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Opinionated Rugby Commentary - by Fans for Fans
Spill what you really think about events in the rugby world.
Super Rugby Round 12 Review - TMOs, Forward Passes 11 views
06 May 2013 by The Swede Eaters
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Dan Carter
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There were plenty of talking points from Super Rugby Round 12.
Super Rugby Round 12 featured some interesting results with the first four games really close victories (mainly for New Zealand teams), while the Bulls and Waratahs thrashed the Hurricanes and Kings to make it difficult for punters to predict. We saw a return to form for the Crusaders and Highlanders and the realisation that maybe the TMO (television match officials) aren't necessarily worth waiting for to make their decisions. The All Blacks selectors will have their work cutout for them with continued mixed performances by some of their established stars and some worrying injuries.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie was annoyed at the TMO decisions in the Chiefs vs Rebels match. The TMOs have come under criticism for being overused and taking heaps of time to make their decisions. It seems crazy how Scott Higginbotham's try was allowed despite an obvious forward pass. TMOs seem to struggle to pick up forward passes, while they often find ways of not awarding tries through knock ons or the ball not being grounded. It seems inconsistent and it is thought that getting former players to sit alongside the TMO would help. What do you think of the TMO inclusion so far? I think they have been overused so far in the competition and have not really added much to the game. They need to clarify the forward pass law too!
It's under Law 12: http://www.irblaws.com/index.php?law=12
"Definition: Throw forward
A throw forward occurs when a player throws or passes the ball forward. ‘Forward’ means towards the opposing team’s dead ball line."
Which means the referees essentially watch the direction of the players arms when throwing to ensure they run parallel to the horizontal lines of the field or towards their own try line.
I think that even with "relative velocity theory" see below, the Rebels shouldn't have been awarded that Higginbotham try and with the Chiefs try disallowed it was one of the cases where at full pace nothing seemed wrong, but sometimes things in slowmotion look different to normal speed. Think Hosea Gear try against Brumbies. Do you agree with the TMO? I think it needs to be simplified.
http://www.superrugbytips.com/2013/05/the-tmo-in-super-rugby-when-forward.html
Israel Dagg, Ma'a Nonu, Andrew Hore and Tony Woodcock are some All Blacks who have been criticised for being out of form in the Super Rugby 2013 competition. I think this is unfair. While, we expect these players to perform like international stars from the outset of Super Rugby, it isn't realistic since these guys don't join their teams in training until closer to the start of the season because of All Blacks commitments. In some ways though if this trend continues, you wonder if these guys who seem to rise to the challenge surrounded by great players in the All Blacks but struggle in Super Rugby should play Super Rugby at all, or if Super Rugby should only be for the middle tier of players.
There are also problems with some of the older All Blacks struggling with injuries. Keven Mealamu only last for quarter of a game, while Conrad Smith (pictured above) and Richard Kahui have long term doubts over their future in the All Blacks following reoccurring injuries. Conrad Smith has been concussed several times now, while Kahui continues to have shoulder problems. Will we see Tamati Ellison, Tim Nanai- Williams or Rene Ranger given a shot at centre?
Dan Carter showed his class against the Brumbies, but it will be interesting to see who takes the field for the All Blacks against France on June 8th. Are the out of form All Blacks just waiting to peak at the business end of the season?
You can win a prize if you successfully pick the starting All Blacks XV to play France here
http://www.superrugbytips.com/2013/05/pick-your-all-blacks-rugby-starting-xv.html
Will Super Rugby Round 12 become known as the round where the New Zealand teams started to make their moves? It seems that going into this round it was feasible for four New Zealand teams to lose. Despite all four kiwi teams winning close matches, the fact that the two top Australian teams didn't win and now no longer look so dominant must be concerning. I think the Bulls and Cheetahs are also dangerous, while the Highlanders could well become spoilers as they go on tour. They have some winnable games on the road and definitely have the big names. The Rebels and Force are no longer the easybeats they used to be and so this makes for a great competition. The Waratahs are hunting down the Reds and Brumbies, could they make the playoffs? The New Zealand conference is a dogfight which looks to be a three horse race now. I am loving how close the competition is this year, even though it means I get some picks wrong.
In Super Rugby Round 12 there were three upset results. It was interesting how the New Zealand TAB had the Highlanders at slight favourite odds to beat the Sharks, yet only 15% of SuperBru punters picked it! A crazy 0.11% picked the draw between the Force and Reds, while only 19% picked the Crusaders to beat the Brumbies. The other matches went according to plan with the Bulls, Waratahs and Chiefs winning, while the Blues vs Stormers game could have gone either way and so the narrow Blues win was an indicative result.
Shaka still holds the lead in the Super Rugby Tips SuperBru conference. ROYEE is still second, while Johan had a good round. MDS was the most improved manager. It was a tough round with the inconsistent margins and the draw. There are plenty of points to be made by going for the odd upset result in your picks.
What result impressed you the most in Super Rugby Round 12? Was it the Crusaders beating the Brumbies? The Highlanders first win? The Blues withstanding the Stormers onslaught? The Waratahs or Bulls thrashing their opponents? Chiefs overcoming the Rebels? The Force drawing with the Reds?
http://www.superrugbytips.com/2013/05/super-rugby-round-12-review-forward.html
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