Super 12 - Week 11

And still the going is tough

As things get more tense in Super 12 so discipline seems to slip. Last week we had two head-butts. This week we had another head-butt, which earned a red card, and another red card for fighting.

1. Statistics:

We update these each week. From Week Four on there were byes. Byes are over now. All teams have played the same number of matches.

Penalties conceded

The Crusaders remain the least penalised team in Super 12, followed by the Bulls. The Sharks are the most penalised, followed by the Hurricanes.
The teams which have conceded fewest penalties in a match are the Crusaders, the Hurricanes, the Highlanders and the Cats, with four each. The most penalties conceded in a match is 17 - by the Stormers.

Of the 112 penalties this week, 58 were at the tackle - directly at the tackle, not high tackles or off-side but what happens at the scene of a tackle.  

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Blues	9	7	7	8		11	8	10	7	14	14
Brumbies	8	7	8	9	14	7	7	11		14	7
Bulls	9	8	6	10	8	8		6	12	8	10
Cats	14	10	11	8	8		10	13	9	4	6
Chiefs	11	7	10		12	8	5	8	7	16	7
Crusaders	9	9	8		4	6	6	5	7	9	9
Highlanders	15	13	9	11	9	10	4	7		7	11
Hurricanes	11	10	14	12	14	4	16		5	8	10
Reds	5	12	10	11		9	13	10	10	7	10
Sharks	14	12	16	11	10		7	12	8	8	8
Stormers	8	8	7	5	7	17		11	9	9	13
Waratahs	11	7	7	10	10	13	9		6	7	7
Totals:	124	110	113	95	96	93	85	93	80	111	112
Average	10,3	9,2	9,4	9,5	9,6	9,3	8,5	9,3		9,3	9,3

Penalties conceded per match

Highlanders vs Reds: 15 + 5 = 20
Cats vs Stormers: 14 + 8 = 22
Crusaders vs Waratahs: 9 + 11 = 20
Chiefs vs Hurricanes: 11 + 11 = 22
Brumbies vs Blues: 8 + 9 = 17
Bulls vs Sharks: 9 + 14 = 23
Crusaders vs Blues: 9 + 7 = 16
Brumbies vs Cats: 7 + 10 = 17
Waratahs vs Sharks: 7 + 12 = 19
Reds vs Chiefs: 12 + 7 = 19
Bulls vs Hurricanes: 8 + 10 = 18
Stormers vs Highlanders: 8 + 13 = 21
Blues vs Chiefs: 7 + 10 = 17
Waratahs vs Cats: 7 + 11 = 18
Bulls vs Highlanders: 6 + 9 = 15
Brumbies vs Sharks: 8 + 16 = 24
Reds vs Crusaders: 10 + 8 = 18
Stormers vs Hurricanes: 7 + 14 = 21
Hurricanes vs Cats: 12 + 8 = 20
Bulls vs Brumbies: 10 + 9 = 19
Stormers vs Waratahs: 5 + 10 = 15
Reds vs Blues: 11 + 8 = 19
Highlanders vs Sharks: 11 + 11 = 22
Bulls vs Waratahs: 8 + 10 = 18
Hurricanes vs Sharks: 14 + 10 = 24
Highlanders vs Cats: 9 + 8 = 17
Chiefs vs Crusaders: 12 + 4 = 16
Stormers vs Brumbies: 14 + 7 = 21
Stormers vs Bulls: 17 + 8 = 25
Hurricanes vs Blues: 4 + 11 = 15
Chiefs vs Waratahs: 8 + 13 = 21
Crusaders vs Highlanders: 6 + 10
Brumbies vs Reds: 7 + 9 = 16
Blues vs Waratahs, 8 + 9 = 17
Sharks vs Cats, 7 + 10 = 17
Highlanders vs Chiefs: 4 + 5 = 9
Hurricanes vs Reds: 16 + 13 = 29
Crusaders vs Brumbies: 6 + 7 = 13
Blues vs Bulls: 10 + 6 = 16
Brumbies vs Highlanders: 11 + 7 = 18
Reds vs Stormers: 10 + 11 = 21
Sharks vs Crusaders: 12 + 5 = 17
Cats vs Chiefs: 13 + 8 = 21
Reds vs Bulls: 10 + 12 = 22
Blues vs Stormers: 7 + 9 = 16
Sharks vs Chiefs: 8 + 7 = 15
Waratahs vs Hurricanes: 6 + 5 = 11
Chiefs vs Stormers: 16 + 9 = 25
Cats vs Crusaders: 9 + 7 = 16
Crusaders vs Bulls, 9 + 8 = 17
Highlanders vs Hurricanes: 7 + 8 = 15
Waratahs vs Brumbies: 7 + 14 = 21
Sharks vs Reds: 8 + 7 = 15
Cats vs Reds: 6 + 10 = 16
Brumbies vs Hurricanes: 7 + 10 = 17
Crusaders vs Stormers: 9 + 13 = 22
Waratahs vs Highlanders: 7 + 11 = 18
Chiefs vs Bulls: 7 + 10 = 17
Sharks vs Blues: 8 + 14 = 22

