Belgium v Spain

[General Zod]

Just seen Spain blow their hopes of qualifying into our group for the World Cup.

All they had to do was win in Belgium, but thanks to some incredibly questionable refereeing, Belgium won. This means that it is now highly likely to be Spain that play Samoa to take the other place in our group, and Romania will go through when they win their match.

Anyway, turns out the ref was Romanian! Highly suspect.

This was too much for the Spanish to take and come full time, he was chased out the ground! Annoyingly, the feed cut-out just as the ref was heading for the gates, surrounded by stewards and pursued by several Spaniards.

There was no commentary, so the above is my best guess as to what went on, but it looks like there’s more to come from this!

[General Zod]

https://en.as.com/en/2018/03/18/other_s ... 18162.html

[rowan]

I watched most of the game via streaming and thought the high penalty count was largely due to mounting frustration on the part of the Spanish team. In saying that, it appears they requested a change of referee straight after the announcement was made - but to no avail.

http://www.espn.com/rugby/story/_/id/22 ... -cup-place

Bottom line is, the Rugby World Cup is becoming a very predictable and repetitive affair. The same teams keep qualifying. The same teams generally make up the quarters. Only 8 nations have so far appeared in the semis, and only 5 in the final. NZ has not only won the tournament 3 times, it has made 7/8 semi-finals. We even had recurring host nations, namely Britain, France, NZ & Australia. & all of this is down to the hierarchial structure of the game's administration and championships, including its tier system and closed shop elite competitions.

My thoughts in full on this topic were published just a few days ago in the Observer, in fact. http://www.samoaobserver.ws/en/14_03_20 ... ctable.htm

[rowan]

It's a little reminiscent of Kenya choking in their final game of the African qualifiers some years ago. I'm a little hazy on the details now, but believe they only needed to beat a struggling Zimbabwe team to clinch top spot. But the Sables sprung the upset, & then kicked a late penalty to clinch it, when another try would have seen them qualify directly ahead of Namibia. Instead the Welwitschias went through, and Zimbabwe headed to Russia for the intercontinental playoff - which they lost!!

[rowan]

[Lizard]

You can never condone abuse of a referee like this, but how on Earth could Rugby Europe think it was appropriate to appoint a Romanian ref to a match that decided whether Romania would qualify directly to the World Cup?

[rowan]

The Kiwi-born Spanish kicker Linklater missed 2 shots at goal, btw. Didn't help matters.

So far Rugby Europe has responded to say http://www.rugbyeurope.eu/rugby-europe-communication

& Agustin Pichot has tweeted to say World Rugby is now investigating the problem.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Unacceptable behaviour from the Spanish players but WR never should have put them in this position to begin with. Why even take the risk?

We've been screwed by refs before - Joubert cost us in the RWC but I don't think he's a cheat. He was just a muppet who got it wrong.

If there is evidence that the ref genuinely fabricated calls consistently against Spain to try influence the game then what happens? A life ban for the ref but will the fixture be replayed?

[rowan]

Well, in another bizarre twist, a 'technical issue' appears to be preventing anyone from seeing the full match replay on the ENC web site. http://www.rugbyeurope.eu/2018-rugby-eu ... m-vs-spain

No such problems with the other games over there...

[Adder]

the ref was appointed before the tournament began. like the 6 nations.

[rowan]

One or two questionable calls at the ruck, a little lenient on high tackling by the hosts, but I've seen worse. This is not the reason Spain lost. They just choked on the big occasion. & let's not forget they were in this position because of a well-deserved home win over Romania and a dodgy away win over Russia which included a controversially disallowed Russian try between the stix which would have resulted in a draw.

[rowan]

There is nothing else in sport quite like the epic rugby choke. It comes out of nowhere, strikes at the vital moment, and turns battle-hardened veterans into muddled lumps of jelly. The All Blacks had it down to an art form for a couple of decades or so, while England are well-renowned masters of the trade, and as a Hurricanes supporter since the get-go I am well accustomed to such disasters at the business end of the season. First instincts are to seek skapegoats and pin the blame on the man in the middle, but eventually you learn to just let it go and soldier on. Another bitter rugby memory sinks slowly into the sediment.

[rowan]

The pain in Spain . . .

Spanish rugby board have published an official statement. Basicaly they requested referee change weeks ago to avoid suspicions. Chairman of the Referees Commission of RE (Rugby Europe) and the Match Commisssioner of the meeting warned the referee that his performance would be analyzed carefully and that they expected from him a totally neutral arbitration. Spanish rugby board will present a claim to RE with a copy to World Rugby so that the Referees Commission of RE review the video of the meeting in case the arbitration action had been deliberately partial to favor the interests of Romania and if it is so, acted in consecuense. Spanish rugby board also regrets the reaction of some players who did not contain their mood at the end of the match......

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I think there still need to be player bans even if ref is found guilty. It's a dangerous precedent.

[rowan]

Regrettably, I have to agree with that.

& the most Spain can hope for is some kind of demotion for the ref involved. "Okay, the ref was so bad we're going to replay this game" - said no administrative body in international sports ever . . .

[rowan]

The big disappointment here is that Canada, Romania and Samoa have all been let off the hook. It would have done one of them good to miss the tournament, given their poor form of late. The inclusion of a third tier 3 nation at the expense of a second tier team would also have lent some semblance of credibility to a World Cup that almost resembles an invitational tournament with its recurrent themes and lack of new faces. But the wheels turn very, very slowly in international rugby, with the only major change to the top order over the past century being the rise of Argentina.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

So apparently all of the officials (linesmen, 4th and ref) were Romanian.

The head of Rugby Europe is romanian - governing body who act as the organisers NOT World Rugby.

This is rotten.

[BlackCat1978]

So apparently all of the officials (linesmen, 4th and ref) were Romanian.

The head of Rugby Europe is romanian - governing body who act as the organisers NOT World Rugby.

This is rotten.

Spot on: rotten to the core.

[rowan]

But as Adder mentioned earlier, it was all decided before the competition began. Spain did appeal it when the circumstances of the final round became clear, but I guess the ENC regarded itself as 'above suspicion,' so to speak, and refused to make the change.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

But as Adder mentioned earlier, it was all decided before the competition began. Spain did appeal it when the circumstances of the final round became clear, but I guess the ENC regarded itself as 'above suspicion,' so to speak, and refused to make the change.

First part is fine. Second is not.

Also having all officials from a single nation in one game? That isn't normal is it?

[rowan]

Not sure on the last point. I think it might be in ENC. Each nation has a refereeing crew that travels about together, allowing them to communicate easily in a foreign language. If that's the case, it's certainly outdated, and this might be just the wake up call they need to get with the 21st century.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

a 28-8 penalty count though... that really does not add up.

[Big D]

If corruption is proven then ban all involved.

If it is or isn't corruption bans must be handed out to the Spanish players.

[rowan]

Clive Woodward has tweeted:

This is just not right and World Rugby are totally right to step in - the game sjouke be replayed

& World Rugby has replied:

Statement: While World Rugby does not appoint match officials for the Rugby Europe Championship, it is in contact with Rugby Europe to understand the context of events relating to the Belgium v Spain match in Brussels on Sunday, which doubled as an important RWC 2019 qualifier.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

If corruption is proven then ban all involved.

If it is or isn't corruption bans must be handed out to the Spanish players.

Including the players that reacted?