England kicking coach Dave Alred and fitness specialist Paul Stridgeon have been suspended for the clash with Scotland.
Alred and Stridgeon were found to have illegally switched balls during England's 67-3 victory over Romania.
After the game against the Oaks, there were allegations that fly-half Jonny Wilkinson twice sought to switch the ball that contradicts Law 9.8.1 which states the kicker must convert tries with the same ball that was used to score unless it is defective.
As a result, the Rugby Football Union conducted an investigation into the matter and released a statement saying: "Having conducted a thorough internal review of the matter the RFU has determined the following:
1. Two members of the RFU RWC 2011 team management, David Alred and Paul Stridgeon, mistakenly thought that there was an issue with some of the match balls used in the England v Romania RWC 2011 match.
2. Those team management members took it upon themselves to substitute balls during the match in contravention of both the Laws of the Game and the Spirit of the Game.
3. The RFU fully accepts that the action of those team management members was incorrect and detrimental to the image of the tournament, the Game and to English Rugby.
4. The RFU has therefore decided to reprimand those team management members, to warn them as to their future conduct and to suspend them from participation in England's next game, the match between England and Scotland. This suspension means that they will not be able to be in the stadium for that match in any capacity.
5. The RFU would like to assure RWCL and the IRB of its continued wholehearted support for the tournament and its rules and that the RFU and its team management and members will abide by both the Laws and the Spirit of the Game. The RFU hopes that RWCL is of the view that the RFU has taken appropriate action in this matter and that no further sanctions or actions are required. "
Rugby World Cup Limited has stated that they will not take the matter any further.
Comments
BWJC says...
Ramage - wow you've got some anger son, chill out. All pro-sport is about pushing the laws to the limit - and i'm sorry everyone, but its aint just England who do it (ahem, Richie Maccaw).
If this had been Wales who had done this, there wouldnt be 1 comment on here.
Pathetic, get over yourselves.
Posted 21:27 30th September 2011
Ramage says...
This is hilarious reading some of the English correspond rents trying to defend the action of two of the team management. Whether the law is incorrect or out of date is irrelevant it is still set down as the law in the game and if transgressed will lead to a punishment. So you have to respect and obey such laws until change or otherwise accept the fact you have cheated. The team management person who did this by kicking the ball off the field is really a keystone cop comedy item if you watch a clip of it its hilarious and shows what a muppet he is.
@ jameslivesinhope you couldnt help yourself but had to stoop to criticise the hosts. Can I point out to you that it is not NZ who has any say in this matter of English Team Management cheating it is the IRB it is not NZ who decides what should be done and what punishment should be given it is the IRB. You know this but once again don't let facts get in the way of peddling more nonsense on this forum. You are shown up by slipping in your crass remark about NZ not deserving to have the tournament. Yes I noticed your out that "some would say" but we know what you mean. Get over it we got the tournament and so far have done a pretty good job in running this tournament. Surely you are not suggesting NZ have taken over the IRB and are trying to gain an advantage because our team can score tries. Hey I thought that was the aim of the game. Does England realise that? Oh no, shock, horror those damned colonials are scoring tries and have set some rules that stop us Mother England from cheating don't they know their place these pesky colonials they are nothing but upstarts.
Posted 12:07 30th September 2011
TVaddict says...
Ok, so they broke the rules and they deserve a slap on the wrist.
Why does it matter if he uses a different ball? I mean 'really', why does it matter? It's pathetic really that such a big deal has been made over something so trivial!
They manage to miss eye gouges, punches, etc (btw, not referring to this world cup, just in general) but someone using a different match ball to kick with, now that IS important! Why aren't the police getting involved?! Where's the UN when you need them?!
The follow up to all this is just a bunch of English haters masking themselves as 'saintly' rule following players. Rugby is full of people to push the rules to the limit, so grow up and move on. Oh, and if this call had been made again your team, you'd be complaining about what a stupid rule it is now, with no place in the modern game.
Posted 12:01 30th September 2011
BWJC says...
My favourite comment here...
"They shouldn't be suspended they should be sacked and England probably suspended from the tournament" Absolute Genius old chap.
In other news an England player had one sock rolled down after a scrum, he has been sent home in disgrace.
3 pages of comments for a non-story - you England haters REALLY need to find something better to do with your lives!
Posted 11:33 30th September 2011
artherfish says...
