Error Tolerance, Zero

I'm getting back in to swing of things following ankle problems, man flu and Irish weddings. This week saw a last minute appointment to a medical student match verses the 1st team of the team I reffed last week. I can't be sure of the level but the appointments manager suggested it was a little higher than appropriate but the promise of an assessor would fix that. My comeback almost ended in the first half as my thigh took the full force of legs swinging through the tackle. I dropped like a stone but the expert medical attention concluded it was a dead leg and I was able to run it off. It must have been serious, I wasn't able to think to blow my whistle to stop things!

Doing first teams helps with simple things, everyone is playing in position, the bench is full and they know the replacement regulations. My pre-match assessment suggested that the visitors would be bossing things, with a much bigger pack, however the medics started very strongly, driving two line-outs +10m to score twice in the opening 15mins. The were getting some fast ball and moving it wide quickly only for some very obvious forward passes to ruin things. As the first half progressed, the medics lost a lock and a big centre and started to loose moment as possession dwindled. They turned around 12-7 to the good but two tries early in the second half saw the visitors take control, their scrum was now dominant and the medics were struggling with first phase possession. The home side's centre managed to catch a couple of interceptions but not with enough space to do anything with them, typically getting isolated. The medics took another try to bring them in touching distance with 10mins to go but a penalty and then a try sealed it for the visitors.

There had been some minor niggle and I had penalised the visitors captain when he took umbridge at a perfectly good gang tackle. At the final whistle there was 6-8 man punch up as things boiled over, I was 30m from the action with the ball, so I didn't get a good view of who was responsible. There was a least one split lip and it looked spirited. 

My report cards were pretty good but both marked me down on one feature. The home side thought I handled mauls badly, why I asked. It amounted to one incident. Black is caught with the ball and maul forms around him, black are driving forward with some gusto, but there is a yellow player, literally suspended in the middle trying to rip the ball and/or pull down the maul. The ball wasn't going to appear, black are clearly going forward  but we are not going to see the ball soon. Lets get restarted with a scrum to black, seems a fair and equitable thing to me, but on that one piece of evidence I'm poor at managing mauls. They seemed happy when I allowed them to rolling two 10m to score. 

The other side criticised  my control of open play, why? I missed a knock on, 20m further on I saw a knock on but this was against them. Sorry, but if your prop wasn't so slow and fat he might have got out of the way and not obscured my view. 

Despite my less-than-obvious failings I am happy with the how the game ran, its always disappointing if there is a punch up and with less well brought lads than the medics it would have boiled over earlier. However, if a team goes out looking for it trouble will eventually arrive and its up to me to deal with it when it does.  

Rugby Club Bars

My host's home ground having been swindled away by Chelsea (apparently) are tenants at this larger league club. Grotty changing rooms but a modern, welcoming bar, an OK pint of London Pride and an excellent lasagne. 

Out of the way old man

There is an old saying, “Youth and talent is not match for age and skulduggery”; this was put to the test on Saturday as I took control of a student team verses an adult league team. The students train with the opposition so they were clear this was to be a full contact training match of four quarters. My enthusiasm dropped markedly on hearing this.

From the kick off it was clear that the students were up for it speed and accurate execution saw them quickly rack up three tries. The skulduggery was provided by the grey and balding no6 who was warned about where he put his feet and lashing out at being held back. He was quickly off the field as the the home captain rocketed into him on the floor (with a dropped knee that I missed). This was the second time the captain had done this and yet again I erred about carding him, had it been a competitive game I would have but I choose not to as I wasn’t sure it would have achieved much. On reflection, he should have walked, he had already been warned. Clearly, if I had seen the knee then a red card would have been the sanction.

The home side were able to finish the first half 33-0 as all possession was pushed wide quickly; 3-4 to one overlaps were frequent and surprisingly often squandered. The second half was less one sided as the substitutes were rotated and increasingly the students started to appear on behalf of the visitors. I became concerned in the final quarter as a new prop appeared, he clearly wasn’t up to it, small with poor technique. However, as this was a training match, I was able to talk with his opposite number and he agreed to protect him. Young props have to get experienced somehow and this was a good opportunity for him to cut his teeth. I am glad I spotted this and worked constructively with the team, but I warned his coach that he needs a lot more coaching before he is let loose in proper match. The next prop and referee may not be so obliging and the consequences disastrous. Final score 48-0

Students Run Riot

Well, not quiet a riot but whilst their classmates caused a nuisance in the West End, I had two excellent sides in a BUSC cup match. In new departure this season I have been refereeing midweek student games as I am out of work. Its proved to be some of the best rugby I’ve been involved in; players who are fit, well drilled and disciplined. They have yet to be corrupted by the old cynics who’s hay-day and last training session with a descent coach was 10 years ago.

In approaching two teams for the first time I, like other referees, will eye up the players and judge who I think will be the side most likely to win. In this case, the home side were mostly lean and tall, the visitors a mixed bag of sizes with a smattering of fatties. This week was to prove just how much I know. Right from the start the visitors were sharper out of the box, controlling field  position and pace of the game. Whilst the home team’s forwards had the edge, the visitors’ fly half was exceptionally talented; its not often you see a 40m drop goal at level 11.

The first half saw the visiting team establish a sound lead, but the second, saw the home team fight back. Pressure on a clearance kick from in-goal saw the ball sliced to touch in-goal; 5m attacking scrum. Excellent pressure saw the visitors defensive scrum disintegrate, penalty; and having watched the TV the captain opted for a second scrum. This time the defensive loose head turned in; penalty again. Captain encourages his pack on; “One time time lads and its a penalty try!”, to which I slap him down, “I’ve watched the telly too, its not necessarily so”. Truth is he was going to get one in all likelihood, but I don’t want it decided for me. The attack managed to score a legitimate try and the vertical position of the flankers meant that the penalty try was there if needed. However, having reflected on the situation, next time I would have given the penalty on the first offence. The front row had stood up, the back row had detached and it was clearly a very unsuccessful and illegal end to a scrum that was heading towards the goal line at at a rate of knots.

The home side definitely held the advantage in the second half and into the last 5 minutes were a score behind and looked like levelling things, until a flanker’s tackle put the ball carrier’s legs through the vertical. Not a spear-tackle but dangerous enough under the recent directive for a penalty, smack in front of the posts and the fly-half nailed it.

A great game and some fantastic feed-back once again, the players felt the advantage I used allowed them to play the game whilst the previous week, the teams had been blown of the park. Rugby was the winner then. Its good news when even the losers are happy with the ref.