Oh, no - that will not do. No, not at all. No, no, no - can't mix and match studs like that - look, one... two... three rubber, two missing and the rest steel...
The best con I have seen pulled on a ref was when playing in a thirds match. The ref had astounded both teams by insisting that two players changed their studs 20mins prior to kick off and then bamboozled us by asking to speak to both front rows.
Old Tudor suggested this was a little awkward as we only had two front row players and would he mind if we dispensed with contested scrums? Oh, No - contravenes sub section blah blah blah blah... Hang on, says Tudor, our hooker is running late, would a delay of 5 minutes be ok? Yes. Tudor then disappeared off to 'make a call and hurry him up'. He actually toddled into the oppo's changing room and had a chat. Bear in mind he had been propping against this lot for probably 20 years and looked forward to catching up on gossip during scrum time.
So, the hooker 'arrived' at the ground looking very much like the flanker we were going to use anyway, changed quickly and listened intently to the ref's pre-match instruction, nodding earnestly with concertina-ed brows.
The game was possibly all of 2 minutes old before the first scrum (something of a record at that level).
The two front rows lined each other up, snarling, gripping & sweating and 'slammed' into each other like two giant, arthritic, geriatric tortoises with a massive grunt and (the, at the time, obligatory) cry of 'Hit-two-three-four!!!' Absolutely no pressure was applied but there was a great show of wrestling for the slightest advantage and some shushed-and-childish giggling coming from the second rows.
Fair play to the ref, he raised both hands in defeat and played the rest of the game in just the right spirit. Stayed in the bar and had a few laughs and beers. A good day for all, I think.
Julian Davies wrote...
To return to referees. You seem to be strangely
pro-ref - not how I remember you on the field( or indeed in life)- it has always been my experience, in the lower levels of veteran rugby, that the more the ref insists, in the pre match talk, that he intends to play the advantage law, then the less likely he will do so.
Agree with you completely about the
refereeing in the world cup.
If rugby faced the same situation as football has, ie almost no running points being scored in game after game and the only scores coming from pemalties and free kicks then, as has been done in rugby to encourage tries, the scoring system would change. Why not 2 goals for a non-cormer free kick goal?!! The knockout stages were the most boring sporting events I have ever watched. Not a patch on the netball world cup 2000 NZ.
wilbach says, worryingly, i agree on all counts! netball = fantastic game when played with pace and fluidity!
Posted by: Julian Davies | July 14, 2006 6:36 PM