The match between the Hurricanes and the Reds has produced the most penalties. The match between the Highlanders and the Chiefs has produced the fewest penalties.

In each match in Week 11, the home team condeded fewer penalties than the vistors.

Cards

There were four cards this week. Piet Krause of the Bulls got another one for doing something critically illegal at a tackle.

For the first time there were two red cards. One was for a head butt by the Crusaders' Mose Tuiali'i, the other for Highlanders' Filipo Levi for fighting. In the same incident Justin Harrison was given a yellow card for fighting. (We shall discuss the variation in the body of the discussion.)

The IRB's recommendation for a head-butt stretches from seven to 36 weeks with a norm of 20 weeks. Last week's butters were cited and suspended for eight weeks each. Tuiali'i was suspended for three weeks.

The Crusaders got their first sanctionary card and made it a red one!

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Blues

Y

Y

Y

Brumbies

Y

Y

Bulls

Y

Y

Y

Y

Cats

Y

Chiefs

Y,C

C

Y

Crusaders

R

Highlanders

Y

Y

Y

R

Hurricanes

Y

Reds

Y

Sharks

Y

Y

C

Stormers

Y

Y

C

Waratahs

2Y

Y

Totals

4

3

2

1

2

1

3

4

2

4

4

Tries

The Brumbies have scored most tries, the Reds fewest, despite their splurge this weekend. The most tries by a team in a match is the ten the Brumbies scored.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Blues	3	6	2	0		3	3	9	3	4	4
Brumbies	5	10	2	3	4	7	4	7		4	6
Bulls	2	4	1	4	4	1		3	2	3	3
Cats	2	4	1	3	2		4	2	4	3	2
Chiefs	1	3	3		2	2	5	2	4	4	2
Crusaders	1	3	1		4	6	5	3	5	4	2
Highlanders	5	3	1	4	4	4	4	2		2	4
Hurricanes	1	3	3	5	2	2	4		4	1	3
Reds	1	5	2	3		1	2	3	3	0	6
Sharks	2	2	1	5	2		5	4	3	1	2
Stormers	3	6	1	4	2	3		2	8	2	0
Waratahs	4	6	5	3	3	2	2		7	3	3
Totals	30	55	23	34	29	31	38	37	43	31	37
Average	2,5	4,8	3,9	3,4	2,9	3,1	3,8	3,7	4,3	2,6	3,1

2. Miscreant identification

There was a tackle and hectic post-tackle activity near the Bulls' line as the Chiefs hurl themselves into the attack.

The Bulls had been guilty on two occasions in the first half - once when the tackler held on and once when the ball-carrier held on. But this case was close to the line.

The referee was unsure of the identification of the guilty party. He stopped play and asked the television match official to identify the guilty player.

The Television Match Official identified Piet Krause.

Is this OK?

