Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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#3470925 16-Mar-2026 15:55

It's been a few years since rule changes turned rugby referees into yellow card vending machines. From my perspective, the stream of yellow cards is constant. Are other people noticing the same? The Crusaders got three or four against the Highlanders (could have been forty based on the instance of cynical play I saw). England probably scored more yellow cards than tries in the six nations. They got three or four at the weekend too, including two at once. They still only narrowly lost.

Are the players just not learning? Are the dangerous tackle cards being handed out for contacts players can't avoid/mitigate? Is it worth the risk for players to engage in cynical play?

I'd be interested to hear what other people think.

Mike

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#3470929 16-Mar-2026 16:12

I think absolutely the cynical stuff is dumb, and if players haven't learned that then it's a poor reflection on them.

The contact stuff is a bit different. So many bodies in motion, changes of angles and heights, split second decisions and these end up being yellow cards these days. It's never going to change unless we make it touch rugby. People who haven't played the game have no idea of the split second change that can happen to turn a good tackle into a not so good one in the blink of an eye. Add on exhaustion and it's not surprising these still happen. Would be interesting to know if the stats are any better globally since all these red and yellow cards started happening. Doesn't seem to be getting any less of them being dished out.

Pure thuggery has always been carded (in the professional rugby era at least) so we have seen a decline in this because players know they will be gone. The problem with the cynical play is theres normally a multitude of warning first so it's worth having a crack if all that will happen is a penalty. Start making mandatory yellow cards for cynical play and you will see a change in behaviour.

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#3470931 16-Mar-2026 16:16

tukapa1:

Gee those Crusaders were dirty tonight.

3 yellow cards and numerous penalised off the ball issues and professional fouls.

I guess their backs were to the wall so win at any cost....

Did your post just prior mention that you're all for a bit of mongrel...? 😉

Having watched the game on replay, 3 cards to the Crusaders and none to the Highlanders was a bit harsh, as the 'landers were pushing the boundaries at times, and for example the Brewis yellow for dangerous cleanout, the lock was flopped all over the ruck and most definitely both slowing the ball and not supporting his weight, so should have been a penalty the other way first. Fihaki's didn't appear malicious, as the player was falling into the tackle, but it was a fair cop but hardly dirty.

It was great to see the Crusaders with more urgency, and backing themselves by running more - possibly with the confidence that Will Jordan is lurking for an off-load, or otherwise available to get them out of trouble.

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#3470932 16-Mar-2026 16:17

Forty ROFL.

The Highlanders should have had their first try disallowed for the Jersey pull on the defender and that should have been a yellow card, and a penalty try just FYI.

On the note of yellow cards, you can get a card for a lot of reasons. Caleb Clarke seems unable to learn not to stick his hand out to stop a pass for example. That rule has been adjusted since it was first introduced, which I think was good.

I think for high tackles, there is a razers edge going on there. You need to stop the player and also stop the offload. That automatically means a single defender must go highish. I felt the Yellow for the high tackle agains the Highlanders was, according to the rules, correct, however there was a serious dip. Without it, it would have been a legal tackle, though tackle at that height run the risk.

No matter what, you can't prevent all dangerous tackles, but the new mitigation system is in fact the best version of the rules that we have had in many years.

Jersey pulling and the like, that stuff annoys me a lot, so yellow card any player that does it.

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#3470933 16-Mar-2026 16:21

LookingUp

Did your post just prior mention that you're all for a bit of mongrel...? 😉

Absolutely! Love the mongrel, except when it's happening to me 😂.

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#3470934 16-Mar-2026 16:22

I have no problem with the Brewis yellow. It was a dead ruck, the ball was at the back, no competition. It could have ended a lot more badly, I hope he gets spoken to about that. Even if it wasn't a dead ruck, that is a dead risky tackle. Doesn't take more than a split second change for that to end tragically.

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#3471724 19-Mar-2026 15:16

networkn:

Forty ROFL.

The Highlanders should have had their first try disallowed for the Jersey pull on the defender and that should have been a yellow card, and a penalty try just FYI.

Hyperbole obviously ...

How does interfering with a defender while on attack result in penalty try? Not following you there.

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#3471945 20-Mar-2026 11:05

One thing I still think is OTT, is the pretty much automatic yellow card for a defender's hand touching the ball while been passed between attackers. I get that deliberately knocking the ball forward to stop an attacking move is cynical and a professional foul, but I think in the majority of cases the defender is instinctively genuinely trying to intercept the ball.

Intercepts and the resulting race to the line are an exciting part of the game and force attacks to be more careful with their passing. But get it wrong and you go straight from try scorer to 10 mins in the bin. I don't think there are any other skills in the game, that if you get them wrong you get a yellow card. Props dropping the front row will get 2 or 3 warnings before card. Offside in the red zone will get maybe 3 or 4 team warnings before a card. But if your hand touches that pass, you're gone first time.