This really ##### me off. In two ways, Firstly it was so piontless. We were clearly going to win, the balls that were swapped about all came from the same batch and so as has been stated repeatedly could not of resulted in any really material gain so why bother !! Secondly we are disliked enough by other nations fans without giving them amo to hurl at us. ( just a piont though it dose stretch things a bit far to cast this in terms of some great english conspiracy to cheat our way to the top) If we win the cup we must do it i a manner that leaves no room for others to cast any doubt on it being diserved. we will not be judged equally so must be better in all areas of the game on and off the pitch. if Jonny was unhappy and being premadonna ish about the balls then it was the coaches job to help keep him in the bounds of the rules not go break them. I don't blame Jhonny he was just pushing to do his best. I do blame the coaches who should have put him right not dropped the whole English squad in the muck.
Posted 11:00 30th September 2011
coronach says...
@rugbylover11 says... @ coronach is it true what you are saying about alesana tuilagi?
Yes it is reported on this forum http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3818_7211657,00.html
NZ TV show John Campbell Live is fundraising to pay the fine for him.
Posted 03:16 30th September 2011
Chicka says...
@jamesliveinhope
your last sentence may have made some sense except for the fact that the All Blacks have the world's greatest kicker. If anything the seeming inability of anyone to kick goals this WC benefits the Wallabies who are wonderful try-scorers but pathetic kickers!!
Posted 02:26 30th September 2011
StunTheMullet says...
Having seen that again on the replays it is a shocker and very far from a mistake.
Dave Alred comes running onto the pitch in front of the posts at the 22, chucks Jonny Dumpster another ball, then kicks the other ball off across the field of play.
Err..who said he could be there? Was there an injury? Is he the ball boy?
If Jonny can't knock one over from in front of the posts even with a supposedly "faulty" ball then there are bigger problems to worry about least of all cheating against Romania...
Meanwhile IRB slap on wrist with wet bus ticket and further help to those minnows Samoa (some of who's players had to pay own airfare) by fining them $10k NZD.
Posted 00:03 30th September 2011
lawynd says...
@cliffguy - presumably you wail and gnash your teeth at pretty much every scrum and breakdown throughout a game, then? It shouldn't have happened but let's be honest here, no team is whiter than white. And ultimately, this was a technical infringement; no material gain was actually made and, according to the manufacturers of the balls and the IRB, no gain is actually possible. As cheating goes, this is far less serious than incidents that go on in every game played, at this tournament and beyond.
Posted 23:59 29th September 2011
LeftRightOut says...
All this talk of cheating and no mention of Richie McCaw? How is this possible? And what of the TMO failing to make an unsolicited call to the ref to point it out??
Posted 23:37 29th September 2011
APV1 says...
@ BWJC - Hear! Hear!
(Alternatively, we could just look at this like we do when we see the tennis players getting ready to serve. Not a lot in it, really.)
@ coronach - I also think that's a rediculous fine. But how much was he paid to wear it; how much exposure has the sponsor got since (particularly *because* of the "scandal"); and who will actual foot the bill?
Personally, whilst I do agree that we should all adhere to the Laws of the game, Laws like this are a bit daft.
I don't know whether this is still true, but I heard that a Hakney Cab (i.e. a modern-day taxi driver, particularly - but not exclusively - a London Black Cab) is still required to keep a bale of hay in the "boot" for the horse. It probably is still true - us English aren't known for our swiftness of legal changes. But is it ever enforced? SHOULD it ever be enforced..?!
Posted 22:44 29th September 2011
fozza says...
Why is this even a story?
Three things: I read there are 8 match balls, all of which must be pressurised to certain degree in lie with A gilbert specialist there at the site. With this in mind is there really that much difference!? As has been said the other balls must have been from the match 8, or were Alred and Stridgeon sneaking Mitre "sure-to-score" balls into the arena?
Secondly, the RWC limited were not going to take any action, and a lot of people have jumped to the assumption they're not taking any action because it's England... maybe it's because it's a nothing issue which had no bearing on the match and if Gilbert is to be believed, never could have a bearing!!
Lastly, what do the RFU think they are doing banning these coaches for a game, why are they even getting involved? This is the group of people who can't even look after themselves as a body and are not satisfied with hogging all the headlines in the build up, now they feel they must generate controversy during the tournament itself. For crying out loud, butt out.
And for those who are serious about sanctions against such a petty thing as this, lets try fixing things which are a true worry to the game, not using different but still sanctioned balls to kick for goal with...
