rugby_rockstar says...

"But there existed a blissful purity about rugby, or at least that's how everyone wanted to perceive it. It wasn't politically correct to even suggest the match officials might have favoured one team."

It still exists Graham. Aus Vs SA RWC 2011 was the golden goose that made organised crime rich last year. The IRB have always been incompetant, if they just shout Graham Henry down and continue to make out the referees are all angelic saints then people with the cash to make large bets and bribe refs are going to get rich! The denial that this couldn't happen is the height of stupidity. Outragious. It happens in every other sport, Horse Racing, Cricket, Boxing, what exactly makes rugby different? why is it an impossibility in rugby??? JUST GIVE US SOME TRANSPARENCY. The complacency on show is mind blowing. SORT IT OUT! DON'T MAKE OUT THE WE ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAT EVERYONE ELSE ON THE PLANET THAT THIS COULD NEVER HAPPEN BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ANY BETTER, WE ARE HUMAN, WE COULD ALL DO WITH MORE MONEY!!!! Talk about Henry being arrogant? The arrogance on show on this message board all a criminal needs to fix a rugby match.

Posted 10:52 30th July 2012

Rosbif says...

@new_j4a. hear, hear! CJ clearly head and shoulders above WB (or indeed much of the rest of the world's available refs - let's see if he gets S15 final). Maybe it's human nature to cheer the underdog and/or wish for the demise of the hegemon... david/goliath, lions/christians etc. hayj05 makes an interesting point here: "it's the French that get all the credit again despite losing & feeling hard done by the reffing, just like the AB's felt 4 years ago." Why? Surely not because the French are popular! Yet the ABs seem even less popular, judging by the noise coming from all quarters against GH.....

Dare one suggest that Fra are the "punters favourites" for consistently unpredictable (and profitable) results at the bookies? Or conversely that the ABs are the worst team in the world to put a bet on. Always bad odds for a win. And the occasional banana skin to wipe out years of small profits? As Warren Buffet (or Myron Scholes) has said: "it's like picking up nickels in front of a steamroller."

Peace :-)

Posted 10:28 30th July 2012

Carpelone says...

Kiwilad, you are a true gentleman and a sportsman.

Let's move on.

Posted 08:52 30th July 2012

hayj05 says...

I'm suprised by the amount of people on here that understand where Henry is coming from but the expectant AB's haters are also out in force.

What cracks me up the most is how France get all the credit for the 07 QF, people said they were so much better but the truth is the AB's dominated the match & their only major short coming was not having a DG attempt.

Then fast foward to 11, yes the French were better but they were nowhere near as dominant as the AB's 4 years earlier & the ref was nowhere near as bad, the stats wherever they are will definately back this up. Yet it's the French that get all the credit again despite losing & feeling hard done by the reffing, just like the AB's felt 4 years.

Tall poppy syndrome sufferers please use both eyes.

Posted 07:53 30th July 2012

hayj05 says...

Stephen Jones hates the AB's & NZ for one reason pure & simple, he's a Welsh man & Wales were once the golden boys "team to beat" of world Rugby, a tag that the AB's have had for years now & I'm sure each win the AB's have racked up over Wales over the past 60 years has gradually increased his hatred of the AB's. His hate of England (historical reasons) has been prevelant in a few articles as well. Quite simply he is a joke of a journalist to anyone that is familiar with his work, It first what he says annoys you but then you realise he has no credibility.

Now people are saying Henry shouldn't of said this, has lost respect etc but why should he care? He's only telling the truth, he's entilted to his opinion.

People need to look at the "STATS" to understand why Henry suspected match-fixing, & yes he only suspected it but since dismissed it. That's how bizarre he felt the match was.

73% territorial advantage, something similar in possession & they recieved the lowest recorded penalty count in the pro era with 2 & didn't recieve a single penalty in the last 60 minutes? It just doesn't make sense when attacking sides hold all the cards.

He found 40 possible offences, now it's a game of Union, toughest game to ref in the world that I know of. Some calls are subjective & there will always be missed calls due to ref positioning but you've got to think that at least a quarter of those offences would usually be pulled up.

I'm sure Barnes was just out of his depth, overawed by the occasion but surely people can understand why Henry had his suspicions.

Posted 07:26 30th July 2012

tweedledee49 says...

Not cool...lets move on shall we?

Posted 06:53 30th July 2012

new_j4a says...

I'd like to see GH's remarks in context (without paying for the book). I also intend going back to watch the match from 2007 in the light of whatever he says, in context....so I can make up my own mind I can see Barnes bottling it on the big stage after being fast tracked past his level of competence, but I just can't see him taking a backhander and blatantly cheating.....one look at the man ought to tell you that he doesn't have the balls to cheat..

And, with respect to RWC2011, it was fairly reffed....one mistake at minute 4....Craig Joubert rewarded by his bosses...6N appointment...blah, blah....sigh...is there any point in continuing to discuss this with people who couldn't define a forward pass if their life depended on it....or recognize one. If all of the conspiracy theorists out there want to create and sustain the great myth that rugby is bent, then go for it....but why do you participate? You may as well go follow WWF wrestling? Or you could just learn enough to know yourself whether it's bent and then march en masse on the IRB and get it unbent? But I am fairly sure that there is MUCH, MUCH more ignorance than cheating

Posted 05:10 30th July 2012

Bafana says...

Funny. the SA Oz game fits the same description.

I see no one is complaining about Stephane Donal'd "missed" kick which won the match.

No, sport is full of bad refeering.

Corruption? I don't know. Let's ask the FIFA and the cricket world.

Posted 04:55 30th July 2012

james_lunn says...

I suppose we better investigate the refs that handled the Lions 2nd and 3rd test in 2001.........They must of had a hand in the match then. Pathetic!!!! He should never of lost with that squad, and he had the players in 2011 to win the WC, 0 to do with his coaching abiliy. One of the most overated coaches in the world!

Posted 02:34 30th July 2012

cantyboy says...

Its history now and like history should be,it should be in the past.

Posted 02:27 30th July 2012