I guess it's near on impossible to tell if a defender is trying to intercept, or making it look that way while cynically knocking it down, so refs need to err on the side of attack. However, if it's not in the red zone, surely a penalty is enough?

Having said all that, the players are professionals and all know the lie of the land, so they should be able to resist the intercepts that have a low chance of success.

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#3472118 21-Mar-2026 08:39

Earbanean:

One thing I still think is OTT, is the pretty much automatic yellow card for a defender's hand touching the ball while been passed between attackers. I get that deliberately knocking the ball forward to stop an attacking move is cynical and a professional foul, but I think in the majority of cases the defender is instinctively genuinely trying to intercept the ball.

Intercepts and the resulting race to the line are an exciting part of the game and force attacks to be more careful with their passing. But get it wrong and you go straight from try scorer to 10 mins in the bin. I don't think there are any other skills in the game, that if you get them wrong you get a yellow card. Props dropping the front row will get 2 or 3 warnings before card. Offside in the red zone will get maybe 3 or 4 team warnings before a card. But if your hand touches that pass, you're gone first time.

I guess it's near on impossible to tell if a defender is trying to intercept, or making it look that way while cynically knocking it down, so refs need to err on the side of attack. However, if it's not in the red zone, surely a penalty is enough?

Having said all that, the players are professionals and all know the lie of the land, so they should be able to resist the intercepts that have a low chance of success.

It's not an automatic yellow. Twice last weekend (once in my opinion it was yellow all day long) I saw someone try to intercept, fail, and nothing happened. The rule, which was introduced some time ago, was too one dimensional and punative, however, it's been through mulitple interactions and feels like a fair balance now.

You need to have had a geniune attempt to intercept. Batting the ball down - Yellow. Reasonable chance of intercept, not yellow.

I like the rule the way it is, strikes the fairest balance. Players have to have the proper intent.

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#3472119 21-Mar-2026 08:43

MikeAqua:

How does interfering with a defender while on attack result in penalty try? Not following you there.

Sorry I got two scenarios mixed up.

A defender holding back a SUPPORT player, who would have scored, would be a yellow card and penalty try.

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#3472120 21-Mar-2026 08:45

Jason Holland to be the new Blues Head Coach. That's an ... Interesting ... choice.

The AB's pretty much pillaged the super rugby coaching stocks over the past decade.

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#3472135 21-Mar-2026 11:28

Earbanean:

Intercepts and the resulting race to the line are an exciting part of the game and force attacks to be more careful with their passing. But get it wrong and you go straight from try scorer to 10 mins in the bin. I don't think there are any other skills in the game, that if you get them wrong you get a yellow card. Props dropping the front row will get 2 or 3 warnings before card. Offside in the red zone will get maybe 3 or 4 team warnings before a card. But if your hand touches that pass, you're gone first time.

Ha ha, the irony of my comment yesterday, with my Chiefies being sunk by a Brumbies intercept last night.

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#3472137 21-Mar-2026 11:34

networkn:

It's not an automatic yellow. Twice last weekend (once in my opinion it was yellow all day long) I saw someone try to intercept, fail, and nothing happened. The rule, which was introduced some time ago, was too one dimensional and punative, however, it's been through mulitple interactions and feels like a fair balance now.

Yeah, I agree with you in what we've seen in Super Rugby this year. TMOs have been staying out of it and refs doing things in real time on the fly have maybe missed one or two or made debatable calls. I doubt that will happen in test matches as they are current reffed though. The TMOs still have a licence to get involved and pretty much all cases that I can recall have been yellows. Hopefully that changes a bit more towards the Super Rugby model.

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#3472147 21-Mar-2026 12:01

I didn't think Wyatt Crockett would ever be surpassed for the most caps in Super Rugby, and whilst I was a little sad to see that milestone go to an Australian, it was hard to begrudge slipper who it feels like we have been hearing his name forever, get his milestone at home and to get the win as well. The look on Slippers face during that intercept was priceless.

I was genuinely shocked to see Mackenzie miss that kick at goal, his goalkicking accuracy has been probably his greatest asset in recent years.

In both that match and the Highlanders match, the handling was pretty rubbish by NZ teams. I feel like they are trying to play too fast for their skillset. It's long been the belief in NZ that faster is better, and whilst there is some truth to that, there are certainly limits. There is a place for it, but you need to win the collisions, have players in position, and then move the ball.

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#3472148 21-Mar-2026 12:05

Earbanean:

Ha ha, the irony of my comment yesterday, with my Chiefies being sunk by a Brumbies intercept last night.

Honestly, for the Brumbies, that was the icing on the cake, the fact the ball was lost in the carry was the thing that sunk the Chiefs. It could have the Chiefs got the ball back after that, but I think the Brumbies would have prevailed regardless.

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