Blacks went on to win 49-28.
New Zealander Keith Brown replaces Wessels in Christchurch but the selection of a non-neutral would not be a precedent for future Tests and was for logistical reasons, the IRB said.
“If anything, it’s lucky to be a penalty,” O’Brien said.
“McCaw offloads as he’s about to collide with Drew Mitchell, who puts his hands out and pushes him away. So there’s no way it’s a yellow card offence.
“As a result of that, with the second yellow, Australia went without a player for 30 minutes and that just shouldn’t have happened.”
The mistake Mitchell made is he did it to demi-god McCaw. 😀
At the moment McCaw hold the referees ransom, his charm his outspoken talking put THEM the Refs under a big spotlight. Whatever they do to him will be analysed to the finest detail. They are scared to touch him. Anyway that is how i see it.
Paddy O’Brien makes me physically ill..
@ superBul:
Super you are not wrong.
However this is nothing new in great captains.
They all do it.
The best I ever saw, and played against was Tommy Bedford.
He reffed every single game that he played in!!
i’m getting tired of sanzar, paddy o’brien and even the gutless irb
..
yes, drew mitchell should perhaps never have been yellowcarded for the “charge” on mccaw
but
do the irb and o’brien suddenly discover that they have a voice when its an aus or nz player who’s at the short end of a wrong decision
or
do they suddenly realise that refs and their assistants can be critisized as long as they are south african?
…
this is nonsense and it need to be addressed!! so a south african assistant ref can be “stood down” when he makes ONE wrong decision
but
the bastard (allain roland) who made one after the other wrong/unexplainable decision are retained for another go at us? 😯
@ Ashley:
You tell them Ash!!
Rugby World Cup draw 2011
*Further details of qualification and fixtures will be included as they emerge
Pool A
New Zealand, France, Tonga, Canada, Japan
Pool B
Argentina, England, Scotland, Georgia, play-off winner
Pool C
Australia, Ireland, Italy, Russia, United States
Pool D
South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Manu Samoa, Namibia
——————————————————————————–
9 September:
New Zealand v Tonga, Eden Park, Auckland
10 September:
Scotland v Play-off winner, Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
Fiji v Namibia, Rotorua International Stadium
France v Japan, North Harbour Stadium, North Shore
Argentina v England, Christchurch Stadium
11 September:
Australia v Italy, Christchurch Stadium
Ireland v United States, Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth
South Africa v Wales, Wellington Regional Stadium
14 September:
Manu Samoa v Namibia, Rotorua International Stadium
Tonga v Canada, Northland Events Centre, Whangarei
Scotland v Georgia, Carisbrook, Dunedin
15 September:
Russia v United States, Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth
16 September:
New Zealand v Japan, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
17 September:
Argentina v Play-off winner, Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
South Africa v Fiji, Wellington Regional Stadium
Australia v Ireland, Eden Park, Auckland
18 September:
Wales v Manu Samoa, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
England v Georgia, Christchurch, Stadium
France v Canada, McLean Park, Napier
20 September:
Italy v Russia, Trafalgar Park, Nelson
21 September:
Tonga v Japan, Northland Events Centre, Whangarei
22 September:
South Africa v Namibia, North Harbour Stadium, North Shore
23 September:
Australia v United States, Wellington Regional Stadium
24 September:
England v Play-off winner, Carisbrook, Dunedin
New Zealand v France, Eden Park, Auckland
25 September:
Fiji v Manu Samoa, Eden Park, Auckland
Ireland v Russia, Rotorua International Stadium
Argentina v Scotland, Christchurch Stadium
26 September:
Wales v Namibia, Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth
27 September:
Canada v Japan, McLean Park, Napier
Italy v United States, Trafalgar Park, Nelson
28 September:
Georgia v Play-off winner, Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North
30 September:
South Africa v Manu Samoa, North Harbour Stadium, North Shore
1 October:
Australia v Russia, Christchurch Stadium
France v Tonga, Wellington Regional Stadium
England v Scotland, Eden Park, Auckland
2 October:
Argentina v Georgia, Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North
New Zealand v Canada, Wellington Regional Stadium
Wales v Fiji, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Ireland v Italy, Carisbrook, Dunedin
——————————————————————————–
Quarter-final One: 8 October
Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D
(Wellington Regional Stadium)
Quarter-final Two: 8 October
Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
(Christchurch Stadium)
Quarter-final Three: 9 October
Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C
(Wellington Regional Stadium)
Quarter-final Four: 9 October
Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B
(Christchurch Stadium)
Semi-final One: 15 October
Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
(Eden Park, Auckland)
Semi-final Two: 16 October
Winner QF3 v Winner QF4
(Eden Park, Auckland)
Bronze final:21 October
Loser SF1 v Loser SF2
(Eden Park, Auckland)
Final: 23 October
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2
(Eden Park, Auckland)
*Fixtures, dates and times are subject to late change
Well I never, let me get this straight, so New Zealand benefit during the game by having to play against one player less because of incompetent officiating, then get rewarded for their next game by having one of their own appointed as assistant referee in place of the banished Mr Wessels???
bullscot @ 7
correct 😀
@ Ashley:
Ahh ok I get it thanks 🙂 This is just yet another incident that highlights my advocating previously for the TV ref to be a more experienced ref (who maybe isn’t fit enough to keep up with blowing on the field)and to have a more active role in being able to overrule the onfield officials if there is a blatant mistake.
Didn’t see it but as a “neutral” did you think it was a mistake to give Mitchell the first yellow?
This just show how pathetic our administrators are!
How is it that Aus and NZ administrators are listened to by IRB but our own administrators are seen as part of the traveling clown group?
O’Brian et al ignore us because we are ignorable, where as they respect and listen NZ and Aus.
