Another average display from a premiership referee today. How he deemed that we’d probably have scored a try at the end is beyond me but it offset another few horrific decisions that went against us.

Surely with the money now involved in the game, they should be investing in training referees properly and they should be spending 3/4 seasons in the lower leagues before reffing a big game. It’s not an easy job but that’s where experience comes into play. A 26 year old with limited experience shouldn’t be out there in the middle. Maybe there’s just a bit shortage of top class refs but the variance between the best and worst even within the premiership is worrying.

Karl Dickson is an example of what can positively be done so there should be positive encouragement for other ex players to step up to professional referees rather than school kids who have little idea of how a professional game of rugby is actually played (apologies if that sounds harsh)

The decision at the end made sense to me. Exe were repeatedly infringing and had been warned, then had a player carded, and continued to infringe. I believe a penalty try can be given in such circumstances.

The usual stuff was missed today, for both teams. For me, the worst is ruck time, with players going in at the side, going over the top, going beyond the ruck. It rarely gets refereed properly.

Have to say thought he referred it really well thought - though could argue he lost the plot in last 5 mins of game. Saying that his assistant called the final scrum penalty that lead to try - might have been one to many for him and could argue (though not sure I would agree) Care/backs likely to score!

Allowed a flowing game of rugby. Allowed attacking team to dominate breakdown - not sure any holding on pens at ruck time. Scrum time was even and listened to assistants.

Overall think neither team could complain about 95% of his game and that is not normal.

But that's the point. These days referees make up their own minds about what laws to apply, how to apply them and what to ignore. When did you last see a straight scrum feed for example? I've seen other refs give a penalty try for repeated infringements.

I was somewhat annoyed that early on Robshaw got pinged for coming in at the side and that was the last time the ref bothered to apply that law to either side.

Yeah I think everyone just wants a consistent approach from ref to ref, game to game.

I think Robbo got pinged for jackling as the second man rather than side entrance. But side entrance has almost been forgotten across the board this season.

When the penalty try was awarded Exeter had given away seven penalties on the trot, six in the five metre red zone. It started with the high tackle on Marcus and ended with the eighth as the penalty try. If that wasn’t the right outcome how many penalties can you give away in that area and still come out without loosing points.

When the penalty try was awarded Exeter had given away seven penalties on the trot, six in the five metre red zone. It started with the high tackle on Marcus and ended with the eighth as the penalty try. If that wasn’t the right outcome how many penalties can you give away in that area and still come out without loosing points.

Also, the penalties resulted in 2 yellow cards.  Clearly, carding players wasn't working.  In fact, carding more players would probably have had a negative effect as the scrums would eventually have gone uncontested.


I watched a Pro 14 game over the weekend. Kings v Connacht.  From around the 63 minute mark, Connacht were camped on Kings tryline.  After many scrum penalties, Sir carded a Kings player.  Connacht persisted with the scrum and on around the 69 minute mark he went under the sticks.  In my opinion, it seems a fair response in this sort of situation.

Also, the penalties resulted in 2 yellow cards.  Clearly, carding players wasn't working.  In fact, carding more players would probably have had a negative effect as the scrums would eventually have gone uncontested.


I watched a Pro 14 game over the weekend. Kings v Connacht.  From around the 63 minute mark, Connacht were camped on Kings tryline.  After many scrum penalties, Sir carded a Kings player.  Connacht persisted with the scrum and on around the 69 minute mark he went under the sticks.  In my opinion, it seems a fair response in this sort of situation.

Uncontested scrums with Chiefs down to 12 players should mean that Quins Score anyway.

As far as I can see, there is nothing in the laws that allows for a penalty try except in cases where foul play prevented a try being scored.

One _could_ argue that Quins would have dominated the last scrum if Chiefs has scrummaged legally and scored a push over try but that’s (for me) a big shout. One slip of the prop’s feet (as Lambert had already done) and the drive is stopped.

In my view, more cards would’ve made the try (and therefore the penalty try) more likely.

Looking carefully at the highlights, the Exeter 17 is already almost parallel to the goal line by the time the ball goes in and immediately thereafter releases and retakes his bind. The Quins pack is properly bound and they all have good body positions and give a strong impression that they would be going forward if Exeter weren't folding in and forcing the whole thing sideways.

Arguably, Quins are just painting a better picture for the ref, but given the loosehead is that far out of shape from the put in and the scrum has been shoved backwards the last time it was straight and stayed up, the decision looks less of a stretch than people are claiming.