Latest news with #AngusGardner
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Controversial call costs Moana Pasifika in crucial Blues match
In this instance, Moana centre Lalomilo Lalomilo put his foot in touch – an act which was not seen in real time – before flinging the ball back in play, which led to the Blues briefly taking possession, before the ball was turned over and Moana went through a few more phases to score. The failure to spot that Lalomilo had been in touch should have been exactly that in the end – a failure to spot that Lalomilo had been in touch – as, once the Blues had regained possession from his infield pass, that started the clock again. The Blues' brief moment with the ball should have rendered the infringement off-limits in the decision as to whether the try had been legally scored or not. It became a somewhat farcical scene at North Harbour, as referee Angus Gardner and his assistant Ben O'Keeffe tried to make sense of what had happened and what protocol needed to be applied. Moana captain Ardie Savea showed just how confused and confusing the law book can be when he suggested – wrongly as it happens, because this clause has been changed – that the officials couldn't go back more than three phases to determine whether the try should stand. Ardie Savea speaks with referee Angus Gardner as the Moana try is overturned. Photo / Photosport Moana did score a valid try two minutes later, but as always with these sliding door moments – like the Aaron Smith try the All Blacks scored in the World Cup final that was wrongly disallowed – it's impossible to know what impact it would have had on the game, had it stood. Based on what was happening at North Harbour Stadium, though, it's fair to suggest that Moana, who had all the momentum and all the energy in the period leading into Sanerivi's non-try, could have lifted to another level again if they hadn't had to wait for almost two minutes to hear that their score was being chalked off. The waiting, as any team on a surge can testify, sucks the energy and flow out of the contest – and to then hear that the score is not standing is deflating. That may not seem like much, but in the heat of the moment, it can be critical – especially as the prolonged discussion among the officials gave the Blues a chance to recuperate and regather. The bottom line is that it's impossible not to wonder whether that decision was critical in enabling the Blues to hold on to a losing bonus point they may not otherwise have gathered, and then to wonder just how critical that bonus point may be in Moana's quest to secure a place in the playoffs. The Blues and Moana are both on 28 competition points and are fighting, alongside the Hurricanes, for two quarter-final spots. In the course of a 14-game regular season, there will be innumerable incidents and failings that could be highlighted to explain why a team didn't make the last six. But there will always be something truly contentious and frustrating about officiating errors that are made not as a result of law interpretation and application, but as a result of not actually knowing the laws under which the game is being played. In defence of the officials, they are faced with an overly complex and nuanced set of protocols that have been introduced this year by World Rugby and which come with different criteria for different circumstances. If there is an act of foul play discovered in the build-up to a try, then the officials can adjudicate as far back as the last restart of play. If there is a knock-on, forward pass or someone is in touch, they can go back to the last attacking passage of play and if there is an offside or maul obstruction, they can go back two phases (scrum, lineout, ruck or maul) of play. It seems needlessly complex, although TMO Glenn Newman should have had these protocols in front of him to ensure the officials were being advised correctly on the law. It's to be applauded that rugby wants lighter-touch interference from the TMO and a means to use technology without destroying the flow and integrity of the contests. But surely it has to simplify and unify the protocol – and have one standard application of just how far back events can be analysed. Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand's most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport.