Do not just point fingers at O’Brian etc, but look to our own!
This would never have happened during the days of Louis Luyt (couldnt stand the man, but he took care of our Rugby!)
The sooner we get rid of self serving spineless administrators the better.
Yesterday I made the point that the Boks were out paced and out skilled by NZ and Aussie in the last 3 games.
People are asking why is this so, if we did not see this happenning in the S14 with the same players?
Firstly that is a question that PDV should be compelled to answer, instead of talking about refs and conspiracies.
However my view is that internationals between the top 3 teams in the world are a notch up from the quality of the S14.
After all, you have the best players in the world in these teams being coached by the best rugby brains in the world.
Okay with some exceptions!!
Secondly in a game played at pace with posession as the key, selection and game plan become vital to achieve the above.
Lastly whereas it is logical to understand that keeping posession is likely to lead to scoring points, it is less better understood by the rugby public that keeping posession commits the opposition to tackle.
The longer you force them to tackle, the quicker they tire out and their legs begin to feel like lead.
It is no coincidence that our 2 WC winning coaches in Kitch Christie and Jake White both made it a non negotiable first building block of their teams, that they would be the fittest, best conditioned team on the field, and would add to this the desire to defend for as long a time as possible.
Once these basic priciples were in place these coaches then went about the business of strategy, game plan, tactics, selection and team building.
They knew that without first setting this foundation, all these other points could not be achieved.
bullscot @ 7
heard that the thinking behind that is
that ghenry had to spend quite a lot of time this week trying to convince his players that they are NOT peaking too early …. AND THAT because of the incompetence of a japie ref!!
…
also heard that carter was inconsolable and cried for most of the week
therefore the kiwi assistant … he’ll be carrying tissues, just in case carter is overcome by emotions on saturday again!!
…
on behalf of most here at RT i’d like to apologise to the kiwis for the incompetence of the japie assistant
and like to console carter with the follwing well known words:
“FOUR MORE YEARS!!”
george gregan to byron kelleher, wc 2003
bullscot @ 9
yes it was
BUT
MITCHELL WHEN HE TRIED TO THROW THE BALL AWAY, WAS ALREADY ON A YELLOW and that was stupid in my books, whether he deserved the first yellow or not
HE was stupid, HE got punished!!
@ Ashley:
Get you there on him being stupid already being on a yellow even if the yellow shouldna been.
You can debate on the rights and wrongs about the assistant ref being corrected but man the way they go about it is so annoying :
“Cobus has been very understanding …, He’s got to go away and think about that, referee the Currie Cup and hopefully learn a lesson from it,” O’Brien said. So condescending!
@ Hokaai:
The world is not fair.
Therefore you have to go and earn respect.
Good managers and administrators understand how to go about this quietly behind the scene.
Ask yourself if the way we conduct ourselves in public from the coach to the admin is conducive to being taken seriously.
Management is all about understanding how to play the game to your advantage.
When you have the respect of others then you are able to wield influence.
That is the way the world works.
We, however have done a good job of not earning respect and acting foolish at the same time.
from superrugby.com
…
International Rugby Board referees boss Paddy O’Brien has revealed that South African assistant referee Cobus Wessels made a “grave mistake” that led to him being removed as touch judge for this weekend’s Tri-Nations test between Australia and New Zealand.
WESSELS WAS FURTHER REMOVED FROM THE REFEREES PANEL FOR THE TRI-NATIONS BY THE IRB BOSS IN A DECISION WHICH WAS ACCEPTED BY SANZAR!!!! 😯
bullscot @ 15
see #17!!
#17
bloody superrugby
..
only see now that wessels was only appointed as assistant ref for 2 games
and that saturday’s game wouldve been his last for the 3nations anyway
unless
the
C.Du Preez stated in the IRB’s official release for the 3nations (Aus vs NZ, 13 September),
is in fact
C. Wessels?
Enough of the conspiracy theories. Wessels has gone back to Wesselsbron…that decision that he made made Saffa’s look bad, he should stay in Wesselsbron. We must bet them AT THE GAME and stop worrying about the refs…then they will stop targetting us. The problem first and foremost is with out rugby and as the more enlightened bloggers know (and say) it revolves around issues such as fitness, leadership, combinations, mental preparedeness etc…now lets watch the Kiwi’s moer the Aussies again this weekend and then lets see if we can at least try and keep up in our home leg.
for bet read “beat”
4man @ 20
i seriously doubt whether its still only a “theory” bru 😉
o,
and 3600
4man @ 20
“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” – Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
..
“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” – Western Union, internal memo, 1876
..
“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” – Harry Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927
..
“Heavier than air flying machines are impossible.” – Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society, 1895
..
“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?” – David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920’s
…
and
yes 4man
you’ve guessed correctly
these quotes are from “enlightened people” say the darnest things!! 😆
“Drill for oil? 😯
You mean drill into the ground to try to find oil? You’re crazy.” 😆
– Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859
“Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.” – Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872
“Transmission of documents via telephone wires is possible in principle, but the apparatus required is so expensive that it will never become
a practical proposition.”
— Dennis Gabor, British physicist and AUTHOR of INVENTING THE FUTURE, 1962 😯
one of my favourates of course is …
“That is the biggest fool thing we have ever done [research on]… The bomb will never go off, AND I SPEAK AS AN EXPERT IN EXPLOSIVES.”
– William D. Leahy, U.S. Admiral, advising President Truman on atomic
weaponry, 1944
and now for the shocker
..
“There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean the atom would have to be shattered at will.”
— ALBERT EINSTEIN, German-born American physicist, 1932
oh and
“The radio craze will die out in time.”
— THOMAS EDISON, American inventor, 1922
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