“when World Rugby decided earlier this week to release ne ZA Vol 19, Iss 19 - 2019-05-30.pdfscrum...
8
Volume 19, Number 19 30 May 2019 “...when World Rugby decided earlier this week to release new guidelines on how dangerous tackles should be sanctioned, [Owen] Farrell’s attempt [on Andre Esterhuizen] was used to explain what a shoulder charge is.” - Johan Coetzee Register to receive your own free weekly newsletter at www.rugbyrsa.co.za Blitzbokke Crash out of London Sevens The South African Sevens team crashed out of the London Sevens at the quarter-final stage last weekend, against Australia. In the end, the convicts made it all the way to the final where they were soundly thrashed by Fiji (43-7), as they should have been in the quarter-final. But there's a postscript: see page six for details . The Blitzbokke, meanwhile, chalked up a measly ten points for finishing in joint seventh place with Canada. However, since our closest challengers, England, did even worse by scoring only two points, the South African grip tightened on fourth place in the standings. This is important because it is the last automatic qualifying place for the Tokyo Olympics next year. We’re now 22 points ahead of the English – meaning they would have to win Paris and we would have to score no points at all for them to draw level with us. It can happen but it’s not very likely. One interesting statistic did come up during the weekend’s viewing of Sevens action. This season, the Blitzbokke are the only team to have won their pool at every one of the nine tournaments held so far. Unfortunately, we’ve also had a number of embarrassing exits at the quarter-final stage – as we did in London. Looking ahead to Paris, Fiji’s win in London puts them two points ahead of USA in the standings, with New Zealand a further 19 points behind the Americans. So it’s a two-horse race again and USA needs a win in Paris to take the title for the very first time, which would be the first new winner since Samoa in the 2009/10 season. But Fiji has been here before. Last year, the islanders took a comfortable seven point advantage into Paris and tripped over the final hurdle. A disappointing fifth place in a tournament won by South Africa allowed the Blitzbokke to retain the title they’d won so comprehensively the year before. This year, Fiji’s margin is two points so the target is simple: finish ahead of or no more than one point behind USA and lift the fourth series title. Getting back to the Blitzbokke, this weekend they face Wales (11:44), Kenya (15:10) and Australia (18:58) on Saturday. KEY TOPICS IN THIS NEWSLETTER Another Poor TMO Call in Super Rugby Leinster Are Six-Time PRO14 Champions Lions Defensive Frailties Exposed Again More Bad News for Beleaguered Lions Fans Claims of Illegality Against Fiji, Australia SA Ref Sledging Allowance Under Threat Page 1
Transcript of “when World Rugby decided earlier this week to release ne ZA Vol 19, Iss 19 - 2019-05-30.pdfscrum...
Volume 19 Number 1930 May 2019
ldquowhen World Rugby decided earlier this week to release new guidelines on how dangerous tackles should be sanctioned [Owen] Farrellrsquos attempt [on Andre Esterhuizen] was used to explain what a shoulder charge isrdquo - Johan Coetzee
Register to receive your own free weekly newsletter at wwwrugbyrsacoza
Blitzbokke Crash out of London Sevens
The South African Sevens team crashed out of the London Sevens at the quarter-final stage last weekend against Australia In the end the convicts made it all the way to the final where they were soundly thrashed by Fiji (43-7) as they should have been in the quarter-final But theres a postscript see page six for details
The Blitzbokke meanwhile chalked up a measly ten points for finishing in joint seventh place with Canada However since our closest challengers England did even worse by scoring only two points the South African grip tightened on fourth place in the standings
This is important because it is the last automatic qualifying place for the Tokyo Olympics next year Wersquore now 22 points ahead of the English ndash meaning they would have to win Paris and we would have to score no points at all for them to draw level with us It can happen but itrsquos not very likely
One interesting statistic did come up during the weekendrsquos viewing of Sevens action This season the Blitzbokke are the only team to have won their pool at every one of the nine tournaments held so far Unfortunately wersquove also had a number of embarrassing exits at the quarter-final stage ndash as we did in London
Looking ahead to Paris Fijirsquos win in London puts them two points ahead of USA in the standings with New Zealand a further 19 points behind the Americans
So itrsquos a two-horse race again and USA needs a win in Paris to take the title for the very first time which would be the first new winner since Samoa in the 200910 season
But Fiji has been here before Last year the islanders took a comfortable seven point advantage into Paris and tripped over the final hurdle A disappointing fifth place in a tournament won by South Africa allowed the Blitzbokke to retain the title theyrsquod won so comprehensively the year before
This year Fijirsquos margin is two points so the target is simple finish ahead of or no more than one point behind USA and lift the fourth series title
Getting back to the Blitzbokke this weekend they face Wales (1144) Kenya (1510) and Australia (1858) on Saturday
KEY TOPICS IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Another Poor TMO Call in Super RugbyLeinster Are Six-Time PRO14 ChampionsLions Defensive Frailties Exposed Again
More Bad News for Beleaguered Lions FansClaims of Illegality Against Fiji Australia SA Ref Sledging Allowance Under Threat
Page 1
Page 2
Another Poor TMO Call in Super Rugby
It was another terrible weekend of Super Rugby It began with a tight 19-13 win on Friday by the Chiefs over the Reds ndash although media reports would have us believe that the scoreline should have been different due to yet another bizarre TMO decision Decide for yourself
That was followed by a thrashing of the Bulls by the Brumbies The Pretoria side began well and took a two-point deficit into the break But the Bulls were unable to score at all in the second half and defensive frailties in the midfield cost them dearly ending 22-10 down thanks primarily to a Kuridrani hat-trick
Saturday morning (our time) in Tokyo saw a lacklustre Sunwolves side take a hammering from the visiting Rebels much to the disappointment of Japanese fans The final score was 7-52 but the Australian franchise will be more than a little dismayed at the loss of star scrum half Will Genia to a head injury and possible concussion
Shortly thereafter the Crusaders made heavy weather of defeating the Blues (19-11) and the Waratahs lost another home game when they went down to the travelling Jaguares 15-23 The win put the South Americans clear on top of the Africa conference
According to media reports the Stormers rediscovered some form against the Highlanders at Newlands winning 34-22 in the end But the biggest upset of the weekend was a defenceless Lions teams losing for a second time this season to a bunch of mercenaries that make their temporary home in Durban
It was an utterly pathetic display that should lead to serious questions being asked of the coaching and management structures in Johannesburg
Leinster Are Six-Time PRO14 Champions
With the way that Glasgow Warriors dismantled Munster last weekend in the semifinal Scottish fans might have expected a different result on Saturday But the Irish champions and this yearrsquos losing Champions Cup finalists Leinster got their noses in front and were typically obdurate in defence to win their sixth title
