Terry_English says...

Interesting article but a little too biased. You are implying that the Boks get a raw deal from the referee while the oppostition get an easy ride with your comment that the All Blacks are serial offenders and opposition need to be kept honest against the Boks driving maul?"

All sides offend whether deliberately or not and I have seen several Bok driving mauls that have started illegally when the prop is in front of the lock catching the ball. Referees makes mistakes and the sooner this culture of blaming the referee is stamped out the better.

Posted 08:10 21st August 2012

Magpie says...

Terribly biased column and hugely ironic that CV should discuss cheating given his history with drugs (i.e. real cheating).

Watch any ruck/tackle situation and you will generally find instances where you can penalise both teams. The top referees are the experts on this and the reason that the ABs are not penalised out of the game is because they do not commit any more offenses than any other team. As soon as the Aussies or South Africans have their turn at the top you will find that other teams supporters now believe they are getting away with murder

Posted 02:25 17th August 2012

APV1 says...

@ daibok - I think you may have been the only member who did take my comments about (not very) Super Rugby seriously..!

The thing is about CV is he could be such a useful insight into the "dark arts" of the FR. Martin Corry, Richard Hill and Phil Vickery are obviously biased and admit that. But they also write a balanced artice. That's the big difference.

@ ruggaluva - what's bitten your ar$e? And how is my "handle" any better or worse than yours? An unusually vitriolic and unnecessary response, me thinks. Are you going to claim that CV isn't completely one-eyed and totally biased, to the detriment of his column? If so, you must be reading a different version from the rest of us.

Posted 11:11 16th August 2012

Shano303 says...

Going off your feet past the ruck is going to happen with counter-rucking. Refs allow it because it is too late for the half-back to claim the ball. The game has evolved - get over it.

Posted 10:03 16th August 2012

Carpelone says...

Sharks Chiefs was an example of what he is talking about. It is annoying because Kiwis do not need to to win games. Indeed, Cobus was magnanimous, I noted the following:

lazy runners in offside providing blocks for the backline (penalty);

tackling off the ball (penalty plus yellow card)

shoulder charges (at least two, penalty plus yellow card)

Holding the guards by the ruck (penalty)

The Chiefs would have won anyway and are deserving Champions, though. I am interested in watching better footy.

Posted 09:25 16th August 2012

hellovanite says...

Ahh Visage you sound out such sage advice, but can't hide your obvious one eyed closet monster. Your assertions in the last paragraph are priceless... Red Alert! all referees be on the look out for those cheating kiwis blah blah friggin blah blah... bloody couch refs! seriously you need to stop watching the opposition so much it's really skewing your judgement haha

Posted 08:10 16th August 2012

Rosbif says...

brunettes? really?? hmm, i'm not sure how those Pumas fans will feel about such a banal cliche (even if it's true hehehe, as they say about why cliches are indeed cliches!). underestimate this team at your peril !!!

Posted 23:34 15th August 2012

ruggaluva says...

Im dreading watching more boring rugby from Heyneke's Bluebullprint.... motivating maestro or not i cant stand watching the Bulls ! We DO have the players to play any type of game we want but not the chutzpah from those in charge.

Also im totally over the Never Ending Story ( Super 15) and its interminable injury toll that robs us of seeing the best players together for more than just the first few weeks of the comp.

So what the AB's are the best at the cynical dark arts ? If the refs are ignoring thats criminal but i dont think they are... i just think the AB's have got it waxed when it comes to putting on that "who me sir ??" puppy dog expression. sickeningly cynical but very effective.

oh APV1 or R2D2 or whatever your stupid handle is... your comments are always dross and you should crawl away now - let the men talk, little boy time is over.

Posted 22:19 15th August 2012

swiwi says...

Ah yes, nandrolone-popping Cobus accusing the ABs of cheating...what is next, Richard Loe writing a column on foul-play...

Posted 20:02 15th August 2012

daibok says...

APV1

Have a go at CV by all means. He deserves it, particularly when compared to other guest columnists such as Martin Corry.

However, not all us 'boks' are drooling one eyed loony conspiracy theorists. Most of us appreciate good rugby and admire quality opposition teams.

Sorry, but I will no longer take your learned comments about Super Rugby seriously.

Posted 17:37 15th August 2012