BBC News
08-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ireland coach Easterby questions second France try
Ireland interim boss Simon Easterby questioned the awarding of France's second try while lamenting his side's wasteful display in Saturday's Six Nations defeat in Dublin. France moved two points clear at the top of the table before next week's final round of fixtures with a ruthless 42-27 victory over the holders. The second France try - scored by Paul Boudehent - put the visitors 15-13 ahead after Dan Sheehan's score early in the second half briefly gave Ireland the were angered that Boudehent's try was allowed to stand by referee Angus Gardner after Thibaud Flament cleared Peter O'Mahony out of a ruck in the build-up. "We didn't defend well enough in our 22 but there are certain things that happen in a game, in instances like that, which are going to prevent someone [O'Mahony in this case] making a tackle, or be in a position to try and stop that," said Easterby."All teams try and create a bit of space through the ruck and that allows the next player to pick, but it's the judgement over whether that contact on Pete [was] close enough to the ruck to know if it was legal."It was three or four metres from the ruck, so that's something we'll reflect on and feed back to Angus Gardner and his assistant referees. Obviously the TMO also came in and felt it was legal." With a mix of power and counter-attacking speed, France blew Ireland away in the second half, scoring 34 unanswered points to avenge last year's 38-17 loss in Marseille. And while Easterby conceded the French are a "hard team to stop when they have momentum", he bemoaned Ireland's inability to turn pressure into points when they had possession inside France's 22."We certainly felt we didn't take our opportunities or put them under enough pressure," said Easterby. "When we did it wasn't until the last 10 minutes of the game when we could score a decent number of points. But the game was gone."Easterby, who suffered the first defeat of his interim spell, added: "We felt that going in at 8-6 down at half-time we were still well in the game. "We were confident if we started well, which we did, that we could kick on and make them pay in terms of our fitness and our ability to go well in second halves, which we have done in previous games in the tournament. "Unfortunately, we didn't take enough of opportunities in the game in their 22 and we also conceded too easily." Ireland captain Caelan Doris, who was denied an early try when he was held up by Gregory Alldritt, rued his side's ill-discipline with Joe McCarthy and Calvin Nash both sin-binned. "We thought we were in contention at half-time, we felt confident," said Doris, who was making his 50th cap. "We started well and thought we could go on to do it but that 25-minute period in the middle of the second half was where we just weren't good enough - our collisions, our discipline."They can create something from nothing with go forward ball, and that's what happened two or three times in a row."
The Independent
08-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Ireland vs France referee: Who is Six Nations official Angus Gardner?
Australia's Angus Gardner takes charge of the crucial clash between Ireland and France on the penultimate weekend of the Six Nations. The 39-year-old official took charge of fixtures at the World Cup in the autumn of 2023 having made his tournament debut as an assistant in England in 2015 before stepping up to the refereeing panel four years later in Japan. He was selected to oversee the semi-final between New Zealand and Argentina at the Stade de France, his first knockout appointment, establishing him as one of the world's leading officials. Born in Sydney, Gardner took up refereeing at the age of 15. He made his Super Rugby debut in 2012, officiating an encounter between the Melbourne Rebels and Queensland Reds. By that stage, he had already made an international debut – in November 2011, Gardner took charge of an Oceania Cup match between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu in Port Moresby. A Tier One debut followed five years later, setting Gardner on a pathway to refereeing matches at the 2019 World Cup. Match officials for Ireland v France in Dublin Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus) Television Match Official: Ian Tempest (Eng)
Telegraph
24-02-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Italy v Ireland, Six Nations 2025: What time is kick-off and what TV channel is it on?
