MUNSTER COACH ANTHONY Foley has joined his Leinster counterpart Matt O’Connor in questioning the refereeing of the clash between the two provinces in Dublin on Saturday evening.
O’Connor was critical of Welsh match official Ian Davies’ decision-making around the breakdown and scrum, feeling that Munster’s four second-half yellow cards came after the real damage had been done.
Damien Varley, BJ Botha, Dave Foley and Conor Murray were all sin-binned as Leinster mounted a late comeback that ultimately came up short.
Asked for his view of the refereeing of the encounter, Foley explained that he disagreed with the decisions surrounding Varley and Botha’s exits.
“I thought what Eoin Reddan did was petulant in terms of throwing the ball off Damien Varley. He had the opportunity to pass it to a Leinster player. Other referees would have viewed that the same, it’s something that shouldn’t be in the game of rugby.
We’ve got to make sure that we don’t get this crossover with soccer, fellas diving and milking penalties. I think it’s a physical game and a game that needs to be managed.
“You look at that yellow card, it’s not a yellow card. I don’t think it would have been a try. If it was a try-scoring thing, I would have agreed with a yellow card, but it was out of the 22.
“BJ’s thing is a point of law. If there’s no ruck formed, which there wasn’t, he’s entitled to play the ball from that direction within the laws of the game. I know it looks horrible, it looks wrong, but it’s actually a rule in the game of rugby. BJ was entitled to do that.
“BJ knows the rules, he’s a World Cup winner, he knows what he’s entitled to do there. There was no ruck called, so he’s entitled to immediately play the ball there.”
Foley said he had “no problem” with second row Dave Foley’s yellow for dragging down a Leinster maul that was destined for the tryline, an action which also resulted in a penalty try against Munster.
However, the Foley did feel that Davies had been inconsistent in his refereeing of that area of the game.
Mike McCarthy did it at the start of the half, no sanction,” said Foley. “Felix Jones is breaking under the posts a yard from the line, Gordon D’Arcy crawls up and slows down our ball, no sanction.”
Foley correctly pointed out that Murray had been binned through “mistaken identity,” with the scrum-half having been around 15 metres away from play when Davies awarded Leinster a penalty; fullback Jones having been the man to block Isaac Boss’ quick-tap.
Amidst his protestations, Foley questioned why Davies’ refereeing of the game had, as the Munster coach perceived it, altered so dramatically after the half-time break.
“I think it’s harsh going at him, but I’d just love to know where the pressure was applied to him between half time and during the second half. Was that something he was feeling? Was that the crowd getting on his back? Was that Leinster getting on his back?
“I’m not sure, I haven’t got an answer for it. Something definitely escalated, so I’d just like to find out what that was.”
Indeed, Foley underlined his belief that Munster are not being refereed consistently at the moment, before stating his hope that match officials will get more “protection” moving forward.
[There's] a lot of frustration going on at the moment, because what we’re getting penalised for, the opposition are doing and not getting sanctioned for. It’s a point of contention in our background at the moment.
“We feel there’s stuff that we’re doing that might be on borderline, but there’s stuff the opposition are doing that’s the exact same. We’re getting sanctioned and they’re not. From my point of view, we just need to deal with that through the right channels, which we’re doing.
“I wish referees were protected more,” continued Foley. “I think they need to either have assistant referees from their own country or a TMO from their own country, that they can go to and rely on.
“I’m not into battering referees because I think they are an essential part of the game. The better we can aid them with their refereeing, the better value we get out of the game of rugby.”
Foley confirmed that he will be filing a report with the IRFU’s Director of Referees, Owen Doyle, who will then be responsible for outlining Munster’s issues to Pro12 organisers.
What foley and MOC are saying are very different, foleys thinks he got loads wrong on all sides, MOC seems to think he was wearing a red jersey
The general standard of refs in the rabo is shocking. This is the normal rubbish standard , shocking
You know, the BJ one is interesting. I screamed at his idiocy but Axel has a point. The guy is HUGELY experienced, as is Axel.
Which raises the question. .. just how poor are the officials? Are they poor enough to be having a detrimental effect on player development?
Cian, on BJ’s penalty, hadn’t a ruck formed and while the ball may have been out and available, BJ was coming from an off-side position to pick up that ball, so I thought it was deserved, no? Foley’s YC, no arguement, he planted his feet, fell down and dragged the rest down with him. While Varley’s was a cumulative YC, Reddan knew EXACTLY what to do, look for the lazy runner and fire the ball at him, very standard scrum-half trick, but Varley should have known better. Murray’s was a mistaken identity but Boss took the quick-tap from the wrong spot where the penalty was awarded, ref awarded it yards away, but let it go.
Once BJ was the tackler he can come in from anywhere as long as a ruck hasn’t formed. Am open to correction on this but from memory there was no Leinster player bridging over the ball and the ref hadn’t shouted ruck. In that instance BJ had every legal right to play the ball.
That was my thoughts too. Bj mafe the tackle. No ruck was formed and referee did not call ruck. Bj got back to his feet and made a genuine attempt to get the ball. The referee then penalised him and told him ruck had been called. It hadn’t
Thanks lads for the clarification on BJ’s penalty – with all the noise and pace of the play I had thought a ruck was formed and called, but it seems neither was the case, so BJ was within his rights to claim the ball in that case.
Also two players need to compete for the ball for it to be a ruck. Another point to bring in. To be fair guys they are hard calls to be making in the game. The BJ one looked horrific at first glance. Only on replays did I see it.
