Kicking king: Leigh Halfpenny
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Wales downed Scotland with a 28-18 victory in a penalty-ridden goalkicker's dream at Murrayfield in the Six Nations.
A match dominated more by the whistle and boot than any real memorable moments of attacking flair, Scotland and Wales racked up a total of 28 penalties between them as both sides continued to displease referee Craig Joubert.
Leigh Halfpenny ended his afternoon with seven penalties to his name and missed three earlier in the first half, while Scotland scrum-half Greig Laidlaw also reaped the rewards from persistent indiscipline with six penalties of his own.
Neither side was able to generate any sustained tempo due to an imposing performance from the Welsh scrum and countless idiotic penalties from Scotland, in a replica of their discipline against Ireland two weeks ago.
A promising start from Wales at the scrum lead to a simple penalty opportunity for Halfpenny, handing the visitors a 3-0 lead after four minutes.
Greig Laidlaw responded with a long-range penalty that snuck over the crossbar minutes later, before Scotland took the lead when Wales were caught offside outside their own 22.
Scotland's penalty count continued to rise but Halfpenny wasted two penalty chances to let the hosts off the hook. The full-back's fourth attempt ricocheted off the post.
George North's break down the right-hand side gave Wales excellent field position, and they capitalised with a try from Richard Hibbard, regaining the lead with Halfpenny converting.
Rare field position for Scotland yielded a penalty at the scrum to the hosts, Laidlaw going for goal from the limit of his range and sending it through the posts.
Sale lock Richie Gray was stretchered from the field after a lengthy stoppage in play, causing concern for is club side Sale and also the selectors of the British and Irish Lions.
Laidlaw continued to maintain his accuracy going for goal, putting Scotland ahead just before half-time with another 40 metre effort to put the hosts into the lead.
Wales though were handed an attacking scrum in Scotland's 22 after a knock-on from Sean Lamont at the restart, winning a penalty after Jim Hamilton infringed for Halfpenny to restore the Welsh lead in Edinburgh - 12-13 to the visitors at the interval.
Laidlaw fell short of the posts with his fifth penalty attempt at the start of the second half, his first miss of the afternoon as he struggled kicking into the wind from 46 metres out.
Halfpenny had no such problem from a much shorter distance after a Welsh attack, stretching the gap to four points before Laidlaw responded in the latest chapter of the Murrayfield kicking exhibition.
Wales were presented with a chance to produce some attacking rugby from a five metre lineout, but inevitably the ball was lost forward. Another penalty to the visitors from the scrum saw Ross Ford cautioned, with Halfpenny converting.
The full-back struck again with yet another penalty to stretch the Welsh lead to 22-15 nearing the 60 minute mark. The kicking pendulum inevitably swung back Scotland's way as Laidlaw then added three more points of his own.
Halfpenny added his fifth and sixth penalties of the afternoon to open up an 18-25 gap for Wales going into the final 10 minutes as their scrum continued to ruthlessly dominate the Scottish pack. Another penalty chance, another three points for Halfpenny.
Scotland threw everything at Wales late on as they attempted to claw their way back into the match, but there was to be no breakthrough against a revitalised Welsh defence. The title decider between Wales and England next weekend is very much on.
Man of the Match: Hounded by his critics in recent weeks, Sam Warburton's work ethic was exceptional throughout with 13 tackles to his name.
Moment of the Match: After missing three consecutive kicks, Leigh Halfpenny nailed a difficult touchline conversion after Richard Hibbard's try and never looked back.
Villain of the Match: Frustrating for supporters, the high penalty count ruined the game as a spectacle. Eyes on you Mr Joubert.
The scorers:
For Scotland:
Pens: Laidlaw 6
For Wales:
Try: Hibbard
Con: Halfpenny
Pens: Halfpenny 7
Yellow Card: James
The teams:
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Sean Lamont, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Kelly Brown, 6 Robert Harley, 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Ryan Grant.
Replacements: 16 Dougie Hall, 17 Moray Low, 18 Geoff Cross, 19 Alastair Kellock, 20 Ryan Wilson, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Max Evans.
Wales: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 George North, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Toby Faletau, 7 Sam Warburton, 6 Ryan Jones (capt), 5 Ian Evans, 4 Alun-Wyn Jones, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Paul James.
Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Scott Andrews, 18 Craig Mitchell, 19 Andrew Coombs, 20 Justin Tipuric, 21 Lloyd Williams, 22 James Hook, 23 Scott Williams.
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Glen Jackson (New Zealand), Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
Comments
jontheref says...
jaycee
"I agree Jontheref he was inconsistent against both sides but I like to highlight the ones against Scotland since I support them :0) He wasn't biased just inconsistent and whistle happy two very basic things which made me a bit angry"
I don't blame you, and as you said earlier, I was surprised when Wales won the PK in front of the posts.
But as I said after the England game, when officials errors inflated England's score, if it happened to my team, I would be happy and accept it!
I see the clown has being doing some "analysis" on your post, just making himself look as big a fool as he is!
Looking forward to saturday, be in the middle tier cheering Wales on!
After the Irish game, I'm pleased we have shot at the title, and probably finishing 2nd., though if England are as good as some of them believe, we could end up 3rd, but Scotland would have to a very good job in Paris.
Off refereeing for two days, but it is cold down here!
Posted 14:34 12th March 2013
jontheref says...
new_j4a
you said
"Here is what a real ref would have said (quote from the IRB Laws):
9.B.3 The opposing team
(a) All players of the opposing team must retire to their goal line and must not overstep that line until the kicker begins the approach to kick or starts to kick. When the kicker does this, they may charge or jump to prevent a goal but must not be physically supported by other players in these actions.
(b)When the ball falls over after the kicker began the approach to kick, the opponents may continue to charge."
Dummy, this is for a conversion.
As I had mentined that hamilton advanced 4 times, maybe when there was only one try in the game, you could have picked up that it was not about a conversion kick?
Where did I mention a charge down???
Once again you were wrong, you really should stop your defence of Joubert, as you will not get one over on your many betters who you try to offend.
Obviously reasoned argument is not in your vocabulary!
As it was Joubert who threatened a yellow, I was commenting that he was obviously making idle threats. This backs up the lack of consistency commented upon by myself and others.
Not the worse of the weekend, as Walsh should have yellow carded the Irish man who tripped a french player, as is the norm at this level.
If you find 6N rugby so boring, why watch it?
I watch some of the S15, some games are great, others a cross between Rugby league and basketball, but I am sure their supporters like it, but I wouldn't dare to suggest they are wrong to like it!
You have so many "friends" on here, I wonder what the real living people think of you?
Probably the same as the ones you continually try to insult.
Posted 14:27 12th March 2013
new_j4a says...
@jonthe"ref?" you are not very clear in your post (as usual)....perhaps you are talking about penalty kicks? Then of course 21.5 Scoring a Goal from a Penalty Kick applies: If the kicker indicates to the referee the intent to kick at goal, the opposing team must stand still with their hands by their sides from the time the kicker starts to approach to kick until the ball is kicked.
So you may have a (confused) point here if you are talking about PKs at goal where even if a player were able to get to the ball, he is not allowed to deflect it, so a charge down is illegal and pointless.
Posted 12:23 12th March 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
Ihe dreaded inconsistancy is back for Scotland. We all know scotland can play better than they did on Saturday. Some of the players have let evryone down again. They could do alot worse than follow Jim Hamilton's example. At least Jim will be on the plane to Oz. It'll be intersting to see if a certain Mr Nathan Hinds joins him.
Posted 12:07 12th March 2013
new_j4a says...
@jaycee_111, so to summarize your post,
1. you are clearly qualified to comment
2. Joubert was technically correct
3. Joubert penalized scrums where you would have preferred resets
4. Joubert, on the field, saw some different things than you saw on TV and you would have preferred he judge materiality differently....more as you would have done....
....so far a very interesting post and a useful opinion
5. you also make some guesses and claims to insight that you can only have invented:
a. 99% of referee would not give a penalty (sample size or just rhetoric?)
b. The man wants to be noticed ...(you are a referee; are you also a psychologist?)
c. blows the wrong offences at the wrong time ....contradicts yout assertion that he is technically correct
d. I can tell you Joubert totally screwed that game up. It was as all about him a referee should not influence a game so much....this sounds like bitter disappointment which you are certainly entitled to feel if you support either of these teams.....or in fact NH rugby as a whole....the 6N has certainly been all about boredom....yawn!
