It affected me: Bryce Lawrence
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Bryce Lawrence says his performance in last year's World Cup quarter-final was influenced by complaints from ARU chief executive John O'Neill.
Retired ref Lawrence claims he was hounded out of rugby by South Africa and Australia following his showing in the Springboks and Wallabies match.
"I had four really good games at the World Cup and then I had that," the 41-year-old told the Bay Of Plenty Times.
"There was some pretty nasty political stuff going on about that appointment. I refereed Australia versus Ireland and Ireland had won but behind the scenes guys like John O'Neill were kicking up a massive stink.
"I knew a bit about that and it was enough to affect me, and it probably made me freeze on the biggest stage."
Australia won the game 11-9 which has now led to Lawrence calling it quits and taking up a role as the New Zealand Rugby Union high-performance referee reviewer. He was stood down from the International Rugby Board's elite panel after the World Cup and didn't referee any Super Rugby matches in South Africa.
"It (the reaction) got pretty bad," Lawrence said.
"On Facebook they launched a 'get rid of Bryce Lawrence' site and it was pretty nasty.
"That was absolutely the reason for my career change.
"I got told at the end of the World Cup that I would have a break from Test rugby for the Six Nations and I could totally accept that as there has to be a consequence for poor performance.
"I was told I would be brought back in the middle of this year, as I was ranked in the top three or four referees in the world. But because of the political reaction from rugby unions like Australia and South Africa behind the scenes, they dropped me."
Last month, British & Irish Lions boss Warren Gatland highlighted the pressure Lawrence had been placed under by O'Neill as he outlined the challenges that await his squad.
"They are masters at it and possibly the best one was John O'Neill, as a master of influence in certain things," said 2013 touring coach Gatland.
"I'm not 100% sure, but I think that after Ireland beat Australia in that pool game, certain complaints were made about the referee (Lawrence), subtly and tactfully, and I think that had an impact on the quarter-final.
"We've got to be aware about what sort of things are going to be done on and off the field."
O'Neill is on his way out of his post at the ARU to focus on business interests outside rugby.
Comments
golden_statenba says...
@philipjfry
"Doesn't change a thing. It p-s me off when people manipulate that WC win as a means of shutting up trolls. Incase you did not notice, it meant the world to us"
And that's all we really are. Like Rosbif said we are the super computer reff's analyzing play by play to find some fault in each game to make us fell better due to our teams loss or bad preformance.
Like I said I was supporting the ABs in 95 but how could you not be happy for South Africa as a country when they won having been through so much. It was great to see black South Africans cheering for their team not the ABs
Also how could you not be happy for New Zealand when they won. For the people who were recovering from a city destroying earthquake. Like I said I don't care to much for the world cup because I think there are way to many suits involved for there not to be some dodgy deals just like the football and other sports but many people do like it and it does mean allot to them.
But of course in both victories there was plenty on ammunition for people to claim foul play.
The beauty of these two games tho is that they are in the record books and are part of history. So bokavenger you and I can say what we like to make ourselves fell better but in the end we aint going to bring dinosaurs back right??
Posted 07:56 19th October 2012
BokAvenger says...
@7ton: I have no chip on my shoulder about the ABs. They are rightly acknowledged as the greatest rugby nation ever. FACT. My problem is that despite this they still get a helping hand from officials who are so in awe of them that they don't take action when the ABs get it wrong. Watch any AB game and you'll see at least 5 mandatory forward passes blatantly ignored by the ref. They get to ruck people away from the ball who are not part of the ruck, they get away with murder on the ground and even the occasional bit of foul play goes unpunished. My point is that NZ are good enough to not need help from the refs. And I maintain that the 2011 RWC was rigged in the sense that in the minds of senior IRB officials and referees, NZ "had" to win. They couldn't put up with their number one side choking in another major tournament again. It detracts from the aura. And in fact they did choke in that final against France, but Craig Joubert performed a massive heimlich manouvre to ensure they won. FACT.
Posted 07:36 19th October 2012
BokAvenger says...
@capecrusader: How can I take anyone seriously who lives in Mitchells Plain, has no front teeth, couldn't point NZ out on a map yet supports them, all whilst wearing an All Black shirt and stupidly waving the Australian flag (not knowing the difference between the two). Don't worry about your little man's complex boet, on the flats you're a big strong Maori.
Posted 07:31 19th October 2012
jonesy2 says...
the bottom line is that australia were cheated out of a win against ireland then they put in a brilliant performance led by david pocock against a poor boks side who couldnt score in a brothel
Posted 05:47 19th October 2012
curveball says...
I apologise, I was wrong.