Are you from leinster Dave
Referees have access to instant replays. Standard of refereeing throughout the game, from underage up is appalling.
Main problem? Referees who never played the game. As I tell the lads I coach. It’s not just about the written down laws, there’s a whole set of ‘unwritten’ codes that goes hand in hand with rugby union and unless you played the game, you know nothing about it.
Nobody seems too want too mention the punch by Kane Douglas on 60mins 50 seconds. It’s for definite a red card. And it was in front of the referee. A definite citing incident.
It’s unusual that that moment of thuggery is not being discussed. He came at O’Connell from behind, the gutless prikk.
Agreed, very strange more isn’t being said about that. Was quite apparent even watching the game live.
Paulie needs to stop taking this stuff from Leinster players, Cullen has done it to him for years and he let him away with sneaky off the ball stuff constantly, a few Leinster players pushed him the other night and he let them at it, the man is a legend but he should not have let that Ozzy t**t away with that the other night. C’mon Paulie start putting the fear into that lot of bearded ladies
O connell is better than to lower himself to that, Darren. To be fair it didn’t seek to bother him at all.
Seem not seek
Dissapointed that matt or axel said anything at all. Irrespective of ref quality its a difficult job but hes entitled to question via existing formal channels without adding to the growing publicly whinging coach fraternity in the premiership.
I agree with you. I hate seeing coaches whinging after the fact. But there are questions to be answered that have a better chance of getting sorted when there is a public support for them.
I get the point and agree totally that the refereeing bodies need to provide visability and accountability of their guidance to refs, subsequent decision making and ref performance. I think it should be via formally documented channels and subsequent open publication on a professional body web site. More akin to irb published rulings on law interpretations. That way media stirring and hype is lessened and it keeps the ethos that we try to coach in new young players. Maybe im just old school.
Once MOC started diverting attention away from his own ineptitude, it was inevitable that Foley would have to respond. Disappointing, but Foley has to make sure that refs don’t hear only MOCs whinging.
Aboydakid !
Interesting, and reasoned, comments from Foley, unlike MOC’s partisan whingeing
“We’ve got to make sure that there is no crossover with soccer”. Needless, bitter comment. Soccer is the most popular game in the world and deservedly so. Skillful sport played and supported by billions. Foley’s attack on Eoin Reddan is disgusting. Showed a total lack of class. You won, stop being an ungracious winner.
Try again Knobson – it’s not working !
Stop Robson. You are clueless. A penalty was given in the last RWC (thats rugby world cup) because a SH (thats scrum half) intentionally threw the ball at an opposing player. Cynically playing for a penalty or free kick is an offence in itself.
A difference between rugby and soccer im glad to have.
As a fan of both sports, I don’t think there was any need to mention soccer. There are plenty of cynical things happening on a rugby field without dragging other sports into it.
Ahhh Robson, Buddy, I’m really starting to enjoy your tirade of Trolling posts. They’re so consistently bitter, so full of outright hatred for Munster, it’s almost a thing of Beauty at this stage. You’re giving us Munster Fans a great laugh – and remember …. we’re not laughing AT you … we’re laughing TOWARDS you!
Robson leinster Keane
Sorry Dave I thought you sounded like leinster for a minute.
Dave, what about constant Munster trolls like Flash, Rochelle, Sean Collins etc etc but feel free to let them be. Any Leinster troll is in response to the constant Munster trolling.
Gary you’re sad
Agree with Foley that referees need more protection. In the Ulster v Zebre game Fitzgibbon sent everything to the TMO who was an Italian and was clearly partisan in his decisions. Foley also has a point about referees being pressured at half time.
I think Foley is right to bring attention to the way Munster is reffed, it’s not consistent.
It seems to me that the ref simply lost his composure for some reason and most Munster fans will be familiar with this behaviour, especially when Munster forwards are dominating the game.
The refs start to scrutinise the break down for sealing off, ask the TMO to check tries for blocking of defenders, blow up for crooked put ins at the scrum, while ignoring the opposition, like Kane Douglas punch in the ribs from behind on Paul O’Connell, with 60 mins 50 secs on the match clock. Check it on youtube.com it’s a straight red offence, no sanction.
The ref at the Aviva isn’t alone in this, it’s just the way things are, Rolland was worse last year in fact.
For leinsters first try it should of been a penalty for Munster with Paul o’connell clearly taking out without ball in hand or being part of the ruck . Don’t know what leinster are saying they played against either a 13 man or a 14 man Munster team from about the 55th . Oconnor must not of seen the yellow cards coming out for Munster or the penalty try being awarded to leinster they clearly were penalised for doing what Matt Oconnor said Munster got away with
Football is a game of intelligence, style and skill. I am a staunch Connacht fan but rugby football is increasingly a game of brute strength and little else. Don’t know why certain rugby football people need to belittle football at every opportunity. It’s the games of the masses and the games of the people the world over. Rugby football is not a paragon of virtue when you look at some of the eye gouging, spear tackling etc that goes on.
What are you smoking lad???? When did football come into the equation?
Clueless bloke….
I’ll have the last laugh when Munster get found out this season.
I’m curious how you hate your own province so much Robson.Did some rugby player in limerick run over your cat or sleep with your wife?
TRUTH is someone got to that Ref at 1/2 time and it wasn’t Foley
Joke of Headline to this article….redtop journalism at its worst!!