A minute into the game and you knew

one team wasn’t going to be allowed to win.

When a touch judge, who the week previously was the ref, sees a player pretty much pull an opponent out of a ruck/maul by his eye sockets. He says to the ref exactly what he’s seen and then says it should be “at least a yellow card”, which the ref then shows you know one team isn’t going to win the game.

It’s at least a red card when it’s gouging.

Far too many games are being won or lost by referees who are … well I was going to say inconsistent but actually they are consistent. Certain individuals you know before the game they will penalise one side for things they let the other lot off for, you know they will find any little thing to blow up against certain teams.

They are consistent in this.

When the TMO is required they phrase the way they ask about if it’s a try or not depending on the team who have crossed the line. You know they are either asking for the TV official to scrutinise every angle to find a way out of giving the try or he’s being asked not to bother because the ref wants to give it.

As for the South African coach’s response to all this…

I have watched the television footage, and am still convinced that nothing he did was on purpose. He is an honourable man.

What we must understand very clearly, rugby is a contact sport and so is dancing, guys who can’t take it, let’s go to nearest ballet shop and get some tutus If we are going to make it soft because we want a safe series and people don’t like it, I can’t do anything about it Peter de Villiers

It’s almost as bad as Burger’s actions, he is condoning it, yes a coach has to back his players and yes it is a contact sport but that contact is tackling, arms round body not fingers in eyeballs. But he’s saying that’s part of the game it’s OK to do so, would he say that if his player had been on the receiving end, I wonder if he would feel the same if his son (if he has one, I don’t know) came home from playing a game minus an eyeball or two.

Now the minimum sanction for someone who is cited and done for this type of thing is 12 weeks, so how come Burger only got an 8 week sentence? It’s not exactly going to stop it if you only get a 10 minute sin bin and then a couple of weeks ban, especially with certain Unions.

No surprise I’m in agreement with Brian Moore on all of this. One major problem is you won’t get top class refs who know or understand what goes on in the front row, props and hookers don’t really have the physique to be officials, so even with all the laws written down for them they don’t really have a clue who is to blame.

All that being said it didn’t help the Lions cause having that chief choker O’Gara on the bench. Why don’t you just kick it aimlessly up in the air Ronan.

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