The IRB has given SANZAR the following dispensation which applies to Super 12:

SANZAR unions have been granted a dispensation and the following will apply:

If a Referee or Touch Judge observes foul play but is unable to identify the player(s) involved the Referee may ask the TMO to identify the players involved.

The TMO must only identify the player(s) and must not make any recommendation or provide any advice to the referee or touch judges.

Is what Krause did foul play?

Yes.

Law 10 Definition

Foul play is anything a person does within the playing enclosure that is against the letter and spirit of the Laws of the Game. It includes obstruction, unfair play,
repeated infringements, dangerous play and misconduct.

Interestingly in the match between the Blues and the Sharks, Justin Collins of the Blues brought Russel Winter of the Sharks thumping to earth at a kick-off.

The referee, who must have had a good view of an uncluttered area called to his touch judges: "Did you get a number, guys?"

In such a case, if he had been sincerely concerned about an act of foul play, he could have consulted the television match official.

3. "Never back 10 metres"

Carlos Spencer of the Blues scurries back to get a bouncing ball in his 22. He does so and kicks a long kick downfield. It drops at the feet of Russel Winter, strikes his feet and bounces forward to Kees Meeuws.

The Blues player nearest to Winter is Mils Muliaina. Muliaina moves back, so does a Blues player further infield.

The ball shoots from Winter's feet to Kees Meeuws who grabs it. By then Muliaina has fallen back and Meeuws passes to him.

When the ball strikes Winter's feet he is on the Sharks' 10-metre line. When it reaches Meeuws he is a metre and a bit inside his own half.

That tells you that Meeuws is not within 10 metres of Winter.

The other two?

They are retiring - i.e. going back towards their own goalline, as the laws require.

Law 11.4 OFF-SIDE UNDER THE 10-METRE LAW

(a) When a team-mate of an off-side player has kicked ahead, the off-side player is considered to be taking part in the game if the player is in front of an imaginary line across the field which is 10 metres from the opponent waiting to play the ball, or from where the ball lands or may land. The off-side player must immediately move behind the imaginary 10-metre line. While moving away, the player must not obstruct an opponent.

(b) While moving away, the off-side player cannot be put on-side by any action of the opposing team. However, before the player has moved the full 10 metres, the player can be put on-side by any on-side team-mate who runs in front of the player.

Accept that Meeuws was not within 10 metres and that Muliaina had moved back the 10 metres, would Muliaina be on-side when Meeuws passed to him.

It would seem so. But Meeuws was in front of the kicker.

Yes, but he is then liable to penalty only if he moves forward. Meeuws did not move forward.

If he is not within 10 metres of Winter, he comes onside in one of three ways: if Winter runs five metres with the ball, kicks the ball or intentionally plays the ball.

It would seem that Winter's action put Meeuws on-side.

This is all an academic discussion and the referee may well have had somebody else in mind when he penalised the Blues.

4. Obstruction from behind

Noël Oelschig of the Sharks darts ahead. In front of him are Butch James and Russel Winter. They are apart and stand still while Oelschig runs past them. When he has got past Winter, Derren Whitcombe, the Blues' hooker, tackles Winter from behind.

Is Winter obstructing Witcombe?

Law 10.1 OBSTRUCTION

(a) Charging or pushing. When a player and an opponent are running for the ball, either player must not charge or push the other except shoulder-to-shoulder.
Penalty: Penalty kick

(b) Running in front of a ball-carrier. A player must not intentionally move or stand in front of a team-mate carrying the ball, thereby preventing opponents from tackling the current ball-carrier or the opportunity to tackle potential ball-carriers when they gain possession.
Penalty: Penalty kick

(c) Blocking the tackler. A player must not intentionally move or stand in a position that prevents an opponent from tackling a ball carrier.
Penalty: Penalty kick

It would seem that there was no blocking intent on Winter's part, that he had not done anything to prevent Whitcombe from getting to Oelschig, nor was he in front of Oelschig when Witcombe did his tackling act.