When Bryce was rewarded at the end of 2011 as the best NZ referee, I wrote the following:
"Can you believe these hypocrates, firstly appointing him in a game where he can influence the tournament in his countrymen's favour, and then "resting" him. At least Bryce had the guts to admit his mistakes and he took his punishment on the chin, that's exactly the reason why he should go to SA and ask them for forgiveness, not to hide somewhere in shame behind security fears."
I (wrongly) thought Bryce was having a shocker to make it easier for the All Blacks to reach the final. I was wrong. He was in fact just trying to assist the Wallabies to get to the semi-finals.
My sincere apologies. And for the record, no-one influenced me to make the statement then, nor the one I am making now.
Posted 02:01 19th October 2012
7ton says...
Bokavenger
You have got to be the most inaccurate poster ever on this site. As well as being either plain stupid or just telling lies.
Try reading things properly before spewing out all your garbage.
I never said multi-national companies actually rigged anything in fact I have clearly made it very plain that I don't believe any of the world cups were rigged.
I was merely looking at what motives there could possibly be. If 2011 was rigged like you bleat on about then there would have had to be other officials apart from Kiwis involved and I would wonder at what motive non Kiwis would have.
Neither did I say anything about Susie or poisoning in 95 but I did mention the SA/ France semi final in 95 as a antidote to your hypocritical bleating about how France should have won the 2011 final and how NZ were helped by the ref.
Now let's make things quite clear and please read this very carefully.
I am quite happy that South Africa won the World cup in 1995 and 2007.
While understanding your disappointment re South Africas exit in the 1/4 final what we have to wonder about is your motive for being so resentful about NZ winning in the 2011 final. Don't go on about injustices because we can all bring those up in 1995 and 2007 as well.
Plain and simple it's about being a very bad loser with a very big green chip on your shoulder.
Posted 00:31 19th October 2012
capedcrusader says...
hahahahahahaha BokAplonker
How bout the S/F in 1995 - now thats a game where no helping hand was required - the ref simply gave Sud Afriiica the game period. Your creds as woeful - what a muppet.
Posted 22:09 18th October 2012
BillyMutt2 says...
@BokAvenger: you can't be serious dude. I mean, no-one could be THAT delusional. Except you, by the looks of it.
Get over it once and for all man, your team lost because THEY JUST WERE NOT GOOD ENOUGH. There, did you hear it this time? So why the hell do you keep tormenting yourself (and us) with your perpetual whiny bullsh*t?
Go play with with your little mates and let the adults discuss rugby here, for crying out loud.
Posted 20:31 18th October 2012
philipjfry says...
@new_i4a: I feel that it is slightly off-topic but I enjoy reading your posts and I respect your opinions, so here goes. Woodcock attempts to play the ball off his feet at 03:25, France gets penalised for holding on. 50/50 call, but worth another look. Read goes off-side at 22.24 just as Yachvili is about to kick from the ruck, gets called back by the ref, no penalty awarded. However earlier, at 04:42 Parra goes offside in the same situation get penalised. At 74:52 France are on the ABs 10m line, about 40 meters out. Kaino goes off his feet and plays the ball, Joubert tells him to let go instead of penalising him. Then Hore comes in from the side of the ruck and plays the ball, does not get penalised. At 72:32 Harinordoquy goes off his feet, plays the ball and immediately gets penalised.
Make of it what you want, but there is no doubt in my mind that Joubert abstained from making match changing calls. I do not begrudge New Zealand their win, they deserved it but France competed well in that game and deserved better, they deserved another shot at goal.
@OzinLondon: I agree, why persist with him when he was clearly totally inept? I don't for one minute believe in an IRB conspiracy, but I do believe that there has been gross incompetence on a grand scale from many different parties. I hope O'Neill makes his views on the matter public, and calls Lawrence out.
@tha_ma: Isn't it better to burn out than to fade away?
@Golden_statenba: I've seen it and I've read John Carlin's book. Doesn't change a thing. It p-s me off when people manipulate that WC win as a means of shutting up trolls. Incase you did not notice, it meant the world to us.
Posted 20:14 18th October 2012
kinsman says...
@Ramage, 1981 may have been shameful in NZ history in your eyes but not even remotely close to how shameful 1981 was (and the years surrounding it) in South African history. Remember what they were protesting..... or was your shame in the fact that we hosted the Springboks at all that year in which case I apologise.
At the time I was a young kid and was livid that a rugby match had been called off. I was too young to see or understand the politics then but with age comes knowledge (for some at least) and I now fully support the reasons behind the protests.
As has been well demonstrated elsewhere in this thread, politics and sport are inextricably linked.
As an aside, I could be wrong but I recall the reason the game was called off was that the protesters scattered glass and tacks on the pitch.
Posted 19:49 18th October 2012
davodiablo says...
Rosbif ...brilliant post ...Toulousain ..also ...the French rule this debate
Posted 19:41 18th October 2012
Rosbif says...