Posted 09:10 12th March 2013
new_j4a says...
@lacroix, given that you dismiss the IRB Law Book with this statement on the Eng v France thread ""-providing 'evidence' to support an opinion about a referee by citing the IRB and SARRA is a bit like saying one can prove a particular model of car is unimpeachably brilliant because its manufacturer says it is, "
how, exactly, are you able to judge Joubert's performance, my esteemed French friend and local authority on....what???
Posted 08:23 12th March 2013
new_j4a says...
@jonthe"wannaberef" who last week proposed that Joubert was wrong not to give a YC to Ashton for throwing the ball away at the lineout now wants Joubert to give YCs to a team who goes early at the scrum???? Here's what our esteemed friend jontheREF? says, "He threatened to sin bin Ford, and right at the end, when the 8 man scots scrum went early, he conveniently forgot! " How many, one is forced to wonder after collapsing in helpless laughter....just the hooker? all 8? why not?
jontheref, please don't stop your posting....we'd all miss the comedy
Posted 08:06 12th March 2013
new_j4a says...
@jonthe"wannaberef" who says this (amongst several other ignorant errors)..."Oh yes, maybe Joubert doesn't realise, but as the kicker is running up to kicker [sic], the opposition are not allowed to move forward. They cannot move until the ball is kiched.Hamilton did it 4 times, you think Joubert would have noticed? 6'8", blotting out the sun?"
Here is what a real ref would have said (quote from the IRB Laws):
9.B.3 The opposing team
(a) All players of the opposing team must retire to their goal line and must not overstep that line until the kicker begins the approach to kick or starts to kick. When the kicker does this, they may charge or jump to prevent a goal but must not be physically supported by other players in these actions.
(b)When the ball falls over after the kicker began the approach to kick, the opponents may continue to charge.
Posted 07:57 12th March 2013
jaycee_111 says...
I agree Jontheref he was inconsistent against both sides but I like to highlight the ones against Scotland since I support them :0) He wasn't biased just inconsistent and whistle happy two very basic things which made me a bit angry. I actually stopped watching the game early to go out and watch a national league game being played at the club I was at to calm down!
Posted 18:50 11th March 2013
jontheref says...
I also thought Joubert was inconsistent, and it was both ways.
The lack of empathy, by blowing quickly, when the non offending team had possession was poor refereeing.
The Tipuric PK in front of the posts, (who cleared himself away), the scots had possession, so let it run, and see what happens. But no, whistle.
Once again his communication with his TJ's, as has been mentioned, when there were three scottish infringments, two for a scrum, and one for a PK, and the scots get possession.
I am sure there were many the other way.
He threatened to sin bin Ford, and right at the end, when the 8 man scots scrum went early, he conveniently forgot!
Halfpenny missed three kicks, but the way the commentators went on about it, saying 9 points gone begging, all three were from the same bit of territory, so if he had got the first, he would not have had the chance with the others!
Oh yes, maybe Joubert doesn't realise, but as the kicker is running up to kicker, the opposition are not allowed to move forward. They cannot move until the ball is kiched.
Hamilton did it 4 times, you think Joubert would have noticed? 6'8", blotting out the sun?
For any student of body language, his little finger twiddles, and sheep dog walking circles on the pitch show his discomfort. At least one of the girls in the pub was pleased, "he's good on the eye".
Wales won against a team that for 75 minutes only wanted to spoil. How on earth Scotland did not get a yellow for the defensive penalties they gave away is ironic, when he gives one against Wales. Deserved, but should have been balanced by earlier ones to Scotland.
Posted 14:45 11th March 2013
foxrock says...
It isn't coincidental that when Joubert is referee the post-match focus is invariably on the refereeing - which, in itself, makes rational observers question Joubert's competence - but his isolated apologists then, again invariably, attempt to excuse his woeful refereeing by blaming players, laws, weather, movement of the planets, etc. If it always waddles and quacks perhaps it is actually a duck.
Posted 09:29 11th March 2013
davbat2026 says...