Despite the low score (15-18) both sides scored two tries but the Glaswegians two came at the beginning and at the end of the match In the middle passages it was the Irish team that controlled things That said it was never going to be a runaway victory for either side
There was a certain amount of debate around a yellow card given to Irish fullback Rob Kearney at about the 65 minute mark with fans on Twitter insisting that it should have been red Were not sure that the extra five minutes with only 14 men would have made much difference to the final result But that said Glasgow did score their second try while Kearney was in the sin bin
Fans on Twitter also took issue with the way some of the home fans booed the Irish kicker at every opportunity Itrsquos a despicable element of the game these days that has also stuck its ugly head up at local matches
But getting back to the rugby perhaps the most insightful comment spotted on social media in relation to the match on Saturday was from Andre Geel when he tweeted
ldquoAll SA teams will struggle vs these two PRO14Final teamsrdquo
And based on Super Rugby this year hes dead right
Page 3
Lions Defensive Frailties Exposed Again
As if it wasnt enough for a seemingly defenceless Lions first 15 in Durban last Saturday it was even worse in Brakpan on Sunday There the second 15 was thrashed 62-24 by a rampaging Blue Bullsrsquo second team in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge(SRC) Clearly the Lions have a problem that needs urgent attention
Also on Sunday in Brakpan the home town Valke triumphed (41-31) over Griffons to secure only their second victory of the season But the weekendrsquos SRC action began on Saturday with a Western Province win (27-13) over the EP Elephants at Newlands
And up in Nelspruit the table-topping Pumas defeated a very game Griquas side (37-28) to complete five wins out of five Meanwhile in Durban the Sharks trounced a lacklustre Border Bulldogs side (82-24) and in George the Boland Cavaliers were far too strong for the home-town SWD Eagles (28-43)
Also on Saturday the two development sides in Namibia and Zimbabwe were given rugby lessons in their own back yards The Zimbabwe academy went down (10-66) to the Free State Cheetahs while the Namibian Welwitschias suffered a humiliating (8-81) defeat at the hands of the Leopards
This week SWD Eagles entertain Border Bulldogs on Friday night at Outeniqua Park in the sleepy Western Cape town of George
And there are another five games on Saturday taking place at various venues around the country
Golden Lions vs GriffonsValke vs Blue Bulls Pumas vs WelwitschiasBoland Cavaliers vs Zimbabwe AcademyLeopards vs Griquas
Sunday is another of the double-headers this time at Wolfson Stadium in Ibhayi just outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape
Free State Cheetahs vs Western ProvinceEP Elephants vs Sharks
Therersquos also a club game as a curtain raiser at 1030 Motherwell vs Missionvals If yoursquore in the area you can make a day of it
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
More Bad News for Beleaguered Lions Fans
One hope that disappointed Lions fans may have been clinging to until recently was that the current failings in the defensive coaching department at the Johannesburg franchise could be addressed with the return of Johan Ackermann But thatrsquos not going to happen any time soon
News came out this week that the Gloucester head coach has signed a contract extension at Kingsholm following what is regarded as an impressive 201819 campaign
The terrible news for Lions supporters is great news for Gloucester fans who are very happy with the impact Ackermann has made in that relatively short time His first season saw the Cherry and Whites reach the Challenge Cup final and qualify for this seasonrsquos Champions Cup
And his second season at the helm 201819 has seen Gloucester finish third in the Premiership table compared to seventh 12 months ago
Continuity has been a keyword in the clubrsquos approach going forward in recent times keeping a core group of players and staff together and avoiding mass turnover And moving swiftly to secure Ackermannrsquos services on a long-term basis is a key part of that according to director of rugby David Humphreys
ldquoJohanrsquos contribution over the past two seasons has been terrific We knew when we first approached him about the head coach role here at Gloucester Rugby that we had targeted the right man and he has fully validated that decisionrdquo he said
Claims of Illegality Against Fiji Australia
As my grandfather used to say frequently ldquoEn nou hier kom a dingrdquo
Therersquos a bit of angst and excitement being created ahead of the World Rugby Sevens Series finale in Paris this weekend A rival coach has made claims of illegality against both of last weekrsquos finalists Fiji and Australia
Writing on RugbyPasscom Chris Jones notes that USA head coach Mike Friday has charged that Fiji and Australia are breaking the law with their ruck play by crawling on hands and feet through a ruck
The issue was raised at this weekrsquos meeting of team coaches with referee chiefs Craig Joubert (World Rugby referee coach) and Paddy OrsquoBrien (World Rugby referee manager)
As a result we are given to believe that Joubert and OrsquoBrien issued a ldquoclear directionrdquo to ensure this does not become a factor in the crucial final round of the Series at the Paris Sevens [Now all of those who laughed at me on Twitter on Sunday for saying that Australia was cheating as usual can apologise - Ed]
According to RugbyPass Friday first raised the tactics of the Fijians and Australians in an interview with FloRugby and this led to the claim being highlighted in the coaches meeting in Paris
Friday and his USA team have led the table throughout the Series until they were beaten 17-10 by Fiji in the London semi-finals with the reigning Olympic champions thumping Australia in a one-sided final at Twickenhamrdquo
SA Ref Sledging Allowance Under Threat
These pages are frequently resplendent with criticisms of rugby match officials ndash and with very good reason the referees assistants and TMOs are frequently in the news for all the wrong reasons As another excellent column by Johan Coetzee points out
ldquoComplaining about referees is South Africarsquos real national sport and wersquove had more than enough legitimate chances to do so over the years South African teams are dealt with harshly quite often while opponents seem to be allowed to do as they pleaserdquo
He rightly points to Owen Farrellrsquos shoulder charge on Andre Esterhuizen that denied South Africa a chance to snatch victory over England last November That if you recall was thanks to one Angus Gardner who ruled it a legal tackle after numerous replays on the big screen
But writes Coetzee ldquoOf course it was not legal despite all the English protestations to the contrary
ldquoIn fact it was so illegal that when World Rugby decided earlier this week to release new guidelines on how dangerous tackles should be sanctioned Farrellrsquos attempt was used to explain what a shoulder charge is In little over six months it went from Gardnerrsquos celebrated lsquono penaltyrsquo to what it is now literally the textbook example of a yellow-card offencerdquo
Quite However as ardent Lions supporters ndash even during the tough times like now ndash we have to disagree with him about Rasta Rashivhenge He is for our money the very best South Africa has to offer the refereeing world By comparison the rest are simply kak
