Better the devil you know

 

The Sharks were on the receiving end of some tough calls from both the referee and the TMO against the Bulls last weekend in the form of Jaco van Heerden and Johan Greeff.

 

Van Heerden, 32, has over 10 years of refereeing experience but was making his Super Rugby debut in the pressure-pot South African derby at Loftus when the Bulls hosted the Sharks.

 

As a debutant, not much was known about him and while Gold was not dwelling in the past, he did make it clear that the referees game is a factor in team's preparations.

 

"Knowing the referee and knowing that he has experience does not necessarily effect your game plan, but it will effect your preparation," Gold said ahead of their match against the Stormers which will be officiated by the experienced Jaco Peyper.

 

"It is good to have an idea about the referee, they are human after all and as such they are creature of habit.

 

"If you have an idea of the referee's profile you have an idea on how he interprets things."

 

An aspect of the game that falls under immense scrutiny from all corners is the breakdown, the laws of that particular facet of play are open to varying interpretations.

 

Gold said it is important to know how referees interpret certain rules, because while they still may be within the laws, there will be different calls and interpretations from different people.

 

"For instance, some referees favour the tackler coming in and gives them a fair contest," Gold continued, using the ruck and tackle area as an example.

 

"Whereas other referees – all with in the law and doing the correct thing – will have a different interpretation and will favour the attacking team because he wants a quicker game. 

 

"If you understand those nuances and those small subtleties it very well may be that you go into a game and say to the guys that it is not worth trying to steal the ball because he is not a referee who acknowledges that."

 

Gold went on to fuel the controversy by bringing up Bryce Lawrence who, according to many South African rugby fans, was a big factor in the Springboks being eliminated from the 2011 World Cup when he gave free reign to openside flank David Pocock.

 

"Bryce Lawrence was a good case in point in 2011 – he did not give a single [penalty for a] turnover the whole game," Gold said.

 

"It does make a difference and at this level it is quite advantageous if you have had a referee that has been around a while. 

 

"Bismarck [Du Plessis] knows Jaco [Peyper] very well and it makes a difference for the captain to have a relationship with him."