Lions - match 10
Stats and bits
The Lions kept their unbeaten record intact in midweek matches when they beat Auckland 17-13 on Tuesday evening.
There has been so much to talk about this week that it is hard to know where to start. Statistics are the easy way, but there have also been several queries.
Some of what has been said about the refereeing has been uncharitable and unfair, but we shall deal with that tomorrow. In fact we shall deal with readers' queries during the week.
Today we are looking at the match between the Lions and Auckland.
Just one thing – Bless the referee for stopping the backchat.
1. Statistics
(i) Penalties conceded:
Lions: 16
Auckland: 10
The Lions goaled four penalties, Auckland two. Auckland missed a penalty kick at goal, the Lions none.
(ii) Reasons for the penalties:
Lions:
Tackle/ruck: 4 (Martyn Williams, *D'Arcy, Bulloch, Horgan)
Off-side: 4 (Kay, Martyn Williams, Corry, Dawson)
Scrum: 2 (Hayes 2)
Discipline: 6 (Rowntree 3 – punch, man without ball and dissent, Kay – punch, Cockbain – punch, Horgan – dissent)
Auckland:
Tackle/ruck: 9 (*Collins 2, *Braid, *Ward 3, Devine, Nacewa, *Hiau)
Discipline: 1 (Lavea – man without ball)
(iii) Free kicks awarded
Lions: 0
Auckland: 3 (2 marks, 1 line-out)
(iii) Line-outs awarded
Lions: 10
Auckland: 20 (7 lost, 1 free kick, 3 skew)
(v) Scrums awarded
Lions: 14 (3 reset)
Auckland: 8 (5 reset, 2 penalties)
(vi) Drop-outs
Lions: 1
Auckland: 1
(vii) Total Stoppages: 89
(ix) Tour totals:
(a) Penalties per match
Lions vs Bay of Plenty: 9 + 5 = 14
Lions vs Taranaki: 4 + 10 = 14
Lions vs Maori: 13 + 12 = 25
Lions vs Wellington: 6 + 11 = 17
Lions vs Otago: 11 + 11 = 22
Lions vs Southland: 12 + 13 = 25
Lions vs New Zealand (1st Test): 8 + 10 = 18
Lions vs Manawatu: 7 + 11 = 18
Lions vs New Zealand (2nd Test): 12 + 14 = 26
Lions vs Auckland: 16 + 10 = 26
The Lions have been penalised 92 times, their opponents 107.
(b) Stoppages
Lions vs Bay of Plenty: 90
Lions vs Taranaki: 95
Lions vs Maori: 100
Lions vs Wellington: 73
Lions vs Otago: 86
Lions vs Southland: 86
Lions vs New Zealand (1st Test): 83
Lions vs Manawatu: 71
Lions vs New Zealand (2nd Test): 72
Lions vs Auckland: 89
(c) Scrum resets per match:
The average number of resets per match so far has been:
Lions vs Bay of Plenty: 29,5%
Lions vs Taranaki: 78,5%
Lions vs Maori: 59%
Lions vs Wellington: 82%
Lions vs Otago: 20%
Lions vs Southland: 46%
Lions vs New Zealand (1st Test): 70%
Lions vs Manawatu: 67%
Lions vs New Zealand (2nd Test): 27%
Lions vs Auckland: 36%
(d) Sanctions
Lions vs Bay of Plenty: None
Lions vs Taranaki: Andrew Hore (Taranaki) – yellow card
Lions vs Maori: Sheridan (Lions) – yellow card
Lions vs Wellington: None
Lions vs Otago: None
Lions vs Southland: None
Lions vs New Zealand (1st Test): Paul O'Connell (Lions) – yellow card, Danny Grewcock (Lions) – citing and suspension
Lions vs Manawatu: Nathan Kemp and Simon Easton (Manawatu) – yellow cards, Matt Stevens (Lions) – yellow card
Lions vs New Zealand (2nd Test): None
Lions vs Auckland: Rowntree (Lions) – citing and exoneration and Tuitupou (Auckland) – citing and suspention
(e) Tries:
Lions vs Bay of Plenty: 6 + 1 = 7
Lions vs Taranaki: 4 + 2 = 6
Lions vs Maori: 1 + 1 = 2
Lions vs Wellington: 2 + 0 = 2
Lions vs Otago: 3 + 1 = 4
Lions vs Southland: 2 + 1 = 3
Lions vs New Zealand (1st Test): 0 + 2 = 2
Lions vs Manawatu: 17 + 0 = 17
Lions vs New Zealand (2nd Test): 2 + 5 = 7
Lions vs Auckland: 1 + 1 = 2
2. Citing – yet again
It is not surprising that ordinary folk find the process of citing in rugby football bamboozling.