But for us perhaps the most egregious errors by officialdom lording it over rugby matches are by the TMOs How dumb do you have to be to get it horribly catastrophically wrong after numerous replays of the incident from a variety of different angles Donrsquot answer that itrsquos rhetorical
Besides wersquod love to illustrate that point with another passage from Coetzeersquos column
ldquoMarius Jonkerrsquos forward pass ruling out of the Television Match Officialrsquos box that denied the Crusaders a game-deciding try in the dying minutes of their match against the Stormers at Newlands was wrong despite protestations to the contrary from the locally loyal half of Cape Townrdquo
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
Looking local first the SuperSport Rugby Challengeenters round six this weekend with fixtures on Friday Saturday and Sunday You can find the details on page four of the newsletter or on the competitionrsquos website
And of course therersquos Super Rugby which is pretty much down to the last three rounds and coming to the sharp end Itrsquos must win from here on in for all local franchises and thatrsquos going to be tricky given the number of derbies This weekendrsquos schedule is alongside
The US MLR championship is also still ongoing and both the English Premiership and the French Top 14 are winding down On top of that theres the World Rugby Sevens Series final round in Paris this weekend
And finally therersquos the Under-20 World Championship in Argentina where the baby Boks are playing on Tuesday against Scotland (1530) We have another match next Saturday and the following Wednesday but more about that next week
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 2
Another Poor TMO Call in Super Rugby
It was another terrible weekend of Super Rugby It began with a tight 19-13 win on Friday by the Chiefs over the Reds ndash although media reports would have us believe that the scoreline should have been different due to yet another bizarre TMO decision Decide for yourself
That was followed by a thrashing of the Bulls by the Brumbies The Pretoria side began well and took a two-point deficit into the break But the Bulls were unable to score at all in the second half and defensive frailties in the midfield cost them dearly ending 22-10 down thanks primarily to a Kuridrani hat-trick
Saturday morning (our time) in Tokyo saw a lacklustre Sunwolves side take a hammering from the visiting Rebels much to the disappointment of Japanese fans The final score was 7-52 but the Australian franchise will be more than a little dismayed at the loss of star scrum half Will Genia to a head injury and possible concussion
Shortly thereafter the Crusaders made heavy weather of defeating the Blues (19-11) and the Waratahs lost another home game when they went down to the travelling Jaguares 15-23 The win put the South Americans clear on top of the Africa conference
According to media reports the Stormers rediscovered some form against the Highlanders at Newlands winning 34-22 in the end But the biggest upset of the weekend was a defenceless Lions teams losing for a second time this season to a bunch of mercenaries that make their temporary home in Durban
It was an utterly pathetic display that should lead to serious questions being asked of the coaching and management structures in Johannesburg
Leinster Are Six-Time PRO14 Champions
With the way that Glasgow Warriors dismantled Munster last weekend in the semifinal Scottish fans might have expected a different result on Saturday But the Irish champions and this yearrsquos losing Champions Cup finalists Leinster got their noses in front and were typically obdurate in defence to win their sixth title
Despite the low score (15-18) both sides scored two tries but the Glaswegians two came at the beginning and at the end of the match In the middle passages it was the Irish team that controlled things That said it was never going to be a runaway victory for either side
There was a certain amount of debate around a yellow card given to Irish fullback Rob Kearney at about the 65 minute mark with fans on Twitter insisting that it should have been red Were not sure that the extra five minutes with only 14 men would have made much difference to the final result But that said Glasgow did score their second try while Kearney was in the sin bin
Fans on Twitter also took issue with the way some of the home fans booed the Irish kicker at every opportunity Itrsquos a despicable element of the game these days that has also stuck its ugly head up at local matches
But getting back to the rugby perhaps the most insightful comment spotted on social media in relation to the match on Saturday was from Andre Geel when he tweeted
ldquoAll SA teams will struggle vs these two PRO14Final teamsrdquo
And based on Super Rugby this year hes dead right
Page 3
Lions Defensive Frailties Exposed Again
As if it wasnt enough for a seemingly defenceless Lions first 15 in Durban last Saturday it was even worse in Brakpan on Sunday There the second 15 was thrashed 62-24 by a rampaging Blue Bullsrsquo second team in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge(SRC) Clearly the Lions have a problem that needs urgent attention
Also on Sunday in Brakpan the home town Valke triumphed (41-31) over Griffons to secure only their second victory of the season But the weekendrsquos SRC action began on Saturday with a Western Province win (27-13) over the EP Elephants at Newlands
And up in Nelspruit the table-topping Pumas defeated a very game Griquas side (37-28) to complete five wins out of five Meanwhile in Durban the Sharks trounced a lacklustre Border Bulldogs side (82-24) and in George the Boland Cavaliers were far too strong for the home-town SWD Eagles (28-43)
Also on Saturday the two development sides in Namibia and Zimbabwe were given rugby lessons in their own back yards The Zimbabwe academy went down (10-66) to the Free State Cheetahs while the Namibian Welwitschias suffered a humiliating (8-81) defeat at the hands of the Leopards
This week SWD Eagles entertain Border Bulldogs on Friday night at Outeniqua Park in the sleepy Western Cape town of George
And there are another five games on Saturday taking place at various venues around the country
Golden Lions vs GriffonsValke vs Blue Bulls Pumas vs WelwitschiasBoland Cavaliers vs Zimbabwe AcademyLeopards vs Griquas
Sunday is another of the double-headers this time at Wolfson Stadium in Ibhayi just outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape
Free State Cheetahs vs Western ProvinceEP Elephants vs Sharks
Therersquos also a club game as a curtain raiser at 1030 Motherwell vs Missionvals If yoursquore in the area you can make a day of it
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
More Bad News for Beleaguered Lions Fans
One hope that disappointed Lions fans may have been clinging to until recently was that the current failings in the defensive coaching department at the Johannesburg franchise could be addressed with the return of Johan Ackermann But thatrsquos not going to happen any time soon
News came out this week that the Gloucester head coach has signed a contract extension at Kingsholm following what is regarded as an impressive 201819 campaign
The terrible news for Lions supporters is great news for Gloucester fans who are very happy with the impact Ackermann has made in that relatively short time His first season saw the Cherry and Whites reach the Challenge Cup final and qualify for this seasonrsquos Champions Cup
And his second season at the helm 201819 has seen Gloucester finish third in the Premiership table compared to seventh 12 months ago