The fifth and final game of Ireland's 2025 Six Nations Championship campaign will be their third away match of the campaign and takes place in Rome. Ireland have won all three of their matches to date, overcoming England 27-22, in round one at the Aviva Stadium Dublin, before beating Scotland 32-18 at Murrayfield and emerging victorious against Wales 27-18 at the Principality Stadium. Italy have their work cut out against the defending champions having lost to Scotland 31-19 on the opening weekend and suffered a 73-24 humbling in Rome in round three. The Azzurri have tasted victory at the Stadio Olimpico this campaign, however, winning 22-15 against Wales on 8 February. When is Italy v Ireland? Italy host Ireland on Saturday, March 15. The match will kick-off at 2.15pm (GMT). The other final-round matches both take place later in the day with England visiting Wales at 4.45pm (GMT) and France v Scotland getting under way at the Stade de France at 8pm (GMT). Where is Italy v Ireland taking place? At the Stadio Olimpico, where Italy gave Ireland a run for their money the last time they met there losing 34-20 in 2023. How to watch Italy v Ireland on TV? It will be on ITV1. BBC and ITV once again share coverage of the Six Nations in the UK: ITV has the rights for the home games of England, Ireland, France and Italy while the BBC has all the matches at Murrayfield and the Principality Stadium. Who is the referee? England's Luke Pearce has the whistle for Italy's home match against Ireland and has Angus Gardner from Australia and South Africa's Morné Ferreira running the line. England's Andrew Jackson will perform TMO duties and Tual Trainini from the French Rugby Union is the Foul Play Review Officer. Luke Pearce has established himself as one of the best referees in the game over his 15-year professional career. He has officiated at the World Cup, in European finals and Six Nations Grand Slam deciders and has established a reputation for a style that promotes flowing rugby and seeks to reduce stodgy periods of inaction. Pearce's father, Andrew, refereed in the Championship, which inspired him to take up the whistle at the age of 16. The 37-year-old has developed the skill of communicating with players in a friendly yet firm manner, often speaking with a smile while also not being afraid to march teams back 10 metres when they talk back. The Welsh-born referee has already officiated a match involving Italy this campaign when he was assistant referee for their defeat at Murrayfield in round two, while he was the man in the middle when these two sides met 12 months ago in Dublin. What is the team news? For their encounter with France in round three, Italy made two changes to the side that had defeated Wales, with Simone Gesi coming in on the wing for the Monty Ioane, who had a knee problem, and hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi selected ahead of Giacomo Nicotera. Ireland are coached by Simon Easterby, who has taken up an interim role in this year's Six Nations due to head coach Andy Farrell's absence. Farrell has stepped back from his role this year as he is coaching the British and Irish Lions for their 2025 tour. Italy and Ireland will not name their revised squads for the match on March 15 until after the fourth-round fixtures. Italy's current squad Forwards: Simone Ferrari, Riccardo Faveretto, Danilo Fischetti, Federico Ruzza, Marco Riccioni, Lorenzo Cannone, Luca Rizzoli, Alessandro Izekor, Giosue Zilocchi, Michele Lamaro, Gianmarco Nicotera, Ross Vintcent, Niccolò Cannone, Manuel Zuliani, Dino Lamb. Backs: Alessandro Garbisi, Juan Ignacio Brex, Martin Page-Relo, Tommaso Menoncello, Stephen Varney, Ange Capuozzo, Tommaso Allen, Matt Gallagher, Paolo Garbisi, Simone Gesi, Leonardo Marin, Monty Ioane, Jacopo Trulla. Ireland's current squad Forwards: Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Boyle, Thomas Clarkson, Jack Conan, Caelan Doris (c), Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Cormac Izuchukwu, Rónan Kelleher, Gus McCarthy, Joe McCarthy, Peter O'Mahony, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Josh van der Flier. Backs: Bundee Aki, Caolin Blade, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast, Garry Ringrose When did Italy and Ireland last win the Six Nations? Italy have never won the title but they can lay claim to one Six Nations victory over Ireland; a 22-15 home victory in March 2013. Ireland have won back-to-back Six Nations titles and are seeking to become the first side to win it three years running. Should they achieve the 'three-peat' they will join England in having the most Six Nations titles, with seven. What was the score last year? Ireland won 36-0 at the Aviva Stadium in 2024, in a one-sided contest the Azzurri head coach Gonzalo Quesada likened to New Zealand in their prime. 'When they got 19 points [ahead], it was like the All Blacks from some years ago,' said the Argentine. 'They just go through their basics. They had 100 per cent of the line-out, 100 per cent of the scrum, 100 per cent of the high balls. And then they just work their rucks in attack and defence with extreme efficiency.'
Telegraph
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Ireland v France, Six Nations 2025: What time is kick-off and what TV channel is it on?