After the Auckland match Graham Rowntree was cited on a charge of punching Bryce Williams. That does not seem odd, but in the context it was decidedly odd.
In the second Test between the Lions and New Zealand Julian White threw four punches, one of which landed. He was not cited.
Tony Woodcock threw a punch. It landed. He was not cited.
The punches in this instance were clear for all to see.
In the match between the Lions and Auckland, Sam Tuitupou threw a punch. He was not cited – not for the punch anyway.
Ben Kay threw a punch. He was not cited.
Brent Cockbain threw a punch. He was not cited.
Why the difference?
It's hard to tell.
Perhaps it was the lack of provocation. But then the provocation for Cockbain was minimal as little Steve Devine pushed him after he had stomped on a prone player's leg.
It could not have been the inherit power of the punch because Rowntree's overarm did not look much nor did it seem to do damage to Bryce Williams, apart from surprising him.
Ben Kay was damaged. He collected a right eye that swelled close immediately, not because of overzealous use of a powderpuff, but because he was punched. That ended his evening on Eden Park.
Then they tell me it is the act and not the outcome that counts. That does nothing to unravel the bamboozlement.
Then they that citing is only for what a red card would/should have been given. The top referee saw what Rowntree did and penalised him. He did not give even a yellow card. Nor did he give Cockbain one but spoke about it.
Rowntree's case seems no worse than Cockbain's. Nor did Andy Sheridan's and he got a yellow card.
Mercifully, the citing off Tuitupou was clear.
3. Penalise who?
The Lions attack. Will Greenwood breaks for the posts and is brought down,. Martyn Williams is in support. Greenwood pops the ball towards Williams but Williams has been held early by Bryce Williams. Martyn Williams tries to catch the ball but loses it into the Auckland in-goal where Sam Tuitupou picks it up and runs it out.
At this stage the referee blows his whistle and penalises Bruce Williams for an early tackle. Obviously in such a case so near the line, the referee needs to talk.
Tuitupou turns round holding the ball. Ben Kay approaches to get the ball. The Lions would presumably like to option of a tap and go.
Tuitupou holds onto the ball and wrestles.
Tuitupou strikes out at Kay.
Kay strikes at Tuitupou.
Justin Collins approaches, not necessarily as a peacemaker.
There is a surge of hugging and pushing.
The referee then wants to talk to Kay but he is, with his closed eye, hors de combat. Instead the referee tells Gordon Bulloch, the Lions' captain, that there would have been a penalty to the Lions with the strong possibility of three or even seven points but that the penalty would now be reversed.
There were three, possibly four, infringements by Aucklanders, one by a Lion. But the penalty was not for the sum total of the infringements. It is against the man seen, and, by his own words, the referee saw Kay.
Kay may have been retaliating, but he was seen. He was guilty of doing something wrong and so deserved to be penalised.
The business of penalising the retaliator is covered by the law which forbids it.
Law 10.4 (j) Retaliation. A player must not retaliate. Even if an opponent is infringing the laws, a player must not do anything that is dangerous to the opponent.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
Kay was within his rights to want to get the ball. But when he was struck he was not within his rights to strike back.
Rugby demands great virtue in the heat of battle.
4. Wide scrumhalf
The Lions put the ball into a scrum,. Steve Devine of Auckland does not harass Matt Dawson of the lions. Instead he shuffles infield. When the ball comes back to the Lions Devine is six or seven metres from the scrum ahead of the last feet of the last Aucklander in the scrum. Dawson passes to his flyhalf Ronan O'Gara. As Dawson passes, Devine charges at O'Gara and tackles him ball and all.
OK?
Funnily enough, it is not OK.
Law 20.12 (e) The scrumhalf whose team does not win possession of the ball must not move away from the scrum and then remain in front of the off-side line running through the hindmost foot of that player’s team in the scrum.
Penalty: Penalty Kick
That means that Devine could have gone behind the last feet on his side and then moved wide to be opposite O'Gara.
