Burns gets a bashing for being English!
Inever cease to be amazed by the differing ways in which supporters react to players’ indiscretions. When Billy Burns missed touch at the end of the Wales v Ireland game, he came in for some shocking abuse from some so-called fans – including a couple who played the nationality card, accusing him of being English!
Well, he is by birth, but he’s no less qualified to play for Ireland than the likes of the South Africans Rob Herring and CJ Stander, or the Kiwi, James Lowe, all of whom played on Sunday! And, anyway, Ireland were playingWales, so how was that relevant?
By way of contrast, the man who really cost Ireland the game, Peter O’Mahony, got away relatively unscathed, but then he plays for Munster which ranks him just one step below the level required for beatification!
O’Mahony’s clear-out of Tomas Francis involved diving off his feet and delivering an elbow to the Welsh prop’s face. Most people agreed that Wayne Barnes made the correct decision in red-carding him as this epitomised the kind of reckless clear-out that so many of us want to see eliminated from the game: clearly off his feet, out of control, no real attempt to bind, and a forearm smash built in for good measure!
In the same game there was also as persuasive an argument as you’ll ever see for the involvement of the TMO. When O’Mahony hit Francis, Barnes’ initial reaction was that it was acceptable – remember he saw it once, in real-time, from the other side while trying to look at everything else that was going on. However, once it was drawn to his attention by the TMO he was typically analytical, concise, and decisive. That’s how things should work: the ref does his best – Barnes’ best is better than that of anyone else currently officiating – and his team of officials have his back. Ireland probably would have won the game had the TMO not intervened, but in the end O’Mahony’s transgression was spotted and cost them the chance of the Triple Crown or Grand Slam.
In his subsequent disciplinary hearing, O’Mahony got a six-week ban, reduced to three weeks “after careful consideration of the player’s record and conduct in the hearing”. Andy Farrell said: “Guys don’t do these things on purpose”, which at least is a variation on the usual mantra of “so and so’s not a dirty player” usually uttered after a red card.
As recently as last October, O’Mahony did something very similar, arguably even more stupid, when he dived on top of Jake Ball after the Scarlets player had scored a try, so his record isn’t that good! There was understandable cynicism about O’Mahony’s reduced ban conveniently ending just in time for him to play against England!
Another person coming in for some online abuse this week was Maggie Alphonsi, who apparently still gets sexist and unpleasant comments whenever she acts as a pundit on the men’s game.
I find that incredible in this day and age, but there are clearly plenty of unreconstructed types still lurking out there. One of my bugbears about Six Nations broadcasting coverage in the past has been too many former players and coaches who get the gig on past reputation rather than on ability, but Alphonsi has never fallen into that category – disliking a pundit on the basis of gender is simply wrong, as well as daft!
Quite why supporters feel the need to resort to personal abuse online baffles me. Whenever ‘our’ team loses, it hurts, and when a player has a stinker it’s easy to point the finger at them, but there’s a world of difference between being critical, and being unpleasant or hurtful.
Last week, Wasps’ Jacob Umaga deleted a social media account because of the trolling he received, and if you look at the supporters’ websites there are countless other examples of what I would consider to be unacceptable behaviour.
Rugby has its core values, among which is Respect. This should go beyond players respecting each other and the officials, and should be part of what we as supporters embrace. The old adage that the internet makes brave men out of cowards is spot on, and the golden rule has to be, if you wouldn’t say it to a player, an official, or a pundit’s face, don’t say it at all.