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Richie reveals ref secrets
Richie McCaw told the media how he plays the referee and the opposition at the breakdown during matches.
The All Blacks skipper has been labelled a ‘cheat’ by some teams for his contesting and obstructing methods at the tackle point but he is happy with his style of play. McCaw says he knows how to push boundaries at the breakdowns.
‘If you go in gun shy you’re not going to have an impact,’ McCaw told media. ‘I think the big thing is to understand where you sit and what you’re going to get away with and what you’re not.
‘As long as you’re not putting the team under heaps of pressure you’ve got to still be at the point of knowing what you can get away with and what you can’t and the odd thing you might get wrong.’
Against the Springboks in Wellington a fortnight ago, McCaw admitted he was lucky not to receive a yellow card.
‘I think I gave away four penalties or it might have been five and there were a couple of them I was disappointed with.’
McCaw added that he has developed an ability to read a referee with his 85-Test experience.
‘How do I say it? What I think is right and what he (the ref) thinks is right could be different so you’ve got to figure it out pretty quickly,’ he said.
‘I always think the things I’m trying to do are the right things and if he’s penalising me for some reason I think ”geez I’m not going to get away with that today” or ”that’s not going to work with this ref”. Each ref is a little bit different. I have a fairly good understanding of where they’ll sit, just through experiences.’
All Blacks ban betraying photographer
NZRU CEO Steve Tew says there will no legal action taken against photographer Scott Barbour for capturing the All Blacks’ game plans on camera but he has been banned from training sessions.
The Melbourne-based Kiwi photographer created controversy on Wednesday after he took pictures of the All Blacks’ tactics on paper to be used against the Wallabies this Saturday, which were held by head coach Graham Henry at training. The photos were provided by Getty Images and published by the Australian media.
The NZRU have banned Barbour from covering the All Blacks at training during Bledisloe Cup Tests and will not allow Getty to send a replacement photographer. However, there is nothing stopping Barbour from attending this weekend’s clash in Melbourne as the union cannot make rulings on media coverage at matches on Australian soil.
Tew said the NZRU has contacted Getty after the incident and confirmed it will not sue the company.
‘There is no suggestion we will take legal action. We will obligate our contract with them. There will be no spiteful reaction and people are not going to see a knee-jerk reaction,’ Tew told stuff.co.nz.
Tew did not say how long Barbour will be banned, but team manager Darren Shand yesterday hinted that the photographer might be blacklisted.
‘People’s careers hinge on results,’ Shand said, adding that Barbour was no longer welcome at any of the team’s media opportunities.


July 29th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-150: Excuse me, but it’s the player’s job to play the game not get involved with citing or judicial decisions. What would Jones know anyway?
July 29th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-151: jones wouldn’t know what happened to his own body? Are you serious?
July 29th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-152: Deadly. It’s not about whether he was injured or not – it’s about what the officials, the people running this game for everyone to enjoy, saw as dangerous and/or illegal.
July 29th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-153: fine.
July 29th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-153: but wakanathan mustn’t come here and tell us kak, the b&i lion management & adam jones didn’t see anything wrong from what bakkies did, only the citing commissioner! So for him to go on about ‘big f*ck yous’ to the lions and the home nations people is a whole lot of black panther bullsh*t!
Do you agree?
July 29th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-155:
I do but…
only because the ‘big f*uck yous’ was supposed to be directed at the citing commissioner and not the players and fans as BP has suggested but…
as I understand it, the correct way to give a ‘big f*ck yous’ to the citing commissioner is through the proper channels via management and/or board and…
therefore to wear those armbands was giving the middle finger to the entire rugby community showing…
that board and management had no control over the players or…
the board and management condoned the armbands in which case they are just as undisciplined as the players which is exactly what is damaging the Springboks right now…
IMO.
July 29th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Since WHEN does A.Jones’ opinion have any relevance on the matter at all ? If any any player gives an SA-opposite answer they are summarily dismissed as “whingers and hypocrites” – lets take B.O’Ds example from the exact same Test for eg.
A. jones was just applying the Old-School approach of keeping it ‘on the field’. He was, conveniently, praised in SA. B.O’D chose the new-skool approach and pointed the finger. He was demonised.
It matters NOT what the players think. It DOES matter what the International Rugby community thinks, tho.
It was a BIG F*CK YOU, no matter how you try to dress it up.
July 29th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Tell me are the refs ever liable for anything?