@jontheref. Ditto!! I was born in the US so have a blue passport, but still get treated like something stuck to the bottom of someones shoes. I guess it's like being an away fan at Millwall, or Angela Merkel on a trip to Greece perhaps?
@golden_statenba. You are too kind mon ami. I thought you would get the "super-computer=PR bloggers" equivalence.... (Just don't tell the others wink wink...).
:-)
Posted 17:48 18th October 2012
Toulousain says...
Thanks golden_statenba. We French can be infuriatingly combative. Or totally insouciant. Always hard to predict which. Bit like our rugby team!!
Posted 17:35 18th October 2012
BokAvenger says...
@letsgoboks: the shameful thing was that the All Blacks were given a helping hand by the officials in order to win that final. France should have won.
Posted 17:25 18th October 2012
Golden_statenba says...
@letsgoboks
Good point I think we saw that in the last All Blacks v South Africa match
The penilty count favoured South Africa but it did not stop the all blacks getting tries.
Anyway looking forward to the matches in the north this winter and will be supporting all the rugby championship teams.
Can't wait to see the pumas cause some headaches!
Only wish the All Blacks were playing France in Paris. It's a match that's hard to beat.
Posted 15:00 18th October 2012
Golden_statenba says...
@Rosbif
No I'm not from the states. My favourite sport is basketball and I have many American friends.
I also know not to judge people on the actions of a few and it is a shame that people on this forum like to have an our lot against their lot mentality similar to how people think all Americans act like their politicians.
I enjoy your posts as well and it's good to see Toulousain still here as well.
"Air travel used to be romantic, adventurous, even glamorous. Now we shuffle through airports feeling nervous, all looking like criminals, all looking for suspicious behaviour in others, trying not to be noticed by security staff etc. Do we want our rugby players of the future to shuffle through games, feeling nervous about being penalised, always with an eye over their shoulder in case the super-computer-referee steps in?"
Gold by they way.
"super-computer-referee"=Planet rugby forum posters.
More posts like this would not go a miss
Posted 14:50 18th October 2012
jontheref says...
How eve did Bryce lawrence get to be consiered in the top four refs in the world?
That is more of a shock, that his poor, predictable performance in the quarter.
His performance in the Lions tour in 2009 should have ruled him out of the top games for ever.
He did not progress from that low standard, so how he reached the lofty heights of top 4 is a mystery.
Comments of O'Briens out bursts are correct, and unbecoming for a man manager.
By all means give a performance review in private, but to shout it out to NZ radio and press, is crass.
He should have been replaced years ago.
As to Lawrence going to "High Performance", has he got the skills to do the job?
He did not show it on the field, so can he influence and coach others?
maybe,but doubtful!
Rosbif, I love your analogy of what Homeland has done to flying. Particuarly to the USA.
I used to live there, and what puts me off revisiting, is the thought of the clowns who inhabit the world of airport security.
It gave every mindless power mad creep the cahnce todo what they want to.
Boss people around.
We sat for two hours with our young kids while they checked us out, and we were residents!
the visa waivers, who did not have fixed addresses were allowed in, without a check.
sad.
Posted 14:36 18th October 2012
7ton says...
letsgoboks
Well said and I feel the same re the 2007 1/4 final NZ/France and the boks deserved to win the final as they did in 95
Posted 13:56 18th October 2012
BokAvenger says...
Everyone going on about the penalty count favouring SA 6-4 forgets that it should have favoured SA 60 to 4. Pocock basically spent the game playing as Bok Scrumhalf and BL did absolutely NOTHING about it. He also disallowed a Bok try by incorrectly ruling forward pass and then minutes later called another forward pass when Habana made a break that could have led to a try. So to call the Boks tryless is only to forget that we had two tries disallowed by a ref who has just admitted that he effectively cheated us out of that game. The fact that people still defend him when the man himself has ADMITTED to being influenced behind the scenes is beyond reason.
Posted 13:55 18th October 2012
BokAvenger says...
@7ton- only in your sad little mind would you stoop to thinking that multinational companies rigged the 95 World Cup. Let me guess, the CIA and the Illuminati were in on it as well? Do you deny that the Boks weren't the better team on the day in that final against the ABs? And don't bring up Suzie, only one player on the pitch was affected and that was Jeff Wilson and Frank Bunce admitted that a few of the boys had snuck out a few days before for hamburgers as they were tired of eating rabbit food. Hell, Aussie and Kiwi players go down with stomach bugs ever time they visit Africa. Their fragile, first world constitutions just can't handle it. But of course, in the small minds of Antipodeans it was a mystery waitress called Suzie who single handedly beat one of the greatest All Black teams ever assembled. But oh, I forgot, she had help from multinational corporations. What a load of tripe.
Posted 13:46 18th October 2012