Ref to root out thugs
3 Jul 2009
Referee Stuart Dickinson won’t tolerate any off-the-ball scuffles when the Springboks host the Lions at Ellis Park.
Dickinson met with the coaching staff of both teams on Thursday, and a big point of discussion was the amount of pushing and shoving after the whistle had gone. The second Test was especially brutal, and often more than three players got involved in an unnecessary barney.
Lions assistant coach Warren Gatland said this kind of thing has no place in the game, a view he said is shared by his South African counterparts. At Ellis Park on Saturday, there should be far fewer incidents.
‘The referee won’t tolerate any off-the-ball incidents,’ he told keo.co.za. ‘A lot of pushing and a lot of verbals after the whistle has been evident in both Tests thus far. It’s not a good advertisement for the game.
‘We want a hard and physical contest, but this off-the-ball stuff we can do with out.’
Gatland said he sympathised with the South Africans who have expressed their disappointment with the suspension of Bakkies Botha. The Bok lock cleared Adam Jones from a ruck but was cited for illegal play. Gatland told Peter de Villiers and Gary Gold he felt it was a shocking call.
‘We had no problem with Bakkies’s clearance, Adam had not problem with the clearance and I thought it was a tough decision. Maybe it’s because Bakkies does have a history of not using his arms, but on that occasion, there was nothing wrong with the challenge.
‘I know [IRB referee chief] Paddy O’Brien disagreed with the decision and it is something the IRB will have to look at, as there are 50 instances [such as Botha's perfectly legitimate clearance] in any given game.’
Gatland said he expects another intensely physical battle on Saturday and is confident his charges will meet the challenge head-on. Another defeat means a 3-0 whitewash, a result Gatland believes won’t reflect a competitive series.
‘We’ve won a lot of respect on this tour so we can’t let it go down the tubes now. If we don’t front physically, we are in trouble.
‘Four years ago the Lions lost the first two Tests [to the All Blacks] and then took 50 points in the third. So much has been gained on this tour that the individual players can take back to their home nations, but it’s not over yet. We have to finish on a high.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Johannesburg
86 Comments
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3 Jul 2009, 16:04 pm
LOL
3 Jul 2009, 16:11 pm
#47 sideline: what were his comments?
3 Jul 2009, 16:17 pm
#45 Sheriff: no, i do!
3 Jul 2009, 16:18 pm
#14 cane:
You obviously weren’t watching last saturdays game.
3 Jul 2009, 16:26 pm
#43 Sheriff:
I have one answer for that.
Jou ma.
3 Jul 2009, 16:30 pm
#14 cane: Bullshit Cane. Sheridan will provoke and when someone retaliates he play acts to get a decision.He plays on the pretext that he is so big and strong that he doesn’t need to push his weight around and refs will see it as an action against him rather than a retaliation.Go and watch some of his club games and the recent 6 nations.
3 Jul 2009, 16:33 pm
Dickheadson, what a jerk!!!!!!!!!!!
3 Jul 2009, 16:58 pm
PDivvie’s comments were once again laughable:
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/international/all-change-ndash-but-illwill-lingers-on-1729512.html
If the Springbok management had been confident of winning the Botha case, there was no great outburst of anguish; instead, their increasingly extraordinary head coach Peter de Villiers blamed the fraught events of the last few days on the travelling media. “We had negative media from Britain in 1974 and 1980, and now I’ve allowed it again in 2009. What a stupid bugger I am. I’ve learnt that if they can’t win on the field, they’ll try to win anywhere else they can.”
3 Jul 2009, 16:59 pm
Re post 58. Snor’s got a point but he shouldn’t have made it public. It gives the gutter journo’s something more to feed on.
3 Jul 2009, 17:06 pm
It would be really something if Dickenson can , with his intolerance to off the ball “incidents” ensure that the game is played accordingly. It would be better still if he (Dickenson) could eliminate the occasional errors from his “game” or at least the crucial ones!
3 Jul 2009, 17:36 pm
#58 waspfan:
Actually thats the first intelligent thing he’s said all week. The British “journalists” are all gutted that their heroes were shown up on the field so are taking out their frustration by attacking all things south african. I am no PDV fan but I now respect him more than all the Nick Cains and Stephen Jones’s of this world
3 Jul 2009, 17:49 pm
#61 rich1: Good point Rich. He should learn to use the media tho, not fight them. It’s a battle he’s not going to win in the long run.
3 Jul 2009, 18:06 pm
Keep your mouth shut Snor
3 Jul 2009, 18:14 pm
#52. byoboy
according to BOD he was semiappalled by Schalk “clearly gouging” and “semirepulsed” by PDV’s support of him. Pesrsonally I think BOD had a semi game…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8127785.stm
3 Jul 2009, 18:15 pm
#58 waspfan:
Sorry to burst PdV’s bubble but the ’74 Lions were by far the better side. Journo’s had nothing to do with the outcome.
The only one who did was the SA ref in the final test who failed to award the Lions a clear cut penalty try thus denying them of a ‘clean sweep’.
Just waiting for PdV to try and claim compensation from the Brits blaming them for his stupidity.
