Penalty pandemic killing rugby

Referee Paul Williams officiates a scrum during the first Bledisloe Cup Test at Eden Park, a match in which he penalised teams 27 times. Picture: Getty Images

It will take some months before the euphoria surrounding Japan’s Olympic Games subsides and, as always happens at the Olympic Games, Australia punches well above its weight.

Not that medals should be the appropriate barometer, but America won 39 gold medals. That’s a little more than double our 17, but they have 13 times our population. What does this tell us?

Australia is an incredible place for many reasons and we produce brilliant world-class athletes better than even the mighty USA; we have no shortage of sporting talent.

Most of you know that Pierre de Coubertin was the founder of the modern Olympic Games, but many may not realise he was a rugby man.

As soon as the young French aristocrat finished school, he travelled to England and spent considerable time at The Rugby School when he fell in love with the game.

In fact, around a decade after visiting The Rugby School, Pierre de Coubertin refereed the first ever French Championship in 1892 between Racing Club De France and Stade Francais. I certainly hope he didn’t blow the whistle as much as the current breed of referees.

Last weekend, in the first Bledisloe Cup of the year, match referee Paul Williams awarded a total of 27 penalties. It was ridiculous. It paralysed the game and if I were running the game, he would never be allowed near a Test match again.

In addition to the 27 penalties, there were stoppages for 23 lineouts and 10 scrums. So, in total, there were 60 stoppages and the ball was in play for only 30 minutes! Are we trying to ruin rugby?

Only a referee who knows nothing about the game and what we are trying to achieve could referee as this bloke did at the weekend.

In the third Test between the Lions and the Springboks, also last weekend, the statistics were exactly the same. French referee Mathieu Raynal blew 27 penalties.

As a result, the biggest Test series in the world this year was decided by a penalty in the 79th minute of play.

Referee Mathieu Raynal in charge during the third Test between South Africa and British & Irish Lions at Cape Town Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

Referees and penalties have become such a blight on the game and such a factor in the outcome of a match that coaches are now basing their game plan around this penalty pandemic.

Why would a coach ask his team to play rugby in their own half or try some extravagant attack when there is a penalty blown for every minute the ball is in play?

Ask yourself why there were 55 kicks in general play in the Lions-Springboks Test.

The answer is simple.

If you are going to be penalised, at least make sure it is in the opposition half of the field so it’s not an automatic three points against you.

The Springboks’ Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, is about to be hauled before World Rugby for daring to question the refereeing performance of the Australian referee Nic Berry from game one of that Lions series.

Why is it that we are happy to evaluate the performance of players, teams and coaches but referees are a protected species?

How does rugby stand a chance when, in Bledisloe I, there were a total of 60 stoppages and set pieces plus over 40 kicks in general play? Australians want to see ball-in-hand running rugby.

The current boss of World Rugby Referees is the former French Test whistleblower, Joel Jutge. He is encouraging the over-officiating of our game at Test level and it should be he, not Erasmus, who is hauled before World Rugby to explain what is happening with the explosion in penalties and why they seemingly are bent on ruining our game.

Jutge says publicly he wants all Test match referees to focus on three things – safety, speed and space.

Well, clearly, you want the game to be safe. We don’t want players to be tackled when they are in the air; nor do we want dangerous tackles. We also want speed and space in the game.

But how can we get more speed and space if referees blow the game up with 30 penalties a match?

The boss of Test Match Referees, Jutge and the blazer brigade at World Rugby must understand the influence that over-officiating is having on our game.

Let’s hope this Saturday’s match referee, Brendon Pickerill, understands that we are more interested in seeing an open game of rugby than a penalty-fest.

So how do the Wallabies win this second Bledisloe Cup Test and explode the Eden Park hoodoo? A couple of minor points should be raised.

The crowd will be interesting. In difficult economic times, with people penalised due to Covid restrictions, there is a fear that the rugby wallet mightn’t be able to accommodate two Test matches in Auckland within a week.

Our New Zealand friends love their rugby. This will be a test of their affection and their finances.

As for us, it’s a statement of the obvious that we have to take points early. Last week, the All Blacks did this. We kept rolling the dice but coming up short. I thought our ball control was very good in difficult circumstances, as it should be in Test match rugby.

The coach is hopefully saying to Australia, build pressure and that will build the score.

I said last week, we have to contain Richie Mo’unga. His energy inspires the rest of his team.

Our defence has to step up. Pretty simple, deny him space.

And then the golden rule in Test match rugby, control the periods before and after halftime. We used to call this “prime time”.

Last weekend, the All Blacks scored just before halftime and they dominated play early in the second half.

We have to emphasise “prime time” and aim to dominate the All Blacks either side of the break. These things may appear to be simple. But I pioneered what I shared with my players as the “KISS” method — “Keep it simple stupid”.

The simple things win Test matches. Enter, goalkicking.

Kerry Packer loved his rugby and loved his sport. When I became coach of Australia, we didn’t have a reliable goalkicker. I remember the great man saying to me, “Pick your goalkicker first, son”.

Our first challenge was against the All Blacks. The great Michael Lynagh hadn’t played for Australia. I remember approaching him in the dressing room at Ballymore; he was a shy, nervous, albeit gifted 20-year-old.

I told him I wanted him for the third and deciding Test in Sydney, to which he replied, “But I have never played in Sydney”.

I then asked him whether it would worry him. He said it would. He said he thought he might “let me down”.

I would never pick a player if he felt uncomfortable with the responsibility being given, so I thought Michael could wait for a later day, which, of course, he did, where he demonstrated he was among the finest ever to wear the green and gold.

Michael Lynagh was one of the world’s great goalkickers but was initially reluctant

We went into the deciding Test in Sydney, Roger Gould took the kicks from one side of the paddock and Mark Ella took them from the other. Hardly ideal, notwithstanding their gifts.

We lost by one point.

Tests shouldn’t be decided by goalkickers but, with referees being the way they are today, a proven goal kicker is a must.

The All Blacks will throw everything at us tomorrow at Eden Park. We can’t afford to drop our guard for one minute. The golden rule in these matches, play it minute by minute.

Good luck to the Wallabies, go for it.