Continuity has been a keyword in the clubrsquos approach going forward in recent times keeping a core group of players and staff together and avoiding mass turnover And moving swiftly to secure Ackermannrsquos services on a long-term basis is a key part of that according to director of rugby David Humphreys
ldquoJohanrsquos contribution over the past two seasons has been terrific We knew when we first approached him about the head coach role here at Gloucester Rugby that we had targeted the right man and he has fully validated that decisionrdquo he said
Claims of Illegality Against Fiji Australia
As my grandfather used to say frequently ldquoEn nou hier kom a dingrdquo
Therersquos a bit of angst and excitement being created ahead of the World Rugby Sevens Series finale in Paris this weekend A rival coach has made claims of illegality against both of last weekrsquos finalists Fiji and Australia
Writing on RugbyPasscom Chris Jones notes that USA head coach Mike Friday has charged that Fiji and Australia are breaking the law with their ruck play by crawling on hands and feet through a ruck
The issue was raised at this weekrsquos meeting of team coaches with referee chiefs Craig Joubert (World Rugby referee coach) and Paddy OrsquoBrien (World Rugby referee manager)
As a result we are given to believe that Joubert and OrsquoBrien issued a ldquoclear directionrdquo to ensure this does not become a factor in the crucial final round of the Series at the Paris Sevens [Now all of those who laughed at me on Twitter on Sunday for saying that Australia was cheating as usual can apologise - Ed]
According to RugbyPass Friday first raised the tactics of the Fijians and Australians in an interview with FloRugby and this led to the claim being highlighted in the coaches meeting in Paris
Friday and his USA team have led the table throughout the Series until they were beaten 17-10 by Fiji in the London semi-finals with the reigning Olympic champions thumping Australia in a one-sided final at Twickenhamrdquo
SA Ref Sledging Allowance Under Threat
These pages are frequently resplendent with criticisms of rugby match officials ndash and with very good reason the referees assistants and TMOs are frequently in the news for all the wrong reasons As another excellent column by Johan Coetzee points out
ldquoComplaining about referees is South Africarsquos real national sport and wersquove had more than enough legitimate chances to do so over the years South African teams are dealt with harshly quite often while opponents seem to be allowed to do as they pleaserdquo
He rightly points to Owen Farrellrsquos shoulder charge on Andre Esterhuizen that denied South Africa a chance to snatch victory over England last November That if you recall was thanks to one Angus Gardner who ruled it a legal tackle after numerous replays on the big screen
But writes Coetzee ldquoOf course it was not legal despite all the English protestations to the contrary
ldquoIn fact it was so illegal that when World Rugby decided earlier this week to release new guidelines on how dangerous tackles should be sanctioned Farrellrsquos attempt was used to explain what a shoulder charge is In little over six months it went from Gardnerrsquos celebrated lsquono penaltyrsquo to what it is now literally the textbook example of a yellow-card offencerdquo
Quite However as ardent Lions supporters ndash even during the tough times like now ndash we have to disagree with him about Rasta Rashivhenge He is for our money the very best South Africa has to offer the refereeing world By comparison the rest are simply kak
But for us perhaps the most egregious errors by officialdom lording it over rugby matches are by the TMOs How dumb do you have to be to get it horribly catastrophically wrong after numerous replays of the incident from a variety of different angles Donrsquot answer that itrsquos rhetorical
Besides wersquod love to illustrate that point with another passage from Coetzeersquos column
ldquoMarius Jonkerrsquos forward pass ruling out of the Television Match Officialrsquos box that denied the Crusaders a game-deciding try in the dying minutes of their match against the Stormers at Newlands was wrong despite protestations to the contrary from the locally loyal half of Cape Townrdquo
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
Looking local first the SuperSport Rugby Challengeenters round six this weekend with fixtures on Friday Saturday and Sunday You can find the details on page four of the newsletter or on the competitionrsquos website
And of course therersquos Super Rugby which is pretty much down to the last three rounds and coming to the sharp end Itrsquos must win from here on in for all local franchises and thatrsquos going to be tricky given the number of derbies This weekendrsquos schedule is alongside
The US MLR championship is also still ongoing and both the English Premiership and the French Top 14 are winding down On top of that theres the World Rugby Sevens Series final round in Paris this weekend
And finally therersquos the Under-20 World Championship in Argentina where the baby Boks are playing on Tuesday against Scotland (1530) We have another match next Saturday and the following Wednesday but more about that next week
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 3
Lions Defensive Frailties Exposed Again
As if it wasnt enough for a seemingly defenceless Lions first 15 in Durban last Saturday it was even worse in Brakpan on Sunday There the second 15 was thrashed 62-24 by a rampaging Blue Bullsrsquo second team in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge(SRC) Clearly the Lions have a problem that needs urgent attention
Also on Sunday in Brakpan the home town Valke triumphed (41-31) over Griffons to secure only their second victory of the season But the weekendrsquos SRC action began on Saturday with a Western Province win (27-13) over the EP Elephants at Newlands
And up in Nelspruit the table-topping Pumas defeated a very game Griquas side (37-28) to complete five wins out of five Meanwhile in Durban the Sharks trounced a lacklustre Border Bulldogs side (82-24) and in George the Boland Cavaliers were far too strong for the home-town SWD Eagles (28-43)
Also on Saturday the two development sides in Namibia and Zimbabwe were given rugby lessons in their own back yards The Zimbabwe academy went down (10-66) to the Free State Cheetahs while the Namibian Welwitschias suffered a humiliating (8-81) defeat at the hands of the Leopards
This week SWD Eagles entertain Border Bulldogs on Friday night at Outeniqua Park in the sleepy Western Cape town of George
And there are another five games on Saturday taking place at various venues around the country
Golden Lions vs GriffonsValke vs Blue Bulls Pumas vs WelwitschiasBoland Cavaliers vs Zimbabwe AcademyLeopards vs Griquas
Sunday is another of the double-headers this time at Wolfson Stadium in Ibhayi just outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape
Free State Cheetahs vs Western ProvinceEP Elephants vs Sharks
Therersquos also a club game as a curtain raiser at 1030 Motherwell vs Missionvals If yoursquore in the area you can make a day of it
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
More Bad News for Beleaguered Lions Fans
One hope that disappointed Lions fans may have been clinging to until recently was that the current failings in the defensive coaching department at the Johannesburg franchise could be addressed with the return of Johan Ackermann But thatrsquos not going to happen any time soon
News came out this week that the Gloucester head coach has signed a contract extension at Kingsholm following what is regarded as an impressive 201819 campaign
