.
You all saw the French team answer to the NZ haka.
Before that, England fans had answered one day by covering the haka song with their "Swing low, sweet chariot..."
But maybe the first answer was by Scotsmen...?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAgNNPSMY1M
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Rugby referee of France New Zealand
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A friend started a discussion on how good / biased was the referee of the world cup final. And many media are giving a lot of noise about this. Here is what I have offered as comments to my friend:
(of course you can also read the October 19 blog on Rugby referee...! a must if you did not read it yet...)
"As French and Canadian citizen, I think that New Zealand deserved the title of the world best team for the whole tournament and for the last few years.
But... strictly on the final game, with Dan Carter out of the NZ team, and if you don't know which teams are playing, certainly France could deserve the victory with 55% ball possession and territory advantage.
But France had their chances with the NZ missed penalties, and their own missed penalties. Number 10 Para having to leave the field was the key for France...
I also think that both France and NZ defences were heroic, and explain the low score.
It is also not the first time that a local team wins a disputed victory...
On one hand the referee had to keep refering half way between Southern Hemisphere and European standards...! And in many previous games I saw arms around the neck which did not even bring a verbal warning, forget a penalty...! I understand it is the Southern Hemisphere way to give priority to the game flowing...
We also all know that in some occasions we will not whistle something with the intent of letting it happen also for the other team... of course if the other team does not do the same infraction... it will look biased by the end of the game! As a point, the first scrum did not happen until the 19th minute...!
We also all know that referees can be looking somewhere else at the critical second (off side, etc...), or that they might have a blank for a split second, of course in a final you dont expect those, but they will arrive. Mind you the assistant referees on the touch line are there to help...
In fact, for me, where the referee showed a bit of "soft" side towards the NZ infractions was when he gave them verbal warnings, in the second half, on 2 or 3 occasions instead of a penalty while it occurred between the 22m and the 40m... Verbal warnings in the first half, OK. In the second half, in the last 20 mns, with one point difference, I know you are probabling offering the game, but... well...
If the game had been in France, and it had been reffed by a European ref, France would have had more chances. It does not mean they would have taken them!... Dont forget that both 9 and 10 were replaced in both teams by middle of the second half.
The final word...?
NZ news papers said it nicely; "Merci France"
Everybody has explained that it was a way to thank France for the beautiful game offered, which has won millions of spectators to rugby, even if they did not see the little things we saw... Rugby won its bet of becoming the flowing game by excellence while still a physical game.
I think the "Merci France" was bit more than that, it was a thank you France for two more things:
- Having won the toss and having chosen the white jersey instead of the black and blue, so the All Blacks could play in black in front of their public...
- Having accepted the referring of the second half without any comment on the field and without any public comment afterwards.
Remember, rugby is a state of mind... and the referee should be respected, at all times, including after the game...
For that attitude also, Thierry Duseautoir deserved his award today of best player of the year, not just for his tackles, and for the very few penalties he ever get on the field.
Now in London in 2015, I bet on a final between two European countries, reffed by a European referee... May the best team win. Could Canada supply a touch judge...!?!"
A friend started a discussion on how good / biased was the referee of the world cup final. And many media are giving a lot of noise about this. Here is what I have offered as comments to my friend:
(of course you can also read the October 19 blog on Rugby referee...! a must if you did not read it yet...)
"As French and Canadian citizen, I think that New Zealand deserved the title of the world best team for the whole tournament and for the last few years.
But... strictly on the final game, with Dan Carter out of the NZ team, and if you don't know which teams are playing, certainly France could deserve the victory with 55% ball possession and territory advantage.
But France had their chances with the NZ missed penalties, and their own missed penalties. Number 10 Para having to leave the field was the key for France...
I also think that both France and NZ defences were heroic, and explain the low score.
It is also not the first time that a local team wins a disputed victory...
On one hand the referee had to keep refering half way between Southern Hemisphere and European standards...! And in many previous games I saw arms around the neck which did not even bring a verbal warning, forget a penalty...! I understand it is the Southern Hemisphere way to give priority to the game flowing...
We also all know that in some occasions we will not whistle something with the intent of letting it happen also for the other team... of course if the other team does not do the same infraction... it will look biased by the end of the game! As a point, the first scrum did not happen until the 19th minute...!
We also all know that referees can be looking somewhere else at the critical second (off side, etc...), or that they might have a blank for a split second, of course in a final you dont expect those, but they will arrive. Mind you the assistant referees on the touch line are there to help...
In fact, for me, where the referee showed a bit of "soft" side towards the NZ infractions was when he gave them verbal warnings, in the second half, on 2 or 3 occasions instead of a penalty while it occurred between the 22m and the 40m... Verbal warnings in the first half, OK. In the second half, in the last 20 mns, with one point difference, I know you are probabling offering the game, but... well...
If the game had been in France, and it had been reffed by a European ref, France would have had more chances. It does not mean they would have taken them!... Dont forget that both 9 and 10 were replaced in both teams by middle of the second half.
The final word...?
NZ news papers said it nicely; "Merci France"
Everybody has explained that it was a way to thank France for the beautiful game offered, which has won millions of spectators to rugby, even if they did not see the little things we saw... Rugby won its bet of becoming the flowing game by excellence while still a physical game.