I would love to sit down with them after the past 3 games and have them try explain their “interesting” decisions to me, in fact I would pay good money
July 29th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-156:
Quite right, sir, and I might add, you put it far more eloquently.
And we might also cause to remember that the A.Jones quote re the hit from BaXXies, was released BEFORE he tuned in to see Smit lead his men on to the field for the 3rd Test with those arm-billboard saying a BIG F*CK YOU on it. I bet A.Jones must have thought that hilarious as he was in hospital in traction/recuperation for the next 6months.
July 29th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-157: talking about ‘dressing up’, you certainly enjoy flavouring your rambilings with loads of hyperbole hahaahaha
“that gave a big F*CK YOU not only Adam Jones and Luke Fitzgerald, but also to the entire BIL squad and their Home Nations and peoples.”
luke fitzgerald, the one schalk got 8 weeks for allegedly gouging? How were he armbands a ‘f*ck you’ to him, riddle me that, waka?
what a joke!
July 29th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-156: quite right, directed at the farcical – for lack of a better word – decision by the judicial commissioner! And not to adam jones, the b&i lions management, the home nations and all it’s people, that is just ridiculous!
In the game between aus & england this year, the english hooker cleared a ruck with his shoulder, no citing!
At the Cake Tin Schalk did the same thing, went in with his shoulder and knocked corey jane back, ref penalised it. No citation!
And the only vague explanation that one gets is that, the victim didn’t get injured! Give me a break
July 29th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-160:
You have provided the answer all by yourself, thanks very much.
“allegedly”.
July 29th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-162: how predictable
you went for the bait like i anticipated hahaha. Big F*ck Yous hey… You’re a funny guy
July 29th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-148:
you’ve got that wrong muttonchops.
you seem to forget that a precedent has been set.
any ref in an all black game has to worry about your paddy o’brien.
refer stuart dickensen italy/nz.
publicly sh@t on by o’brien for not favouring the kiwis in the scrum.
as i said, a precedent has been set and every ref is now sh*tscared
July 29th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
@charo(charo)-164: quite right old squire… Big Bad Paddy!
July 29th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
@justrugby(justrugby)-70: its true jr.
wether you like it or not.
a strong bulls side and a strong natal side equals a strong bok side.
hell, even a strong lions team equals a wc winning bok squad.
but now we see what effect the mercenary wp have on bok stars (habs and jaque fourie) and the selection of wp darlings over true ysters (louw over steggies) actually has on the bok side.
fear not, the natal and bulls boys will be back to rescue the day once they have had a well earned rest (chuck in two ysters from the FS for good measure).
July 29th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-163: BWAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!
“allegedly”
that had blackpanty reching for the keyboard like a crack addict for a spoon.
we all know the citing commission found schalk not guilty of gouging.
last year the kiwis gave the world a big fk you by saying kicking was not a part if rugby, the year before they gave the world a big fk you by saying that drop goals were not a part of rugby.
the most insular people on earth but a genial bunch by all accounts.
July 29th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
So Richie OFFSIDES McCaw admits he is a cheat
Refs are paid pimps
July 29th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
This appears to be a Keo 1st.
The more the Safas learn to hate Richie, the more the Kiwis learn to love Richie.
A Win-Win result then.
July 29th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
@Boksarenumber5(Boksarenumber1)-168: No, he doesn’t admit he’s a cheat. Because he isn’t one.
He admits only to sometimes making an occasional mistake. That’s not cheating, unless you’re too dumb to comprehend English.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:19 am
@Atreides(Atreides)-128:
Great post Atreides, I fully agree and the notion that it is ok because everybody else does it, does not fly well with me. It is what will make a mockery of the game in the long run.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:26 am
@charo(charo)-164:
“publicly sh@t on by o’brien for not favouring the kiwis in the scrum.” – Charo-164
No, publicly sh@t on by O’Brien for being rubbish on scrum rulings that game. After all Dickenson is an Aussie and in all his reffing career there he won’t have seen what proper scrummaging is.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:31 am
@Boksarenumber5(Boksarenumber1)-168:
Where does he say that?
July 30th, 2010 at 12:34 am
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-172: anyone who watched that game knows Italy should’ve had a couple of penalty tries, what followed was pretty embarrassing for Dickinson, Paddy O’Brien and the IRB.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:34 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-173: The SA propoganda machine in full swing..
not once in that article does he say “I cheat”..
yet every poor losing Saffa has clung to the reporters opinion, not the words quoted, as if it somehow means their team isnt the circus with krusty as their ringleader..