The terrible news for Lions supporters is great news for Gloucester fans who are very happy with the impact Ackermann has made in that relatively short time His first season saw the Cherry and Whites reach the Challenge Cup final and qualify for this seasonrsquos Champions Cup
And his second season at the helm 201819 has seen Gloucester finish third in the Premiership table compared to seventh 12 months ago
Continuity has been a keyword in the clubrsquos approach going forward in recent times keeping a core group of players and staff together and avoiding mass turnover And moving swiftly to secure Ackermannrsquos services on a long-term basis is a key part of that according to director of rugby David Humphreys
ldquoJohanrsquos contribution over the past two seasons has been terrific We knew when we first approached him about the head coach role here at Gloucester Rugby that we had targeted the right man and he has fully validated that decisionrdquo he said
Claims of Illegality Against Fiji Australia
As my grandfather used to say frequently ldquoEn nou hier kom a dingrdquo
Therersquos a bit of angst and excitement being created ahead of the World Rugby Sevens Series finale in Paris this weekend A rival coach has made claims of illegality against both of last weekrsquos finalists Fiji and Australia
Writing on RugbyPasscom Chris Jones notes that USA head coach Mike Friday has charged that Fiji and Australia are breaking the law with their ruck play by crawling on hands and feet through a ruck
The issue was raised at this weekrsquos meeting of team coaches with referee chiefs Craig Joubert (World Rugby referee coach) and Paddy OrsquoBrien (World Rugby referee manager)
As a result we are given to believe that Joubert and OrsquoBrien issued a ldquoclear directionrdquo to ensure this does not become a factor in the crucial final round of the Series at the Paris Sevens [Now all of those who laughed at me on Twitter on Sunday for saying that Australia was cheating as usual can apologise - Ed]
According to RugbyPass Friday first raised the tactics of the Fijians and Australians in an interview with FloRugby and this led to the claim being highlighted in the coaches meeting in Paris
Friday and his USA team have led the table throughout the Series until they were beaten 17-10 by Fiji in the London semi-finals with the reigning Olympic champions thumping Australia in a one-sided final at Twickenhamrdquo
SA Ref Sledging Allowance Under Threat
These pages are frequently resplendent with criticisms of rugby match officials ndash and with very good reason the referees assistants and TMOs are frequently in the news for all the wrong reasons As another excellent column by Johan Coetzee points out
ldquoComplaining about referees is South Africarsquos real national sport and wersquove had more than enough legitimate chances to do so over the years South African teams are dealt with harshly quite often while opponents seem to be allowed to do as they pleaserdquo
He rightly points to Owen Farrellrsquos shoulder charge on Andre Esterhuizen that denied South Africa a chance to snatch victory over England last November That if you recall was thanks to one Angus Gardner who ruled it a legal tackle after numerous replays on the big screen
But writes Coetzee ldquoOf course it was not legal despite all the English protestations to the contrary
ldquoIn fact it was so illegal that when World Rugby decided earlier this week to release new guidelines on how dangerous tackles should be sanctioned Farrellrsquos attempt was used to explain what a shoulder charge is In little over six months it went from Gardnerrsquos celebrated lsquono penaltyrsquo to what it is now literally the textbook example of a yellow-card offencerdquo
Quite However as ardent Lions supporters ndash even during the tough times like now ndash we have to disagree with him about Rasta Rashivhenge He is for our money the very best South Africa has to offer the refereeing world By comparison the rest are simply kak
But for us perhaps the most egregious errors by officialdom lording it over rugby matches are by the TMOs How dumb do you have to be to get it horribly catastrophically wrong after numerous replays of the incident from a variety of different angles Donrsquot answer that itrsquos rhetorical
Besides wersquod love to illustrate that point with another passage from Coetzeersquos column
ldquoMarius Jonkerrsquos forward pass ruling out of the Television Match Officialrsquos box that denied the Crusaders a game-deciding try in the dying minutes of their match against the Stormers at Newlands was wrong despite protestations to the contrary from the locally loyal half of Cape Townrdquo
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
Looking local first the SuperSport Rugby Challengeenters round six this weekend with fixtures on Friday Saturday and Sunday You can find the details on page four of the newsletter or on the competitionrsquos website
And of course therersquos Super Rugby which is pretty much down to the last three rounds and coming to the sharp end Itrsquos must win from here on in for all local franchises and thatrsquos going to be tricky given the number of derbies This weekendrsquos schedule is alongside
The US MLR championship is also still ongoing and both the English Premiership and the French Top 14 are winding down On top of that theres the World Rugby Sevens Series final round in Paris this weekend
And finally therersquos the Under-20 World Championship in Argentina where the baby Boks are playing on Tuesday against Scotland (1530) We have another match next Saturday and the following Wednesday but more about that next week
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Lions Defensive Frailties Exposed Again
As if it wasnt enough for a seemingly defenceless Lions first 15 in Durban last Saturday it was even worse in Brakpan on Sunday There the second 15 was thrashed 62-24 by a rampaging Blue Bullsrsquo second team in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge(SRC) Clearly the Lions have a problem that needs urgent attention
Also on Sunday in Brakpan the home town Valke triumphed (41-31) over Griffons to secure only their second victory of the season But the weekendrsquos SRC action began on Saturday with a Western Province win (27-13) over the EP Elephants at Newlands
And up in Nelspruit the table-topping Pumas defeated a very game Griquas side (37-28) to complete five wins out of five Meanwhile in Durban the Sharks trounced a lacklustre Border Bulldogs side (82-24) and in George the Boland Cavaliers were far too strong for the home-town SWD Eagles (28-43)
Also on Saturday the two development sides in Namibia and Zimbabwe were given rugby lessons in their own back yards The Zimbabwe academy went down (10-66) to the Free State Cheetahs while the Namibian Welwitschias suffered a humiliating (8-81) defeat at the hands of the Leopards
This week SWD Eagles entertain Border Bulldogs on Friday night at Outeniqua Park in the sleepy Western Cape town of George
And there are another five games on Saturday taking place at various venues around the country
Golden Lions vs GriffonsValke vs Blue Bulls Pumas vs WelwitschiasBoland Cavaliers vs Zimbabwe AcademyLeopards vs Griquas
Sunday is another of the double-headers this time at Wolfson Stadium in Ibhayi just outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape
Free State Cheetahs vs Western ProvinceEP Elephants vs Sharks
Therersquos also a club game as a curtain raiser at 1030 Motherwell vs Missionvals If yoursquore in the area you can make a day of it