None of the commentators are truly biased. Jonathan Davies, Brian Moore, Andy Nicol etc... they all favour their teams which is inevitable but not so much that it detracts from the game. I think it is a bit like these boards where people hat anyone from another nation for the sake of it.
Posted 01:21 11th March 2013
atg77 says...
Would realy help if Scotland stopped kicking the ball away and used a midfeild willing and able to pass the ball.
Posted 00:22 11th March 2013
Jhamer25 says...
ok chubby i see you do know what your on about and I do know that some dont like john and yes his voice is annoying but i dont think he i biased towards wales at all. Agree with you about barnes though.
Oh and @Jamit the prop barnes just said on thursday on Rugby club that england will smash italy so don't give me that. He is very biased towards england especially commentating. Watch tthem vs italy and im sure you will here him be only one sided and talk about one team.
Posted 13:36 10th March 2013
jaycee_111 says...
trelawney
I have over 20 years experiences as a ref, I have refereed National League games in England currently I am doing Championship 2xv level I have refereed in quite a few countries including Malaysia, Ireland, Wales, Holland, Scotland etc is that good enough for me or am I not qualified enough? I can tell you Joubert totally screwed that game up. It was as all about him a referee should not influence a game so much that all you can talk about after and during the game is his decisions. He tried his best to ruin the England France game as well but they rose above it, eventually, but still was not a brilliant game as it should have been. He was anal at the scrums penalising when a reset would have been fine, technically he was correct most of the time but the point of refereeing is to manage the game not dictate it with penalties. It should be noted however he gave Wales 3 points at the scrum when they engaged early and drove Scotland back so he was not even remotely consistent. In the loose he was equally anal looking to penalise stupid things like Scotland infront of their own posts for sealing off. It was strictly speaking an offence but if they are first there and there is no Welsh man then 99% of referee would not give a penalty when a Welshman did turn up never mind infront of the blooming posts where the decision is going to affect the game, materiality is a word he has not heard of by the look of it. The man wants to be noticed and blows the wrong offences at the wrong time it¿s like watching a new referee learning how to manage a game not a seasoned pro.
Posted 12:46 10th March 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
Only saw the second half so can't comment on his first half performance but thought that Joubert did Ok with what he was presented with.
Both teams executed poorly at all aspects of the breakdown and, whilst I agree that Jouberts rythm at scrum time makes it difficult for sides to get the engagement right - the warnings were there after the England v France game (in other words, no excuses for getting it wrong).
In terms of the forthcoming England game, I hope that England win today by a narrow enough margin to keep it interesting for next week so that the Welsh have to come out looking for a scoreline. From an English perspective, just need to spend time in the Welsh half and wait for the penalties, their discipline was attrocious.
Posted 09:09 10th March 2013
colvin says...
Look, I've got a better idea on how to play rugby.
None of this business of 46 players battling out for 80 minutes only to have most matches decided by two players kicking at goal. Let's simplify it by having two players only, a referee and two assistant referees.
The two players take 10 penalty kicks at goal each from different parts of the field and the winner is the player with the most points.
The advantage of my proposed replacement game is you don't have to have 23 players per team but you get more or less the same result. The 44 people who would otherwise have been involved can become spectators and party with the rest while the kick off is going on.
In this way rugby can continue to be social and we have the added advantage of a huge financial saving because we don't need to worry about finding the money to pay salaries for so many players. Therefore tickets for the matches can be so much cheaper.
All so much more sense.
Posted 09:06 10th March 2013
porridge_time says...
You could argue that Joubert was quick to whistle Scotland once Warburton got his hand to the ball. Conversely the cleaning out from Scotland was abysmal.
Where as I thought Laidlaw was right to kick against Ireland, he most certainly over did it yesterday. He also spent far too much time looking at Joubert for the penalty. Priority should be to move the ball as quickly as possible from tackle area.
Posted 08:57 10th March 2013
makemehappy says...
@Chubbylugs - he's very perceptive and gives a much more informed and less biased view point than most!
Hard to believe Joubert refused to referee many offences and also sent poor James to the bin! 6 points to Scotland via the scrum - yes - madness!!!
Posted 08:57 10th March 2013
JamieTheProp says...
To be fair - if this was the only NH game you had watched FISH would actually be right - not a great advert!
Posted 08:26 10th March 2013