July 30th, 2010 at 12:42 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-174:
And i agree BH.
ABs should have been penalised of the park in that game,i was embarrased watching it myself.
But we all know refs can make mistakes and you seem to be very forgiving to some of them,like Barnes for instance.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:44 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-175:
You know how SOME of these South Africans can read between this lines. Only on the things they want to see cos at the moment i an doing the one finger salute to Bokarenumber5 but he wont see that.
July 30th, 2010 at 12:55 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-177: mate, I dont understand these Saffas..
when they were winning and dishing it ad nauseam, it was only banter and we kiwis couldnt take a joke..
now when we dish it back, the banter, it is personal and vindictive apparently..
must be part of this conspiracy that seems to be the talking point on this blog lately..
what has happened to it all being “just banter” ????
July 30th, 2010 at 1:09 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-178:
Yeah, fair enough….but when is enough enough? You don’t want to carry on like a spiteful little kid now do you? You are starting to sound vindictive…… just my opinion?
July 30th, 2010 at 1:17 am
@whatever(whatever)-179: I agree, 3 weeks compared to 50 weeks, when is enough enough?
July 30th, 2010 at 1:19 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-178:
Poppa, time to get off your high horse before you fall off. You repeat your sentiments at least once a day and we all get the point, really! Now do me a favour and stop labelling the Saffa masses all under the same umbrella, stop, look around and you will find lots of banter still happening.
You know, if you choose to only look out for the bitter and twisted don’t be surprised if that is what you find.
I for one can’t wait till tomorrow where I can sit back, relax and for the first time in 4 weeks just enjoy the rugby when two great teams smash the living daylights out of one another. No yellow cards for the Boks and no loss to contemplate and no hair pulling due to stupid coach selections and substitutions! Can only be a great weekend.
July 30th, 2010 at 1:22 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-178:
When the Boks are winning its called Banter.
If they are losing its called arrogant,cheap shots etc. Not All our South African friends are like this as you know,but some can be a little sensitive.
Good to see our local policeman Whatever is here to calm things down.
July 30th, 2010 at 1:30 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-182: that I do know, its the hypocrisy of it all that is sooooo refreshing…
the fact that we sheepshaggers havent choked in this years 3Ns, guess it was because we didnt return to “hicksville” where NZ rugby is k@k, and we dont have Ritchie Suarez injured this year, along with Paddy who is always chained to our back pocket, and our headmaster coach and his 700 page dossier proves there must have been a conspiracy against the good clowns of SA…
July 30th, 2010 at 1:35 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-183:
Thought there was more to you mate than childish little cheap shots at ALL Saffa’s, but hey I’ve been wrong before……
July 30th, 2010 at 1:42 am
@whatever(whatever)-184: post 183, how often did we hear all that sort of garbage mate?
and you expect me now to just drop it and ignore all that cr@p thats gone before..
double standards indeed…
July 30th, 2010 at 2:10 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-185:
ok mate, whatever turns you on………….have fun! You sound bitter that’s all…..
July 30th, 2010 at 2:20 am
@whatever(whatever)-186:
Janee maybe he should not have hanged around for 10 months of ‘abuse’ from a few select bloggers, I think it left some scars…not sure it can be fixed!
July 30th, 2010 at 2:25 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-182:
Yeah ok, the trick is not to become what you dislike the most…
July 30th, 2010 at 2:49 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-188:
net so!
July 30th, 2010 at 9:21 am
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-148: Well everyone’s been talking about how managing the referee is so important…and they haven;t been very smart about it, so not sure he will be particularly partial to lending them an ear…
July 30th, 2010 at 9:24 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-145: Like I said, a quaint notion these days.
It would be Hymn number 3, the one after “Down with Justice 4″ and “Down with the Gougers”
July 30th, 2010 at 9:27 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-149: If there’s anyone who regularly deserves a big F*CK YOU it’s the B&I Lions….actually nuking the whole god-forsaken collection of muddy sh*t piles would be even better
July 30th, 2010 at 9:30 am
@Atreides(Atreides)-192: Ok maybe not the fans, they were pretty cool. Just their media and the players, then.
July 30th, 2010 at 9:31 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-180: Was that ….a sob?
July 30th, 2010 at 9:32 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-171: Turning into soccer!!!!
July 31st, 2010 at 12:22 am
@Atreides(Atreides)-192:
yes, hmnmmmmm, quite.
let it all hang out
July 31st, 2010 at 1:23 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-185:
and you thought that little love-in was going to last how long, exactly ?