Posted 21:04 29th September 2011
cliffguy says...
I'm sorry to say that cheating, especially on this pathetic and petty level, always sickens me, as it does most fans (other than those obviously biased because they support the guilty nation). This is a terrific tournament, and we really, REALLy don't want this sort of sordid nonsense spoiling it. It's a pity we have teams like this in the competition; hate to say it, but it always seems to be the Poms, doesn't it.
Posted 20:57 29th September 2011
crunchfit says...
What's the big deal about switching balls? What advantage might it give a team?
Posted 20:30 29th September 2011
jamesliveinhope says...
@mana - lets discuss those double standards - perhaps Courtney Lawes clumsily sliding into a prone ledesma or Tod Clever blatantly and IMO cynically butting his shoulder into a defenceless Russian.
secondly, the only complaints about the ball have been on these sites - comments have certainly been made in general terms but no complaints. The trouble, it seems (in 2007 as well I seem to recall) is that the balls seem to behave inconsistently enough to have a significant impact in their reliability in the still air of Dunedin (where I believe the worst of the kicking performances have come from all kickers) Now Dunedin has been abandoned and we can return to the proper outdoor sport I suspect that the issues will resolve themselves.
I would also suggest that, given the English propensity for legally challenging the harsher decisions of the disciplinary board, neither the IRB, RWC Ltd or Gilbert would want a forensic public spotlight on their kit just in case there is a problem.
What really p***ses me off is the need to stuff up a perfectly good tournament by messing around with a fundamental part of the game. Why would a game called rugby "football" feel that a ball less suitable for kicking would enhance the sport's showpiece. Unless of course the hosts, who many would question should ever have had the event at all, are leaving nothing to chance as they march towards the knockouts as top try scorers.
Posted 19:17 29th September 2011
Rosbif says...
@NHsaints. Good points. Agree with you heads certainly don't need to roll for this. But the fact two guys have been offered up as sacrificial lambs makes people suspicious. Probably RFU just trying to defuse the situation. How ironic. It's had the exact opposite effect. Now people are saying no smoke w/out fire etc etc. And the beast that is the world's press just wants MORE.
Re your point re hookers throwing in, I guess people aren't so sensitive cos it doesn't appear to lead directly to 3pts. (Note, people ARE sensitive to the quick throw-in issue, as this has, memorably, led to tries being scored and matches being decided!)
Re your last point "...and surely if wilko asked for one match ball swapping for another then there must have been something wrong with the other balls?". That's the rub. You're spot on. Surely Wilko was the one doing the asking. But, surely Wilko knows the rules. So surely Jonno told him "don't worry, just ask Dave Alred to give you your favourite ball, no-one will notice. No-one even really cares. If they do, I've got your back" It's not tennis. You can't pick your hardest ball for your killer first serve ace. Right or wrong, that's just the rules. Everyone knows some balls are slightly better than others. Wilko certainly does. But in rugby, you're not allowed to choose. Simple.
Lying about it, and asking other people to say it was their idea, is just dumb. Shows you were being sneaky. Removes ignorance of the rues, or simple carelessness as your defence. Jonno's right. Who really cares about or even knows the rule? Not many. But who cares that some-one is trying to pull the wool over your eyes? Most people.
Posted 19:06 29th September 2011
rugbylover11 says...
@ coronach
is it true what you are saying about alesana tuilagi?
Posted 18:54 29th September 2011
mana says...
so quick to blame the ball,dont hear any other no10s whinging about the ball,these international players have had 10months maybe more on practising using these balls,so they've clearly got no excuse...has anyone actually asked the question that it might be just the bloke kickin the bloody ball,thats not in form?????hhhmmmmmm
Posted 18:15 29th September 2011
mana says...
@pierredelot1..totaly agree
i said it before and i'll say it again,DOUBLE STANDARDS....tier 1 nations get away with just a slap on the wrist whilst everyone else would get a harsh penalty.wonder what the Romanian coaching team are thinking right now..?
Posted 18:08 29th September 2011
NHsaints says...
Fair enough...you have to enforce the rules but seriously everyone calling for heads to roll for this...get real...if you look at the balls kicked during the match they were clearly still from the pool of match balls...this law is like saying hookers shouldn't be allowed to throw a different ball to the one kicked to touch...and surely if wilko asked for one match ball swapping for another then there must have been something wrong with the other balls?
Posted 17:14 29th September 2011