Referee didn’t harm England’s chances

IT WAS a great surprise to learn that a rugby writer of Simon Thomas’ standing was unaware of the “no arms tackle” law.

He might recall the red-carding of Liam Williams and resulting penalty try in a game against South Africa a few years ago which cost Wales a first away win against the Boks.

Tuilagi was lucky not to have been sanctioned earlier when he hit Dan Biggar with his left shoulder without wrapping his left arm in the tackle. This “tackle” was perhaps hidden from the referee but where was the TMO?

Nevertheless referee O’Keefe had a poor match, appeared to make a number of errors that cost Wales dearly and displayed a frustrating level of naivety.

For example, the scrum penalty that eventually resulted in Watson’s try. England pushed forward a foot or more long before the ball came in and then appeared to step to the right thus wheeling the scrum. The ref penalised Wales.

Likewise the Moriarty penalty when he fell at the back of a lineout. Several English forwards fell over him and he was adjudged to have “collapsed the maul”.

We are in Donald Trump territory here. On S4C diplomatic pundit Nigel Owens thought Moriarty was unlucky. These “infringements” cost Wales 10 points.

That esteemed referee, Jonathon Kaplan, thought that Farrell should have been sin-binned for the four penalties he conceded in the first 25 minutes.

After the melee in which Alun Wyn was manhandled, the ref issued a general warning but also appeared to personally warn Farrell, the architect of the melee. Farrell, like Richie McCaw, seems generally untouchable though.

Wales scored 14 points in three minutes at end of the game but prior to that England had managed to run over a minute and a half off the clock with reset scrums. It’s gamesmanship that everyone is at times guilty of, but why don’t referees stop the clock, particularly if they then give the front rows a lecture as Mr O’Keefe did? Another 90 seconds plus any overtime might have given Wales the opportunity to score again and win or draw the match.

I accept that England were the better team and that Wales defended amateurishly in conceding the three tries, but England had a fair bit of help from the ref and if they had lost they would’ve had only themselves to blame.

Instead of criticising the referee, Eddie Jones should buy him a couple of beers by way of thanks.

I Seaton Mumbles, Swansea