3 Jul 2009, 18:34 pm
don’t worry, Schalk isn’t playing
3 Jul 2009, 18:34 pm
#65 Osama – bin OCO: You still think Snor has a brain? ha ha ha
3 Jul 2009, 18:40 pm
#67 goyougoodthing2:
Nah I’m sure the Brits pulled it out of his left nostril when he was a boy
3 Jul 2009, 20:03 pm
#68 Osama – bin OCO: Those colonial b’stards lol
3 Jul 2009, 22:26 pm
#58 waspfan: Hey Chop – just because you poms are soft K..O..CKS and can’t take the pace, don’t come with a load of bollacks……even Gatland said there was nothing wrong with the clear out – look at you soccer league – a bunch of nancies and actors…..
4 Jul 2009, 02:41 am
#4 cambok: I think its a case of overindulgence on teh punishment for Bakkies since Schalk got away with less than he should have. Sounds like the IRB handed a memo to tehciting commisioner that said, “give the Lions a hand will ya, we are trying to keep the series alive.” Expect strange decsions from Dickenson. Hopefully the Boks can overcome this anyway and win.
I expect them to throw the ball around a bit. Great stuff. Cant wait…
4 Jul 2009, 03:15 am
#14 cane: Ja, clearly it was Bekker’s goolies that attacked his fist last week right? Just Like Smit leapt upward and backwards 7 feet into the air and blamed Brad Thorn…
#64 sideline: haveyou seen the pic of BOD gouging Bissie Botha or Spies (its difficult to tell) in the first test? I guess he wasn’t too appalled by that? Note that it was not even mentioned by the Boks after the game.
Its despicable that that self righteous little F$^$K now has tegall to make defamatory comments about others – and even about their coach who was standing up for their character. I wonder if Geech would have stood up for BOD’s character?
check the photo on http://blogs.reuters.com/sport/2009/06/20/south-africa-survive-stirring-lions-fightback-your-views/#comments
4 Jul 2009, 04:50 am
Hey its Dicko…another Saffa hater…apartheid ended long time ago find a new enemy.
Burger is guilty full stop. The Lions are no angels with BOD been a thug.
4 Jul 2009, 06:10 am
I fear tonight’s (my time) game will be all about the ref & not the match play as it rightly should be … self important little narcissist that Dickinson is
4 Jul 2009, 06:11 am
#74 Rugby_Princess:
Dont fear babes,you sexy piece of meat you
4 Jul 2009, 06:39 am
#75 Fern:
Oohh dear – charming as ever.
4 Jul 2009, 07:12 am
Ref to root out thugs? But Bakkies and Bismarck aren’t playing!
4 Jul 2009, 07:19 am
#77 jonnymain:
But some Irishmen are still playing!
Should have had more Scots in the side, I say….
But no worries, we are going to nail their wailing asses with a record score and a whitewash today.
And then send them home to moan and groan over on their little island.
I have been so much looking forward to this tour, but they are obviously not in the same class as ’74.
Very disappointed in O’Gara and BOD especially, us Saffas have always rated them Irish as great sportsmen.
Not anymore.
4 Jul 2009, 07:28 am
#78 Pietman: Good to see you’re confident Piet! As I’ve said before I didn’t expect these Lions to do anything special this time around. English rugby is in a slump, and without a larger contingent from the biggest rugby playing nation in the NH you can’t expect the Lions to have the required quality to beat the best team in the world. NH rugby is poor at the moment, fact.
The Irish are a funny lot. They consider themselves to be great sportsmen and to be honest I think there’s been a big over-reaction to what BOD said and did on tour. He was asked what he thought about PDVs comments re gouging and gave an honest reply, in fact it was a reply that most Saffas would have probably given as well! O’Gara has always been a chop in my book!
4 Jul 2009, 08:32 am
#74 Rugby_Princess: I have never liked DICKinson but at least he is 100% better than Bryce. Bryce is integral in 2 BIL tests… both times he royally phuckt up… At least DICKinson only gets one shot at it.
4 Jul 2009, 08:35 am
#80 RugbyRulz: Dicko was TJ last week along with Bryce wasn’t he? Who’s running the lines today?
4 Jul 2009, 08:38 am
#81 jonnymain: OMG not Bryce AGAIN! DICKinson was the Video Ref last week and he got his decisions right. If Bryce is running the line then he has the opportunity to score 3-0.
4 Jul 2009, 08:43 am
To be fair to DICKinson, the time spent refereeing in the NH this year has done him wonders. He referees the breakdown far more consistently than in the past. He along with most referees misses the offside play (players infront of their kickers) but that really is the Assistant Referees call.
Hopefully he will ref as well as he refereed the Bulls… I thought he was ok. Darn I actually praised him.
4 Jul 2009, 10:23 am
#83 RugbyRulz:
Dickinson has been a lot better recently, actually seems quite fair and consistent lately. Just hope he doesn’t try too hard to please the Brits in the IRB and appease the British press, who will ***** about him unless he sends off all 15 Boks in the first minute
4 Jul 2009, 11:03 am
#80 RugbyRulz:
He is a prima donna … Never a good thing for someone whio is supposed to be impartial.
Imagine the exponential amplification of NH wailing if there had been Saffa ?
5 Jul 2009, 07:22 am
#85 Rugby_Princess: Honestly have to say DICKinson handles the last test well. No dodgy scrumming, let the breakdown flow (within reason),no dumb carding (the only yellow was correct) and even watched MOST of the offside play. Keeping teams onside for a change was refreshing., Naas didn’t comprehend the Ref’ calls of ‘Back’ when kicking out of the 22 (keeping players behind their kicker). Naas surely knew back in his time his team had to be behind their kicker or be run onside by him.
I have to say DICKinson is definitely most improved since his NH sojourn, lets send quite a few more and sack the deadwood.
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