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
More Bad News for Beleaguered Lions Fans
One hope that disappointed Lions fans may have been clinging to until recently was that the current failings in the defensive coaching department at the Johannesburg franchise could be addressed with the return of Johan Ackermann But thatrsquos not going to happen any time soon
News came out this week that the Gloucester head coach has signed a contract extension at Kingsholm following what is regarded as an impressive 201819 campaign
The terrible news for Lions supporters is great news for Gloucester fans who are very happy with the impact Ackermann has made in that relatively short time His first season saw the Cherry and Whites reach the Challenge Cup final and qualify for this seasonrsquos Champions Cup
And his second season at the helm 201819 has seen Gloucester finish third in the Premiership table compared to seventh 12 months ago
Continuity has been a keyword in the clubrsquos approach going forward in recent times keeping a core group of players and staff together and avoiding mass turnover And moving swiftly to secure Ackermannrsquos services on a long-term basis is a key part of that according to director of rugby David Humphreys
ldquoJohanrsquos contribution over the past two seasons has been terrific We knew when we first approached him about the head coach role here at Gloucester Rugby that we had targeted the right man and he has fully validated that decisionrdquo he said
Claims of Illegality Against Fiji Australia
As my grandfather used to say frequently ldquoEn nou hier kom a dingrdquo
Therersquos a bit of angst and excitement being created ahead of the World Rugby Sevens Series finale in Paris this weekend A rival coach has made claims of illegality against both of last weekrsquos finalists Fiji and Australia
Writing on RugbyPasscom Chris Jones notes that USA head coach Mike Friday has charged that Fiji and Australia are breaking the law with their ruck play by crawling on hands and feet through a ruck
The issue was raised at this weekrsquos meeting of team coaches with referee chiefs Craig Joubert (World Rugby referee coach) and Paddy OrsquoBrien (World Rugby referee manager)
As a result we are given to believe that Joubert and OrsquoBrien issued a ldquoclear directionrdquo to ensure this does not become a factor in the crucial final round of the Series at the Paris Sevens [Now all of those who laughed at me on Twitter on Sunday for saying that Australia was cheating as usual can apologise - Ed]
According to RugbyPass Friday first raised the tactics of the Fijians and Australians in an interview with FloRugby and this led to the claim being highlighted in the coaches meeting in Paris
Friday and his USA team have led the table throughout the Series until they were beaten 17-10 by Fiji in the London semi-finals with the reigning Olympic champions thumping Australia in a one-sided final at Twickenhamrdquo
SA Ref Sledging Allowance Under Threat
These pages are frequently resplendent with criticisms of rugby match officials ndash and with very good reason the referees assistants and TMOs are frequently in the news for all the wrong reasons As another excellent column by Johan Coetzee points out
ldquoComplaining about referees is South Africarsquos real national sport and wersquove had more than enough legitimate chances to do so over the years South African teams are dealt with harshly quite often while opponents seem to be allowed to do as they pleaserdquo
He rightly points to Owen Farrellrsquos shoulder charge on Andre Esterhuizen that denied South Africa a chance to snatch victory over England last November That if you recall was thanks to one Angus Gardner who ruled it a legal tackle after numerous replays on the big screen
But writes Coetzee ldquoOf course it was not legal despite all the English protestations to the contrary
ldquoIn fact it was so illegal that when World Rugby decided earlier this week to release new guidelines on how dangerous tackles should be sanctioned Farrellrsquos attempt was used to explain what a shoulder charge is In little over six months it went from Gardnerrsquos celebrated lsquono penaltyrsquo to what it is now literally the textbook example of a yellow-card offencerdquo
Quite However as ardent Lions supporters ndash even during the tough times like now ndash we have to disagree with him about Rasta Rashivhenge He is for our money the very best South Africa has to offer the refereeing world By comparison the rest are simply kak
But for us perhaps the most egregious errors by officialdom lording it over rugby matches are by the TMOs How dumb do you have to be to get it horribly catastrophically wrong after numerous replays of the incident from a variety of different angles Donrsquot answer that itrsquos rhetorical
Besides wersquod love to illustrate that point with another passage from Coetzeersquos column
ldquoMarius Jonkerrsquos forward pass ruling out of the Television Match Officialrsquos box that denied the Crusaders a game-deciding try in the dying minutes of their match against the Stormers at Newlands was wrong despite protestations to the contrary from the locally loyal half of Cape Townrdquo
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
Looking local first the SuperSport Rugby Challengeenters round six this weekend with fixtures on Friday Saturday and Sunday You can find the details on page four of the newsletter or on the competitionrsquos website
And of course therersquos Super Rugby which is pretty much down to the last three rounds and coming to the sharp end Itrsquos must win from here on in for all local franchises and thatrsquos going to be tricky given the number of derbies This weekendrsquos schedule is alongside
The US MLR championship is also still ongoing and both the English Premiership and the French Top 14 are winding down On top of that theres the World Rugby Sevens Series final round in Paris this weekend
And finally therersquos the Under-20 World Championship in Argentina where the baby Boks are playing on Tuesday against Scotland (1530) We have another match next Saturday and the following Wednesday but more about that next week
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 5
Page 6
More Bad News for Beleaguered Lions Fans
One hope that disappointed Lions fans may have been clinging to until recently was that the current failings in the defensive coaching department at the Johannesburg franchise could be addressed with the return of Johan Ackermann But thatrsquos not going to happen any time soon
News came out this week that the Gloucester head coach has signed a contract extension at Kingsholm following what is regarded as an impressive 201819 campaign
The terrible news for Lions supporters is great news for Gloucester fans who are very happy with the impact Ackermann has made in that relatively short time His first season saw the Cherry and Whites reach the Challenge Cup final and qualify for this seasonrsquos Champions Cup
And his second season at the helm 201819 has seen Gloucester finish third in the Premiership table compared to seventh 12 months ago
Continuity has been a keyword in the clubrsquos approach going forward in recent times keeping a core group of players and staff together and avoiding mass turnover And moving swiftly to secure Ackermannrsquos services on a long-term basis is a key part of that according to director of rugby David Humphreys
ldquoJohanrsquos contribution over the past two seasons has been terrific We knew when we first approached him about the head coach role here at Gloucester Rugby that we had targeted the right man and he has fully validated that decisionrdquo he said
