Rugby Red Card - Lest we forget

Lest we forget

Written by Neville Huxham, on 23-10-2007 15:46

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As the cheering dies down, some events during RWC 2007 must not go unremembered

First, however, let’s step back a bit and gain clearer perspective.

Last July in Christchurch, the Boks and All Blacks were 6-6 going into the second half. Pedrie Wannenberg was sin-binned for not releasing at the breakdown, and while he was off, the All Blacks piled on three tries and two penalties to lead by 33-6.

The Boks captain on the day, Johann Muller, expressed amazement that the All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, hadn’t been carded for committing the same offence.

“If that had happened,” Muller commented afterwards, “it would have been a totally different game.”

No question at all about that! But silly of Muller to expect anything else from the Antipodean match officials.

A month earlier, the touring French lost their first Test to the All Blacks in Wellington by 42-11.

And the common factor in both the Bok and Tricolor Tests: Aussie referee Stuart Dickinson!

French coach Bernard Laporte was understandably incensed by the level of bias displayed by Dickinson. In a very public spat at the hotel, Laporte made no secret of his contempt for Dickinson telling him that France would ‘refuse to play’ in any game in which Dickinson was the ref.

Strangely, Dickinson was not allocated any of France’s games in RWC 2007.

And let us not forget that it was Kiwi Paul Honiss who, single-handedly, trounced the Boks 49-0 in Brisbane! Honiss set the scene for the All Blacks to hammer the Boks the very next weekend.

It is a very sad commentary on the psychology of the Kiwi players, that they must win at any cost. Even if it means that McCaw and Collins cheat in every ruck and maul. But I guess they learnt that from Sean Fitzpatrick, one of the greatest thugby players NZ has ever produced.

No wonder they’re reportedly receiving psychological counselling to deal with their ‘disaster’. But by what arrogance did they imagine that the All Blacks chokers have the inalienable right to be in the final?

After all, they’ve only won the Webb Ellis Cup once in their lives, and that was at home.

Which leads me to suggest that the SA Rugby Union, in its moment of glory, must use the opportunity to tell the IRB that the Springboks will never accept to play in any games refereed by Stu Dickinson, Steven Walsh, or Paul Honiss. If Laporte can do so, then why not the World Champions!

Their obvious bias against the Boks – during the Super 14, Tri-Nations and RWC - was a constant threat to the Boks and their fans. It can be seriously argued that both Honiss and Walsh did their very best in their officiating to upset the Boks in this year’s RWC matches.

It has to be one of Fate’s grandest and most-applauded interventions that saw the All Blacks limp ignominiously out of the contest.

Credit must be given to France for having the balls to take on the haka, face-to-face! It was a bold and long overdue action, and it obviously and seriously unsettled the Kiwis. The French showed the rugby world how to deal with the haka, and for that action – and beating the All Blacks – one can only echo the heartfelt chorus of ‘Viva la France.’

And never mind Kiwis – you only have to wait another four years for your next opportunity!

By the way, that Dickinson did not award the try by England’s winger Mark Cueto should not count in his favour. The eyes of millions of fans around the world were on him, and it would have been the height of stupidity to argue against the video.

Once again, I’m not suggesting that Dickinson is stupid. Just biased!

By the time the next RWC comes around, the rules will have been changed. IRB President Dr Syd Millar has confirmed that the laws are being examined. We can only hope that the examination includes sorting out the cozy old boys’ club that exists among the referees, and the bad apples get dumped.

And while Syd is about it, how about trying to appoint match officials in such a way that conflicts of interest are avoided, and they cannot influence the outcome to favour their compatriots. That would be a good start.

Perhaps the SA Rugby Union could take the lead in informing the IRB about the disquiet of SA rugby fans, now that Jake White and his lads have given SARU the status to be taken seriously.

But I guess that depends on how long SARU decides to have Jake around!

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