IRELAND beat us well tonight, and deservedly so. They genuinely looked like the Number One team in the world.
That said, for me that game showed the new reality of Rugby Union. Rugby lore used to tell us:
Forwards win games, backs decide by how much.
In this World Cup, and particularly in this match, Rugby folklore had become:
Teams win games, referees and TMOs decide by how much.
The referees have come in for a lot of criticism in France'23; much of the criticism has been ill-deserved. Indeed, I thought, up until Saturday night, Nic Berry had been one of the best. However, in this game, helped by a shell-shocked Scotland team, he was decidedly one-sided; but, still seemed neutral compared to his fellow Australian, TMO Brett Conran – who could spot any Scottish infraction at once, but, with a clear TV picture, couldn't see Irish full-back Hugo Keenan put a foot on the line for what would have been a Scottish 50/22. Then, finally, with two seconds on the clock, Conran gives Scotland a decision.
Conran and Berry could see Ollie Smith trip Johnny Sexton, after the whistle had gone, and decide (perhaps harshly) it was a yellow card, Yet Sexton, who clearly retaliated with a vicious push at Smith escaped punishment. Berry could really have yellow-carded two or three more in the melee which followed the Smith/Sexton incident, but, he chose not to. Poor refereeing.
I still fancy the All Blacks will beat Ireland; if I am wrong there, and it comes down to a France v Ireland final, then France will beat them. They won well tonight, but, they will not win this World Cup.
WATCHING the All Blacks destroy Uruguay on Thursday night had me, not for the first time, cringing at the dumbing down of sports coverage in the mainstream media. Real journalists are increasingly being sidelined from the press boxes, to be replaced by former professionals – to the detriment of the level of coverage; and the way that game was covered was a classic example.
As far back as when the draw for France '23 was made, the outcome of the game was always going to be: “how many?” There was no way the South Americans were going to win that one. Yes, it is to the eternal credit of Uruguay that they kept the All Blacks out over the first quarter of the match. However, it's not as if they weren't in-charge.
The New Zealanders weren't at their best; they kept making unexpected errors, and they had two “tries” disallowed, against one for the Uruguayans chalked off. But, in typical AB's fashion, they kept going through their processes and by the interval, the game was over and the bonus point was achieved.
In the second half, Coach Ian Foster was able to empty his bench and give several fringe players the chance to show what they could do on the world stage.
Man of the Match Damian McKenzie certainly answered the challenge, with his hat-trick of tries and just as many moments of inspiration, such as his incredible off-load for one of Will Jordan's tries. What a conundrum for Foster: McKenzie or Beauden Barrett?
CONGRATULATIONS to Finlay Brown, who is on his way to being an Olympian. The Edinburgh-based referee was this week named among the referees who will control games in this season's HSBC SVNS tournament. Finlay will be refereeing in the Women's competition and he is the only Scottish official to be named among the 24 match officials for this season, which will, of course, include the Paris Olympic Games.
I HAD a bit of a medical emergency on Friday night, so with a couple of brilliant paramedics giving me an ECG and checking me over, I maybe didn't give the Ayrshire Bulls v Southern Knights the attention it deserved. The Bulls went off like rockets, but, between the terrible conditions and some defence which must have pleased Alan Tait, the Knights reined them in and although Bulls eventually claimed their bonus point, the Borderers made things very-difficult for them.
Thomas Glendinning's aerial take of a Christian Townsend cross-kick, before sprinting away for a try, was perhaps the finest bit of skill on-show, but, in a game which turned into an arm-wrestle, McArthur must have been delighted with Bulls' defence to keep out the hard-working Knights' attack.
ELSEWHERE on
Friday night, BATH had
their erse skelped by
Edinburgh, who,
of course, have practically a full team away on World Cup duty.
Given some recent Bath results, all I can say is: Finn Russell is going to have to earn that £1 million per year salary. However, apparently that Bath team and the one which did well to beat Exeter Chiefs in a Premiership Cup tie on Saturday was a case of mixing and matching by the coaching team to cover two games inside 24 hours.
ON SATURDAY, I had my first experience of the pre-game hospitality at Cumnock Rugby Club. If you get the chance to indulge – TAKE IT. The food was marvellous, the company great. Pity Cumnock lost the game, but, well done table-topping Ardrossan.
BEST PERFORMANCE of the Rugby World Cup so-far, by a country mile: TMO Brian McNeice, who just edged referee Andrew Brace in seeing England home.
They noticed every offence made by Samoa, but were strangely blind to England's offences – and, when you have Owen Farrell complaining about a no-arms tackle WTF!!! Mind you, on second thoughts, if any players knows what is a no-arms tackle, it is surely the England captain.
If you're wondering how they won that prize, ahead of Nic Berry and Brett Conran, simple – Brace and McNeice were the edge England needed in a very-tight game; Berry and Conran only extended Ireland's margin of victory, they were measurably the better team.
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