Claims of Illegality Against Fiji Australia
As my grandfather used to say frequently ldquoEn nou hier kom a dingrdquo
Therersquos a bit of angst and excitement being created ahead of the World Rugby Sevens Series finale in Paris this weekend A rival coach has made claims of illegality against both of last weekrsquos finalists Fiji and Australia
Writing on RugbyPasscom Chris Jones notes that USA head coach Mike Friday has charged that Fiji and Australia are breaking the law with their ruck play by crawling on hands and feet through a ruck
The issue was raised at this weekrsquos meeting of team coaches with referee chiefs Craig Joubert (World Rugby referee coach) and Paddy OrsquoBrien (World Rugby referee manager)
As a result we are given to believe that Joubert and OrsquoBrien issued a ldquoclear directionrdquo to ensure this does not become a factor in the crucial final round of the Series at the Paris Sevens [Now all of those who laughed at me on Twitter on Sunday for saying that Australia was cheating as usual can apologise - Ed]
According to RugbyPass Friday first raised the tactics of the Fijians and Australians in an interview with FloRugby and this led to the claim being highlighted in the coaches meeting in Paris
Friday and his USA team have led the table throughout the Series until they were beaten 17-10 by Fiji in the London semi-finals with the reigning Olympic champions thumping Australia in a one-sided final at Twickenhamrdquo
SA Ref Sledging Allowance Under Threat
These pages are frequently resplendent with criticisms of rugby match officials ndash and with very good reason the referees assistants and TMOs are frequently in the news for all the wrong reasons As another excellent column by Johan Coetzee points out
ldquoComplaining about referees is South Africarsquos real national sport and wersquove had more than enough legitimate chances to do so over the years South African teams are dealt with harshly quite often while opponents seem to be allowed to do as they pleaserdquo
He rightly points to Owen Farrellrsquos shoulder charge on Andre Esterhuizen that denied South Africa a chance to snatch victory over England last November That if you recall was thanks to one Angus Gardner who ruled it a legal tackle after numerous replays on the big screen
But writes Coetzee ldquoOf course it was not legal despite all the English protestations to the contrary
ldquoIn fact it was so illegal that when World Rugby decided earlier this week to release new guidelines on how dangerous tackles should be sanctioned Farrellrsquos attempt was used to explain what a shoulder charge is In little over six months it went from Gardnerrsquos celebrated lsquono penaltyrsquo to what it is now literally the textbook example of a yellow-card offencerdquo
Quite However as ardent Lions supporters ndash even during the tough times like now ndash we have to disagree with him about Rasta Rashivhenge He is for our money the very best South Africa has to offer the refereeing world By comparison the rest are simply kak
But for us perhaps the most egregious errors by officialdom lording it over rugby matches are by the TMOs How dumb do you have to be to get it horribly catastrophically wrong after numerous replays of the incident from a variety of different angles Donrsquot answer that itrsquos rhetorical
Besides wersquod love to illustrate that point with another passage from Coetzeersquos column
ldquoMarius Jonkerrsquos forward pass ruling out of the Television Match Officialrsquos box that denied the Crusaders a game-deciding try in the dying minutes of their match against the Stormers at Newlands was wrong despite protestations to the contrary from the locally loyal half of Cape Townrdquo
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
Looking local first the SuperSport Rugby Challengeenters round six this weekend with fixtures on Friday Saturday and Sunday You can find the details on page four of the newsletter or on the competitionrsquos website
And of course therersquos Super Rugby which is pretty much down to the last three rounds and coming to the sharp end Itrsquos must win from here on in for all local franchises and thatrsquos going to be tricky given the number of derbies This weekendrsquos schedule is alongside
The US MLR championship is also still ongoing and both the English Premiership and the French Top 14 are winding down On top of that theres the World Rugby Sevens Series final round in Paris this weekend
And finally therersquos the Under-20 World Championship in Argentina where the baby Boks are playing on Tuesday against Scotland (1530) We have another match next Saturday and the following Wednesday but more about that next week
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 6
More Bad News for Beleaguered Lions Fans
One hope that disappointed Lions fans may have been clinging to until recently was that the current failings in the defensive coaching department at the Johannesburg franchise could be addressed with the return of Johan Ackermann But thatrsquos not going to happen any time soon
News came out this week that the Gloucester head coach has signed a contract extension at Kingsholm following what is regarded as an impressive 201819 campaign
The terrible news for Lions supporters is great news for Gloucester fans who are very happy with the impact Ackermann has made in that relatively short time His first season saw the Cherry and Whites reach the Challenge Cup final and qualify for this seasonrsquos Champions Cup
And his second season at the helm 201819 has seen Gloucester finish third in the Premiership table compared to seventh 12 months ago
Continuity has been a keyword in the clubrsquos approach going forward in recent times keeping a core group of players and staff together and avoiding mass turnover And moving swiftly to secure Ackermannrsquos services on a long-term basis is a key part of that according to director of rugby David Humphreys
ldquoJohanrsquos contribution over the past two seasons has been terrific We knew when we first approached him about the head coach role here at Gloucester Rugby that we had targeted the right man and he has fully validated that decisionrdquo he said
Claims of Illegality Against Fiji Australia
As my grandfather used to say frequently ldquoEn nou hier kom a dingrdquo
Therersquos a bit of angst and excitement being created ahead of the World Rugby Sevens Series finale in Paris this weekend A rival coach has made claims of illegality against both of last weekrsquos finalists Fiji and Australia
Writing on RugbyPasscom Chris Jones notes that USA head coach Mike Friday has charged that Fiji and Australia are breaking the law with their ruck play by crawling on hands and feet through a ruck
The issue was raised at this weekrsquos meeting of team coaches with referee chiefs Craig Joubert (World Rugby referee coach) and Paddy OrsquoBrien (World Rugby referee manager)
As a result we are given to believe that Joubert and OrsquoBrien issued a ldquoclear directionrdquo to ensure this does not become a factor in the crucial final round of the Series at the Paris Sevens [Now all of those who laughed at me on Twitter on Sunday for saying that Australia was cheating as usual can apologise - Ed]
According to RugbyPass Friday first raised the tactics of the Fijians and Australians in an interview with FloRugby and this led to the claim being highlighted in the coaches meeting in Paris
Friday and his USA team have led the table throughout the Series until they were beaten 17-10 by Fiji in the London semi-finals with the reigning Olympic champions thumping Australia in a one-sided final at Twickenhamrdquo