Does it seem that the law is perhaps not as clearly couched as it could be and should it not define obstruction as either going out of your way to play a player who does not have the ball or is in front of the ball carrier?

5. Never over the top

This is a comment on a bit of commentator law.

Carlos Spencer of the Blues runs and is tackled by Eduard Coetzee and Luke Watson. Spencer goes to ground but Coetzee and Watson stay on their feet. The next player to arrive is Kees Meeuws who falls on to of Spencer parallel to lines like the goalline. He clearly wants to block the ball.

From behind the heap and on his feet Watson leans over and picks up the ball. Just as he gets it off the ground, Mils Muliaina arrives and drives into Watson. Watson is penalised. The referee gives the ruck formed sign and says that the ball was clearly on the other side.

The commentators discuss the decision from the slow-mo.

Commentator 2: The question is - was the ball out?
Commentator 1: You can't dive over the top like that.
Commentator 2: Was he on his feet?
Commentator 1: It doesn't matter. You can't play over the top.
Commentator 2: That's true.

There is a lot in this which is not true. It does make a difference if you are on your feet when you play. You are allowed to play the ball if it is on the other side of the bodies, provided that there is no ruck. There is no ruck if the ball is not on the ground. No player is allowed to lie on top of a player on the ground, even if it is a player of his side and certainly not to seal off the ball.

6. Advantage over

The Chiefs have the ball just inside the Bulls half. They move the ball to their left about five metres in from touch. Gary Botha, the Bulls' hooker tackles Derek Maisey, but Botha is off-side. The referee calls advantage as he does again at the subsequent tackle,. The ball comes back cleanly to the Chiefs and fly-half Glen Jackson, who has no pressure on him, opts to hook the ball downfield. The ball sails down into the Bulls' 22 where flank Piet Krause, near the touch-line on his left and about ten metres from his goalline, gathers the ball and passes it infield to his fullback, Hennie Daniller.

The referee calls: "Advantage over".

Daniller starts running and eventually the Bulls, score a try.

Referee's fault?

Silly.

Jackson, under no pressure exercised his option. He could have run. He could have passed. He could have kicked the ball somewhere else. That the Chiefs let the Bulls run as far and as freely as they did was hardly the referee's fault.

This year it seems that the referees are quicker to proclaim the advantage over than formerly. It certainly saves big chunks of the game from being declared a waste of time.

In contrast to this advantage there was a long advantage in the match between the Waratahs and the Highlanders. The Waratahs attacked on their left. The Highlanders went off-side and the referee called "Advantage".

The Waratahs won the ball and went right. There was a tackle thing. They went right again. There was another tackle thing and they won the ball again and went right again. Tackle and right, tackle and left, tackle and left. Tuqiri went at the line. Then they went all the way back to the original infringement.

To some the Waratahs would have had lots of tactical advantage, lots of chances to platy.

7. KO 22?

Shane Berne, the Waratah flyhalf, kicks a high, long diagonal kick from left to right. Lote Tuqiri, the Waratah wing, chases, jumps and in the Highlanders' in-goal knocks the ball forward, and out over touch-in-goal.

The referee awards a five-metre scrum to the Highlanders.

Commentator 1: He's called a knock-on.
Commentator 2: You can be sure they would've preferred a 22.

In fact the law requires the referee to give the scrum.

Law 22. 12 ATTACKING INFRINGEMENT WITH SCRUM PENALTY

If an attacking player commits an infringement in in-goal, for which the penalty is a scrum, for example, a knock-on, play is restarted with a 5-metre scrum. The scrum is formed in line with the place of the infringement and the defending team throws in the ball.

8. Kasprowicz's claws

The Highlanders throw in at a line-out five metres from the Waratahs' line. Simon Kasprowicz of the Waratahs, head swathed like a World War I casualty, is at No.2 in the line-out but Simon Maling of the Highlanders gets the ball and the Highlander s form a maul.

Kasprowicz strives with might and main to keep the Highlanders back from his line. He joins in the shoving behind Maling and is caught up inch the maul. He does not bind but with his arms over the top of the players tries to get a hold on the ball.

