I didn't see them controlling much, apart from about 10 mins where they were kicking for touch in the 2nd half.
Yes, France were crap and will lose big next weekend.
Not a great game for a neutral
You can take the man out of England, but you can't take England out of the man. 😆
France were crap? controlled the game and played for territory
They just kicked it. Don't think there was a run of more the 20 metres. That's not controlling the game that's not getting involved in the game.
Ref ruined the game, Hook missed importand kicks. Still feeling low after the way the Sprinbok game was ruined by a shyte ref.
Its making sure the game was played at the welsh end. Its a negative tactic but it what they did. Won them the game
Based on what we've seen in the world cup, I don't think France had the capability to put Wales away...
Sorry TJ, but you're wrong - there was clearly an attempt to limit the impact n the French player, and the decision was inconsistent with the way similar offences have been punished during the tournament.
This has prob been posted but i'm not going through it all again
https://twitter.com/#!/RugbyRefscom/status/125135994323353600/photo/1/large
TJ do you think that it was a straight red? I can see the justification but think it was harsh, given what we see in most games it didnt appear to be more than a yellow to me.
What Konastoner said - the reason France didn't put Wales away was because they couldn't put Wales away. They didn't have control and Wales might well have won with a stroke of luck or a better decision here and there. France are just an ordinary team who find themselves in the final... not unheard of (England last time, anyone?) but it stings all the same.
anagallis_arvensis - MemberTJ do you think that it was a straight red? I can see the justification but think it was harsh, given what we see in most games it didnt appear to be more than a yellow to me.
maybe. certainly a yellow and you are allways flirting with a red when you do that.
He certainly cannot complain about it. maybe harsh but not ridiculous
houns, I suppose it depends what you call a "height" Palison wasnt high enough to rotate onto his head, as we discussed with the forward pass stuff, Union laws are frustratingly open to interpretation.
Completely ridiculous
maybe. certainly a yellow and you are allways flirting with a red when you do that.
wow, we agree then 😆
Sorry TJ, but you're wrong - there was clearly an attempt to limit the impact n the French player, and the decision was inconsistent with the way similar offences have been punished during the tournament.
He dropped with his feet higher than his head - dangerous tackle- read the rules as posted above. Certain penalty - another day another ref could have been only a yellow but its not outrageous to be a straight red.
Its making sure the game was played at the welsh end. Its a negative tactic but it what they did. Won them the game
But the Welsh have been defending in their own half the whole tournament, more to do with Wales letting them play there than the French putting them under pressure. If the French were so controlling, why didn't they put any tries past us?
TandemJeremy - MemberHe dropped with his feet higher than his head - dangerous tackle- read the rules as posted above. Certain penalty - another day another ref could have been only a yellow but its not outrageous to be a straight red.
I'll listen to the people who know what they're talking about thanks.
The key term in that memo is "With no regard for the players safety", Warberton clearly had this regard as he let go before the tackle becam speared. It was unfortunate that he was off balance to ensure the player was grounded securley, clearly a Yellow.
I'll say it again ...France were cr4p -and will get hammered next weekend
Sorry TJ, but you're wrong
99 times out of 100 I'd agree with anyone saying this. However, this is not one of them...
Read the memo in the twitter link up there. The rules are unequivocally clear, actually.
agree with above ref Jones, he shit himself, he did not want the drop kick, u could see phillips staring at him! Jones hang up your boots, thanks for everthing but time to go. gatlands got it right the younguns will rise and rise. ref the tackle defo a card but yellow. anyway what's done is done!
The key term in that memo is "With no regard for the players safety", Warberton clearly had this regard as he let go before the tackle became speared. It was unfortunate that he was off balance to ensure the player was grounded securley, clearly a Yellow.
Gutted for Wales. They should have taken the opportunity for a drop goal near the end.
They played superbly considering the daft ref.
How can a ref called Alain Rolland who has a French father keep being given key France matches to referee? That's like getting a ref called Sean Kelly to ref Ireland or Gordon Campbell a Scottish match.
Jamie Roberts talking sense now.
The tackler has a responsibility to ensure the player lands safely - whatever Warburton did, the player stood up and walked away, so he did land safely...
Very mature interview from Jamie Roberts, not rising to the bait about the ref.
On the bright side, the welsh will forever be able to claim that they were robbed of the WC which I guess is better than the reality of being a losing finalist 😉
Allez les Bleus!
whatever Warburton did, the player stood up and walked away, so he did land safely...
I was driving down the high street at 100mph the other day, but I didn't kill anyone, so I must have done it safely 🙄
Zokes,
If you had regard for everyones safety then yes you did!
Well whatever the opinion on the card I think Wales were the better side, it was the missed pens and conversion that cost us. France didn't score a single point in open play. They will get smashed by whoever wins tomorrow.
If nothing else, it sets up the possibility of letting NZ hump France off the park next week - I reckon there's a fair chance we'll see France being exposed really badly.
unless Allain Rolland is reffing that game as well?
It's all over now, Wales were unlucky but they missed 8 points of kicks so can't really pin it all on a bad tackle/bad decision.
Bugger.
Interesting interview with Dausetoir - kind of a just happy to get to the final attitude, rather than we'll go and win it now. Not much talent, a lot of heart, he said!
It was the South Africa all over again really...
The odds were against Wales...
Yet you always felt Wales should and would win...
But the Welsh kicking was sub par and they didn't take the opportunities for points...
To end up losing by a single point
The red card was super harsh but not "wrong" under a subjective interpretation of the law. To be fair, if the French had lost through the Leigh Halfpenny kick then they would have rightly been unhappy given how Charteris held on to the ball on the floor two or three times. These may not be directly comparable ref decisions but Wales still were given their chances
Now lets smash the Southern Hemisphere for 3rd place and show the world what could and should have been!!!
Now lets smash the Southern Hemisphere for 3rd place and show the world what could and should have been!!!
Now that's talking sense.
What, in the Twitter link is conclusive that it should have been a red?
"The p`layer is lifted then forced or 'speared' into the ground. A red card should be issued for this type of tackle.
The tackling player released, so he wasn't forced or 'speared' into the ground.
"The lifted player is dropped to the ground from a height with no regard to the player's safety. A red card should be issued for this type of tackle."
Open to interpretation, what does 'a height' mean? Who decides the level of regard shown? The ref decided it was a red. End.
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They'll destroy the Meateaters!
+1 smash the Aussies!
You guys have forgotten the choke factor.... You might get the ABs yet!
So what do we think would make a better final?
Aus vs. Fra would be my pick.
I don't think France have any sort of a chance against NZ
It would be mightly nice for the Welsh to go on and humiliate NZ with a win but this may just be wishful thinking 😀
P.S. There have been several tackle's like Sam's this RWC and none have got red to the best of my knowledge. There was a period a year or so ago when feet above the head was an automatic red in Southern Hemisphere competitions but common sense seems to have to over lately and the automatic red ruling was relaxed to only being applied if there was real intent to drop a guy on his head. The law itself didn't change at all though (after the BOD incident that is).
wonder what the citing comissioner will say, if they dont ban him for a time it will be a tacit admission the ref got it wrong
No, the AB's have sorted it with the ref's so we can smash the Aussies!
as I've said all along, any of the other three teams in the semis should smash my Froggy compatriots. Thing with them though is that from time to time they can simply rip any team apart. especially the ABs at WCs, it seems.
so, a narrow, undeserved win today sets them up perfectly.
Though chances are they'll be hammered. never mind, it's just a game 😉