The fourth round of fixtures in the Ireland are the only side to win their first two games of the championship, beating England and Scotland, and securing two bonus points along the way. Prior to their heavyweight clash against France they face a Wales side who are in turmoil, with head coach Meanwhile, France started the championship in scintillating fashion, France are four points behind Ireland as they head to Rome to play Italy, before travelling to Dublin to face an Ireland side who are looking to become the first side to win three Six Nations Championships in a row. When is Ireland vs France? Ireland host France on Saturday, March 8. The match will kick-off at 14:15 (GMT). The other fixtures in round four include Scotland welcoming Wales to Murrayfield on the same day, at 16:45, with England visited by Italy on Sunday, March 9 at 15:00. Where is Ireland vs France taking place? The game will take place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. It will be Ireland's second, and last, home game of this year's Six Nations. Ireland have a mixed record when hosting France at the Aviva Stadium, winning four of the eight matches the two sides have contested there, with those four wins coming in the last five games. France have won three times since the stadium was built, with one draw being played out in 2013. Six Nations 2025 table How to watch Ireland vs France on TV? The game will be live on ITV1, whilst Scotland vs Wales will be on BBC One later in the day. ITV acquired the rights for the home games of England, Ireland, France, and Italy with the BBC covering Scotland's games at Murrayfield and Wales' matches at the Principality Stadium. This year's Six Nations coverage has taken place against a backdrop of controversy with 2025 potentially being the last year that all Six Nations games are shown on free-to-air terrestrial television in the UK. The current broadcast deal that the BBC and ITV hold only runs until the end of this year's tournament. TNT Sports and Sky Sports may bid for the rights to cover the competition from 2026. This potential switch has caused concern, with suggestions that it may have a negative impact on the game. Who is the referee? Australian referee Angus Gardner will be in charge of this pivotal fixture. He has refereed just one game between Ireland and France before – a 30-24 France win at the Stade de France in the 2022 Six Nations. Gardner has refereed 46 international Test matches, including three World Cups. He was the referee in England's 12-11 win over South Africa, in 2018, when Owen Farrell received criticism over his tackle on André Esterhuizen. With the clock ticking over to 80 minutes Farrell leaned into a shoulder-led tackle on the South African centre. Gardner judged the tackle to be legal but has since admitted he probably made a mistake. A penalty would have likely given South Africa the win. Gardner, on the Will Greenwood podcast, said: 'I think in hindsight now, having discussed it with some other referees… the general consensus would be that a penalty was probably the outcome there that should have been given.' What is the team news? Ireland are coached by Simon Easterby, who has taken up an interim role in this year's Six Nations due to head coach Andy Farrell's absence. Farrell has stepped back from his role this year as he is coaching the British and Irish Lions for their 2025 tour. Easterby has picked just one uncapped player, in Leinster prop Jack Boyle. The experienced quartet of Cian Healy, Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier and Bundee Aki are all in contention. Winger Mack Hansen was ruled out of Ireland's win over Scotland, whilst fly-half Sam Prendergast is playing in his first Six Nations and has been picked over Jack Crowley for the opening two games. For France, Experienced flanker Charles Ollivon has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament due to a knee injury, whilst experienced centres Gael Fickou and Jonathan Danty have missed the first two rounds but may return for the latter stages of the tournament. Ireland squad: Forwards: Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Boyle, Thomas Clarkson, Jack Conan, Caelan Doris (c), Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Cormac Izuchukwu, Rónan Kelleher, Gus McCarthy, Joe McCarthy, Peter O'Mahony, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Josh van der Flier. Backs: Bundee Aki, Caolin Blade, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast, Garry Ringrose France squad: Forwards: Esteban Abadie, Dorian Aldegheri, Gregory Alldritt, Uini Atonio, Hugo Auradou, Cyril Baille, Giorgi Beria, Paul Boudehent, Joshua Brennan, Georges-Henri Colombe, Francois Cros, Thibaud Flament, Marko Gazzotti, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Mickaël Guillard, Matthias Halagahu, Oscar Jegou, Maxime Lamothe, Julien Marchand, Peato Mauvaka, Emmanuel Meafou, Dany Priso, Rabah Slimani, Romain Taofifénua. Backs: Theo Attissogbe, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Leo Barre, Nicolas Depoortere, Gael Drean, Antoine Dupont (c), Antoine Frisch, Emilien Gailleton, Matthieu Jalibert, Nolann le Garrec, Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, Noah Nene, Romain Ntamack, Damien Penaud, Thomas Ramos, Killian Tixeront, Gabin Villiere. When did France and Ireland last win the Six Nations? France and Ireland have dominated the Six Nations in recent years, occupying the top two spots for three years running. France were victorious in 2022, but have since finished second in consecutive years with Ireland winning back-to-back titles. Ireland also won the Grand Slam in 2023 after winning all five of their games. Should either side win this year's tournament they will join England in having the most Six Nations titles, with seven. What was the score last year? The 2024 Six Nations opened with a thrilling match as Ireland beat France 38-17 in Marseille. Ireland ran in five tries, collecting a bonus point along the way, after France had lock Paul Willemse sent off after just 30 minutes. It was Ireland's biggest-ever away win over the French. What are the latest odds? France to win Six Nations: 1000/1 Ireland to win Six Nations: 8/15
