Rugby - See You In Ten!

[Andydog]

Ahh, just saw that Caligastia slipped a suggestion in there about TV refs. I think that could work, provided that today's ref can accept a lot of his power being stripped.

[Caligastia]

It would require a lot of cooperation between the two refs...

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Andydog
If refs work to IRB directives then why would there be one set of directives for the SH and another for the NH refs?

The problem is that the NH referees are currently changing their way to police a game according to the IRB's directives based on Murdoch's... euh, no, sorry... on the Rugby played in the SH. But the games they are policing in the NH are different as they are still closer to the spirit of the original Rugby game (you know, scrums, mauls... etc). The SH referees are used to rule games like this when the NH referees must learn a different way of policing a game.

You make an interesting point about the speed of the modern game making it more difficult to police. Perhaps make more use of touch judges?

The two we know today are already useless as it is well known they are blind. Adding more of them won't be very useful if they share the same flaws.

For example, give the touch judges the priority call on, say, forward passes. Perhaps there is a way to make more use of TV refs.

This is a possibility, we could also imagine two referees on the field, each in charge of a different aspect of the game. Imagine a scrum (it should not be too difficult they have not yet disappeared in the SH), the behavior of the forwards could be very different with a referee looking for a foul under the scrum while the backs would think twice before putting themselves off-side with the other referee watching for them.

This was tested a few years ago during a Junior RWC in France and the results were great: game time doubled and number of fouls halved.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Andydog
If refs work to IRB directives then why would there be one set of directives for the SH and another for the NH refs?

The differences are disappearing. As Tamerlin observes in his typically unbiased, objective way.

You make an interesting point about the speed of the modern game making it more difficult to police. Perhaps make more use of touch judges? For example, give the touch judges the priority call on, say, forward passes. Perhaps there is a way to make more use of TV refs.

But it's already the touchies' job to watch for things like forward passes. I think the touchies have the same problem as the refs - the speed of the modern game can leave them behind. In fact, having four touchies - each controlling a quarter - isn't a bad idea. Much easier to implement than a second ref, and, theoretically, it would guarantee two touchies always up with the play, ready to monitor forward passes and even offside.

I have a real problem with more use of TV refs. The more they're involved, the more interruptions to the game. I think their involvement in deciding on problematic tries is fine, but I'd prefer it left at that.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
The problem is that the NH referees are currently changing their way to police a game according to the IRB's directives based on Murdoch's... euh, no, sorry... on the Rugby played in the SH. But the games they are policing in the NH are different as they are still closer to the spirit of the original Rugby game (you know, scrums, mauls... etc). The SH referees are used to rule games like this when the NH referees must learn a different way of policing a game.

Sorry. What's actually happening at the moment is that no ref - regardless of his hemisphere - is policing things like offside properly.

This was tested a few years ago during a Junior RWC in France and the results were great: game time doubled and number of fouls halved.

Ah, so it was you who reported that experiment. Frankly, I think it will eventually happen. With modern training methods and fitness levels, the game can only get faster.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
The differences are disappearing. As Tamerlin observes in his typically unbiased, objective way.

Impartiality is my trademark.

Ah, so it was you who reported that experiment.

Yep!

Frankly, I think it will eventually happen. With modern training methods and fitness levels, the game can only get faster.

I hope it myself...

[st_swithin]

Here come the judge...

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


Impartiality is my trademark.

[finbar]

Hey, Tamerlin, I made a reasonably classic Daube last night. Well, we had it last night, but it took 24 hours to prepare. Beef cheeks marinated in a litre of red wine and 500ml of port with aromatic vegetables and herbs for 24 hours. Drain the cheeks, dredge them in flour, brown them and put them into an ovenproof dish. Fry the marinated armomatic vegies, add them to the browned cheeks. Reduce the litre and a half of red wine and port to a syrup, add it to the browned cheeks and vegies. Cover with veal stock, seal the lid on tightly, and put the dish in a 250F oven for 4 hours.

The meat just about melts. Truly sensational!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Hey, Tamerlin, I made a reasonably classic Daube last night. Well, we had it last night, but it took 24 hours to prepare. Beef cheeks marinated in a litre of red wine and 500ml of port with aromatic vegetables and herbs for 24 hours. Drain the cheeks, dredge them in flour, brown them and put them into an ovenproof dish. Fry the marinated armomatic vegies, add them to the browned cheeks. Reduce the litre and a half of red wine and port to a syrup, add it to the browned cheeks and vegies. Cover with veal stock and put the dish in a 250F oven for 4 hours.

The meat just about melts. Truly sensational!

Finbar, you are proving everyday that there is at least one educated man in the Southern Hemisphere.


Caligastia, of course I am impartial, I have no involvement in SH Rugby... that which can not be said about many other posters in this thread.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Caligastia, of course I am impartial, I have no involvement in SH Rugby... that which can not be said about many other posters in this thread.

No involvement in SH rugby - a mandatory prerequisite for rugby impartiality....

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


Finbar, you are proving everyday that there is at least one educated man in the Southern Hemisphere.

Why do you think I'm trying to escape from this sh*thole of a country!

[Andydog]

Hey Tamerlin, I made a fantastic barbeque last night. Cut a 44 gallon drum in half and plonked a Safeways shopping trolley on top of it. Smashed up half the back fence and there's your charcoal. Whacked on the bangers, chops, steaks and mushies, hooked into the Grolsh, and washed the lot down with a few Tullamore Dews.

I'll wager you won't find recipe that in any of your French cooking books.

[ravagon]

Now that sounds like my sort of gourmet cooking - particularly wrt ease and time of preparation.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Andydog
Hey Tamerlin, I made a fantastic barbeque last night. Cut a 44 gallon drum in half and plonked a Safeways shopping trolley on top of it. Smashed up half the back fence and there's your charcoal. Whacked on the bangers, chops, steaks and mushies, hooked into the Grolsh, and washed the lot down with a few Tullamore Dews.

I'll wager you won't find recipe that in any of your French cooking books.

I already knew that there could be only one educated man in the whole Southern Hemisphere.

Ravagon, it's not Friday!