SA Ref Sledging Allowance Under Threat
These pages are frequently resplendent with criticisms of rugby match officials ndash and with very good reason the referees assistants and TMOs are frequently in the news for all the wrong reasons As another excellent column by Johan Coetzee points out
ldquoComplaining about referees is South Africarsquos real national sport and wersquove had more than enough legitimate chances to do so over the years South African teams are dealt with harshly quite often while opponents seem to be allowed to do as they pleaserdquo
He rightly points to Owen Farrellrsquos shoulder charge on Andre Esterhuizen that denied South Africa a chance to snatch victory over England last November That if you recall was thanks to one Angus Gardner who ruled it a legal tackle after numerous replays on the big screen
But writes Coetzee ldquoOf course it was not legal despite all the English protestations to the contrary
ldquoIn fact it was so illegal that when World Rugby decided earlier this week to release new guidelines on how dangerous tackles should be sanctioned Farrellrsquos attempt was used to explain what a shoulder charge is In little over six months it went from Gardnerrsquos celebrated lsquono penaltyrsquo to what it is now literally the textbook example of a yellow-card offencerdquo
Quite However as ardent Lions supporters ndash even during the tough times like now ndash we have to disagree with him about Rasta Rashivhenge He is for our money the very best South Africa has to offer the refereeing world By comparison the rest are simply kak
But for us perhaps the most egregious errors by officialdom lording it over rugby matches are by the TMOs How dumb do you have to be to get it horribly catastrophically wrong after numerous replays of the incident from a variety of different angles Donrsquot answer that itrsquos rhetorical
Besides wersquod love to illustrate that point with another passage from Coetzeersquos column
ldquoMarius Jonkerrsquos forward pass ruling out of the Television Match Officialrsquos box that denied the Crusaders a game-deciding try in the dying minutes of their match against the Stormers at Newlands was wrong despite protestations to the contrary from the locally loyal half of Cape Townrdquo
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
Looking local first the SuperSport Rugby Challengeenters round six this weekend with fixtures on Friday Saturday and Sunday You can find the details on page four of the newsletter or on the competitionrsquos website
And of course therersquos Super Rugby which is pretty much down to the last three rounds and coming to the sharp end Itrsquos must win from here on in for all local franchises and thatrsquos going to be tricky given the number of derbies This weekendrsquos schedule is alongside
The US MLR championship is also still ongoing and both the English Premiership and the French Top 14 are winding down On top of that theres the World Rugby Sevens Series final round in Paris this weekend
And finally therersquos the Under-20 World Championship in Argentina where the baby Boks are playing on Tuesday against Scotland (1530) We have another match next Saturday and the following Wednesday but more about that next week
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
SA Ref Sledging Allowance Under Threat
These pages are frequently resplendent with criticisms of rugby match officials ndash and with very good reason the referees assistants and TMOs are frequently in the news for all the wrong reasons As another excellent column by Johan Coetzee points out
ldquoComplaining about referees is South Africarsquos real national sport and wersquove had more than enough legitimate chances to do so over the years South African teams are dealt with harshly quite often while opponents seem to be allowed to do as they pleaserdquo
He rightly points to Owen Farrellrsquos shoulder charge on Andre Esterhuizen that denied South Africa a chance to snatch victory over England last November That if you recall was thanks to one Angus Gardner who ruled it a legal tackle after numerous replays on the big screen
But writes Coetzee ldquoOf course it was not legal despite all the English protestations to the contrary
ldquoIn fact it was so illegal that when World Rugby decided earlier this week to release new guidelines on how dangerous tackles should be sanctioned Farrellrsquos attempt was used to explain what a shoulder charge is In little over six months it went from Gardnerrsquos celebrated lsquono penaltyrsquo to what it is now literally the textbook example of a yellow-card offencerdquo
Quite However as ardent Lions supporters ndash even during the tough times like now ndash we have to disagree with him about Rasta Rashivhenge He is for our money the very best South Africa has to offer the refereeing world By comparison the rest are simply kak
But for us perhaps the most egregious errors by officialdom lording it over rugby matches are by the TMOs How dumb do you have to be to get it horribly catastrophically wrong after numerous replays of the incident from a variety of different angles Donrsquot answer that itrsquos rhetorical
Besides wersquod love to illustrate that point with another passage from Coetzeersquos column
ldquoMarius Jonkerrsquos forward pass ruling out of the Television Match Officialrsquos box that denied the Crusaders a game-deciding try in the dying minutes of their match against the Stormers at Newlands was wrong despite protestations to the contrary from the locally loyal half of Cape Townrdquo
Page 7
For your weekend viewing pleasure
Looking local first the SuperSport Rugby Challengeenters round six this weekend with fixtures on Friday Saturday and Sunday You can find the details on page four of the newsletter or on the competitionrsquos website
And of course therersquos Super Rugby which is pretty much down to the last three rounds and coming to the sharp end Itrsquos must win from here on in for all local franchises and thatrsquos going to be tricky given the number of derbies This weekendrsquos schedule is alongside
The US MLR championship is also still ongoing and both the English Premiership and the French Top 14 are winding down On top of that theres the World Rugby Sevens Series final round in Paris this weekend
And finally therersquos the Under-20 World Championship in Argentina where the baby Boks are playing on Tuesday against Scotland (1530) We have another match next Saturday and the following Wednesday but more about that next week
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
For your weekend viewing pleasure
Looking local first the SuperSport Rugby Challengeenters round six this weekend with fixtures on Friday Saturday and Sunday You can find the details on page four of the newsletter or on the competitionrsquos website
And of course therersquos Super Rugby which is pretty much down to the last three rounds and coming to the sharp end Itrsquos must win from here on in for all local franchises and thatrsquos going to be tricky given the number of derbies This weekendrsquos schedule is alongside
The US MLR championship is also still ongoing and both the English Premiership and the French Top 14 are winding down On top of that theres the World Rugby Sevens Series final round in Paris this weekend
And finally therersquos the Under-20 World Championship in Argentina where the baby Boks are playing on Tuesday against Scotland (1530) We have another match next Saturday and the following Wednesday but more about that next week
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
