When the law is not the law

Although referees have happily not been an issue in the Rugby World Cup a disturbing phenomenon has been the continued drift away from the laws, as they are written, and a trend to condone illegal play.

This has been particularly evident in the way lineouts have been officiated while the handling of the tackle ball and ensuing rucks and mauls, while seeming to be understood by coaches and players, bears little resemblance to the requirements of the law book.

Lineouts in the World Cup have resembled the mess they were a decade ago with players closing the gaps, jumping across, barging and riding on opponents.

There have been numerous incidents of jumpers getting away with using the outside arm – which almost always indicates something unlawful going on on the inside! – that has resulted in teams with normally efficient lineouts struggling to win their own ball.

Law 15, the tackle ball law, remains rugby’s illegitimate child and in their efforts to ensure some flow in the game referees have tended to be lax on the crucial requirement that players arriving at the breakdown should be onside.

England, in particularly, are adept at “sealing off” the ball by putting players on either side of the ball carrier; often ahead of the ball and invariably blocking the space of an opponent trying contest the ball, but they are by no means alone.

There is a certain amount of cynicism involved with teams transgressing as part of their method of play and challenging referees to constantly blow for penalties – something which, understandably, they are loath to do.

In addition there has been a propensity for referees to either favour, or allow all the advantages to be with, the attacking side which impinges on the requirement that there should be a fair contest for the ball.

This is especially true in attacking rucks (remember, one or more players from each team, who are on their feet, in physical contact, close around the ball on the ground) where players are permitted to reach down and roll the ball back with their hands even though handling the ball is expressly forbidden.

Former Wallaby coach Bob Dwyer maintains that “some teams are not even close to satisfying the law” and blames both coaches and referees for corrupting the game.

He says too many teams set out to circumvent the law, naming England as the most cynical, rather than to play to it and warns that there are now too many situations in the game “where it is taken for granted that you’re allowed to do things which are not permitted in the law book.”

Dwyer adds “top-flight referees have got carried away because they seem to think they’re the law-makers rather than the appliers of the law,” and says it is time the strict application of the law is enforced.

Certainly this form of "refereeing by arrangement" contains many dangers – not the least that a team trying to play to the law could be at a disadvantage.

That said, the officials have by and large acquitted themselves well, with no major blunders and only the odd minor quibble – such as Tony Spreadbury, or "Spreaders" as he is called by brethren, telling Corné Krige he could not kick a penalty to the corner in an effort to score a try in the quarter-final against the All Blacks because he would then blow for halftime; thus effectively denying the Springboks a penalty. Surely once a penalty has been awarded it has to be played to its conclusion?

There have been other such little oddities with one of the fascinations being the repartee between the match official, his touch judges and the players picked up on “Sports Ears” listening devices.

André Watson, who has deservedly been awarded his second successive World Cup Final, will, for instance, give Wallaby captain George Gregan short shrift. During the Australia – New Zealand semi-final Watson was heard to tell referee Chris White, about the chirpy Wallaby skipper’s habit of questioning decisions, "get him away there, not on every penalty, get him away there!"

In the next semi-final, England vs France, Paddy O’Brien sternly admonished Martin Johnson, "do me a big favour – I’ve had it with you," after the England captain’s umpteenth query.

But the best sound byte of all was non-verbal – a loud burp from "Spreaders" that caused such an outbreak of mirth in the Pressbox at the Suncorp Stadium in Melbourne that it had spectators wondering what they had missed.