I think the "Merci France" was bit more than that, it was a thank you France for two more things:
- Having won the toss and having chosen the white jersey instead of the black and blue, so the All Blacks could play in black in front of their public...
- Having accepted the referring of the second half without any comment on the field and without any public comment afterwards.
Remember, rugby is a state of mind... and the referee should be respected, at all times, including after the game...
For that attitude also, Thierry Duseautoir deserved his award today of best player of the year, not just for his tackles, and for the very few penalties he ever get on the field.
Now in London in 2015, I bet on a final between two European countries, reffed by a European referee... May the best team win. Could Canada supply a touch judge...!?!"
Rugby - France - Thierry Dusautoir
.
The French captain Thierry Dusautoir has been named player of the year by the IRB.
A well deserved recognition, for the way he has lead his team on the field, and no doubt outside the field. He also scored the only try of France in the final, like a center, and he delivered some perfect tackles against the all blacks. He also never got a penalty against him in any recent games I can remember of, and he is very serious and concentrated all the time.
Well done Thierry, and well deserved.
Of course now all of France is expecting a victory in the 6 mations of 2012, but... some players are reaching 33 years old, a good age for a referee, not necessarily for a player! and so I would expect France to line up a team in 2012 with the 2015 world cup in mind... like England...
Let the young kids roll in...!
The French captain Thierry Dusautoir has been named player of the year by the IRB.
A well deserved recognition, for the way he has lead his team on the field, and no doubt outside the field. He also scored the only try of France in the final, like a center, and he delivered some perfect tackles against the all blacks. He also never got a penalty against him in any recent games I can remember of, and he is very serious and concentrated all the time.
Well done Thierry, and well deserved.
Of course now all of France is expecting a victory in the 6 mations of 2012, but... some players are reaching 33 years old, a good age for a referee, not necessarily for a player! and so I would expect France to line up a team in 2012 with the 2015 world cup in mind... like England...
Let the young kids roll in...!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Rugby - France New Zealand
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What a game... who needs rugby 7s when the first scrum came 19 minutes into the game!...
France got 55% of territory and ball possession against 45% for New Zealand... but New Zealand won 8-7...
Both teams defended very well, except in two occasions... when they both scored! No doubt we will see next year on the fields the set play in the alignment that brought NZ only try! The prop left the front of the line and ran to the middle of the line-out, the lock deflected the ball to him and he ran to the goal line 5m away with the whole French team waiting at the back of the line-out... I am not sure where was French number 9 who could have done the first tackle...
New Zealand number 9, Haka leader and scrum half, missed three set kicks in the first half. He was probably destabilised by the French team answer to the Haka...! He was replaced half way through the second half when his engagement kick went straight into touch... enough was enough, not his day...
Both teams fly-halves number 10 were out for injury before the half time. So when France also changed their scrum half in the second time, both teams were playing with replacement players for positions 9-10... Of course the same final with Dan Carter would have probably been different, but a game is a game...
PS: The referee was right to warn verbally NZ teamthrough their captain... a shame for France that none of these verbal was whistled as penalty, outside the 22m of NZ... a game is a game...
Rugby won for sure, a nice flowing game from both teams, with very few penalties or even verbal warnings...
France demonstrated again that nobody can predict how well or how bad they will play, but they certainly deserve the number 2 world ranking they might get after this game! If you live in Europe, do not miss next year France Wales or France Ireland, plus Wales Ireland, and of course all the games of England which will no doubt want to rebuild immediately in view of the 2015 rugby world cup in England!
Due to the immense demand (my son, and... let me think...) I will keep this blog open for rugby news in the Village and comments.
What a game... who needs rugby 7s when the first scrum came 19 minutes into the game!...
France got 55% of territory and ball possession against 45% for New Zealand... but New Zealand won 8-7...
Both teams defended very well, except in two occasions... when they both scored! No doubt we will see next year on the fields the set play in the alignment that brought NZ only try! The prop left the front of the line and ran to the middle of the line-out, the lock deflected the ball to him and he ran to the goal line 5m away with the whole French team waiting at the back of the line-out... I am not sure where was French number 9 who could have done the first tackle...
New Zealand number 9, Haka leader and scrum half, missed three set kicks in the first half. He was probably destabilised by the French team answer to the Haka...! He was replaced half way through the second half when his engagement kick went straight into touch... enough was enough, not his day...
Both teams fly-halves number 10 were out for injury before the half time. So when France also changed their scrum half in the second time, both teams were playing with replacement players for positions 9-10... Of course the same final with Dan Carter would have probably been different, but a game is a game...
PS: The referee was right to warn verbally NZ teamthrough their captain... a shame for France that none of these verbal was whistled as penalty, outside the 22m of NZ... a game is a game...
Rugby won for sure, a nice flowing game from both teams, with very few penalties or even verbal warnings...
France demonstrated again that nobody can predict how well or how bad they will play, but they certainly deserve the number 2 world ranking they might get after this game! If you live in Europe, do not miss next year France Wales or France Ireland, plus Wales Ireland, and of course all the games of England which will no doubt want to rebuild immediately in view of the 2015 rugby world cup in England!
Due to the immense demand (my son, and... let me think...) I will keep this blog open for rugby news in the Village and comments.
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