As the maul wiggles to the right and Kasprowicz finds himself in the midst of bent Highlanders.

Kasprowicz gets his hands on the ball and with strength and determination forces it back to his side.

Was he off-side?

No.

Firstly he got there legally.

Secondly he did not leave the maul. He stayed there.

Law 17.2 (b)  A player must be caught in or bound to the maul and not just alongside it.

Kasprowicz was caught in the maul.

He did not try to collapse the maul.

He did nothing wrong.

9. Fiddling on the ground

Sireli Bobo, the Hurricanes' right-wing, goes down the touch-line and foots ahead. Mark Gerrard and Bobo scramble after the ball as it swirls erratically infield. Both players fall to the ground. There is no tackle. Lying on the ground Bobo stretches out and scoops the ball back to his centre Tane Tuipolutu who is charging up in support. Gerrard gets to his feet and intercepts the scoop.

The referee penalises Bobo.

Look at the whole of Law 14 and it's hard to find the case covered by the law.  The law deals with the ball on the ground and the player on the ground with it or the ball on the ground and the player falling on it.

The law lays down a principle:

Law 14 Definition

The game is to be played by players who are on their feet. A player must not make the ball unplayable by falling down. Unplayable means that the ball is not immediately available to either team so that play may continue.
A player who makes the ball unplayable, or who obstructs the opposing team by falling down, is negating the purpose and spirit of the game and must be penalised.
A player who is not tackled, but who goes to ground while holding the ball, or a player who goes to ground and gathers the ball, must act immediately.

1 PLAYER ON THE GROUND

The player must immediately do one of three things:
Get up with the ball, or
Pass the ball, or
Release the ball.

A player who passes or releases the ball must also get up or move away from it at once. Advantage is played only if it happens immediately.

Bobo did make the ball playable immediately. He did act immediately. He did not make the ball unplayable. In fact he helped to make it more playable by getting it up.

10. Fighting:

We are talking about the boxing that Filipo Levi and Justin Harrison indulged in when the Waratahs played the Highlanders.

The Waratahs score a try, and the Highlanders kick off high. Daniel Vickerman catches the ball. Levi is there to put pressure. Harrison comes in from behind, lifts Levi's leg and capsizes him. While Levi is lying on the ground Harrison appears to stand over him saying angry-looking things, likely not to be complimentary.

Levi throws out a hand at Harrison's mouth. This angers Harrison who runs after Levi grabbing him at the throat and saying things with an angry appearance. He holds on for some time. Levi and Levi holds onto Harrison. Levi then punches at Harrison and the two engage in punching. Levi punches nine times, Harrison eight times. Two Levi uppercuts and one Harrison punch seem to be possibly effective.

The two go to ground with players gathered round.

After there is quiet the referee and the touch judges confer. The upshot is a yellow card for Harrison and a red card for Levi.

At the time the Waratahs led 21-7, which became 28-7, which ended 29-28 to the Highlanders.

A yellow and a red.  Unfair?

First of all, there is no hard-and-fast rule for the referee to apply beyond the awarding of a penalty. He is expected to use his discretion with regards to anything else..

Law 10.4 (a) Punching or striking. A player must not strike an opponent with the fist or arm, including the elbow, shoulder, head or knee(s).
Penalty: Penalty kick

He referee's further action is covered by Law 10.5 Sanctions

(a) Any player who infringes any part of the Foul Play Law must be admonished, or cautioned and temporarily suspended and sent off.

(b) A player who has been cautioned and temporarily suspended who then commits a second cautionable offence within the Foul Play Law must be sent off.

So there - the law leaves the further sanction to the referee.

So it was acceptable in terms of the laws for the referee to penalise Greg Somerville for punching Adri Badenhorst and do nothing further about. It was also acceptable for the referee to treat Levi and Harrison differently.

The wisdom and so on of the actions can be debated at length and with inevitable bias but that the referees acted within their jurisdiction is undoubted.